My first encounter with Randall Silvis, when browsing an excerpt of his forthcoming novel, ‘In a Town Called Mundomuerto’ in the Omnidawn anthology ‘Paraspheres‘, left me literally spellbound and since then I've been looking forward to reading the whole book. Now I'm anxious to trace Silvis' previous body of work, consisting in seven novels and a short story collection.

I suppose, if I must try to put a genre label on the present novel, that the most suitable definition would be "magic realism", also because the story takes place in a South American context which somehow reminds a little of the atmospheres of Garcia Marquez' books. Now, don't get me wrong, Silvis has a voice of his own, and what a wonderful voice!

A talented storyteller, he has the ability to put a veneer of magic over the facts of daily life, so that the little town becomes a whole universe where men and women carry on with their simple existence, savour life's small pleasures, look after their spiritual wounds but, most of all, pursue their dreams. And what greater dream than love?

Indeed, the small town of Mundomuerto (formerly called Mundosuave) provides the scenery for two great love stories, both involving the town beauty, a fascinating, breathtaking young girl called Lucia Luna. Every male in the fisherman's village was lusting after her, but who really loved her was a young boy, Alberto, the player accompanying with his guitar her mesmerizing singing.

Alberto is an old man now and keeps telling the story of Lucia Luna to a young boy - a projection of his younger self - who by now knows the story as well as the old man and can correct his memory lapses, his inconsistencies and his errors during the never ending repetition of the same yarn. True love never dies, even when, due to unforeseen and tragic circumstances, it remains just a platonic, unfulfilled dream. Because just when Lucia was about to soften and possibly give way to the boy's desire, a mysterious, irresistible stranger burst into the scene instantly winning the girl's heart. Was he human or not? The villagers were wondering. And when misfortunes started striking the town superstition exploded among the jealous women and Lucia was pointed out as a bruja, a witch.

I won't give away more to avoid spoiling the reader's pleasure in tasting the further developments of the story which will lead you through a bitter depiction of human frailties and ignorance as well as through a journey into the unfathomable nature of everlasting love.

An old woman herself, Lucia Luna still lives in the village, now a hag hardly resembling the vibrant, lovely young woman embedded in the old man's heart and memory. But the love story goes on and on in the grandfather continuous narration and will keep living in the young boy as a precious legacy to be preserved and protected from the world's cynicism.

I can't recommend enough this book, an exceptional reading experience for anyone who loves solid and seductive storytelling, elegant but profound writing style, and most of all the ability to disclose the lyricism hidden behind the apparent triviality of human existence.