Larva Midsummer Night’s Babel
Larva Midsummer Night’s Babel by Julián Ríos, published by Dalkey Archive Press in 2004, is a 585-page work that offers a striking reassessment of the Don Juan myth. This novel presents a rollicking account of a masquerade party set in an abandoned mansion in London, where the character Milalias, disguised as Don Juan, searches for Babelle, who is portrayed as Sleeping Beauty. The narrative is characterized by a pursuit of double meanings, employing a playful yet serious exploration of language.
Readers will find themselves immersed in a linguistic funhouse filled with puns and wordplay reminiscent of Joyce’s Finnegans Wake. The text includes a mock-scholarly commentary that reveals the backgrounds of the masked revelers, while Ríos’ allusive language demonstrates how words can conceal a multitude of meanings and implications. This edition not only revives a Hispanic tradition long repressed but also introduces elements of the English tradition, such as puns, palindromes, and acrostics, showcasing Ríos’ skill in weaving complex literary devices into his narrative.
Official synopsis Publisher
A striking reassessment of the Don Juan myth. A literary tour de force, this extraordinary novel is told in single-minded pursuit of double meanings, but it is serious play. Larva is a rollicking account of a masquerade party in an abandoned mansion in London. Milalias (disguised as Don Juan) searches for Babelle (as Sleeping Beauty) through a linguistic funhouse of puns and wordplay recalling Joyce’s Finnegans Wake. A mock-scholarly commentary reveals the backgrounds of the masked revellers, while Rios’ allusive language shows that words too wear masks, hiding an astonishing range of further meanings and implications. Larva revives a Hispanic tradition repressed for centuries by introducing the English tradition of puns, palindromes and acrostics (a word puzzle in which certain letters in each line form a word or words) and establishes Rios as the most accomplished successor (in any language) to Joyce.
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