Saturday, January 21, 2006
Libros Locos
Glowing reviews are coming in for Harry Stephen Keeler and The Riddle of the Traveling Skull at the Chicago Reader (pdf download) and at Baltimore City Paper, who note:
As chance would have it, a Keeler revival is also underway in Spain -- his works remained in print over there years after English-language publishers gave up on him, with the odd result that some of Keeler's books were only available in Spanish. With his return to print in Spain, his publisher Editorial Reus S.A. snapped up harrystephenkeeler.com to spread the word about Señor Keeler...
Keeler’s nonsense feels as naturally immediate as talking to a stranger at a bar, the tales twice as convoluted, preposterous, and redundant, and everything 50 times more fun.... Five rereadings of the final chapters haven’t clarified a freaking thing. Which, again, hardly matters. Truly bonkers writers are one thing; a truly bonkers writer this enjoyable, prolific, and unknown is a gift from the Dada gods.
As chance would have it, a Keeler revival is also underway in Spain -- his works remained in print over there years after English-language publishers gave up on him, with the odd result that some of Keeler's books were only available in Spanish. With his return to print in Spain, his publisher Editorial Reus S.A. snapped up harrystephenkeeler.com to spread the word about Señor Keeler...
