Description
Pleasures and Lies
Book Summary
In Pleasures and Lies, Mercedes Escolano invites the reader on an intimate journey along the border between wakefulness and sleep, where reading becomes an act of seduction and deception. Through lucid and evocative poetry, the author explores how the words of other insomniac poets become confused with her own, weaving a web of truths and fictions. This collection of poems is a reflection on the act of reading and writing, a hall of mirrors where the reader recognizes themselves in their own search for meaning.
What is it about?
The collection is built around a nocturnal scene: the poet, far from sleep, sets out several books on the bedside table as if they were cocktails for an unquenchable thirst. With premeditation and malice, as if the night had no end, she reads for hours and ends up believing the words that other insomniacs invented for her. The work plays with the idea of dissimulation and the ability to commit literary sins, pulling blank and aseptic pages from her magic top hat. It is, in essence, the dream of every self-respecting reader: the possibility of inhabiting a space where reality and fiction merge into a single pleasure.
Main Themes
- Reading as an act of creation and seduction.
- The blurred boundary between reality and fiction.
- Insomnia as a state of lucidity and poetic creation.
- Intertextuality and dialogue with other poets.
- Pleasure and lying as elements inherent to the literary experience.
Who is it recommended for?
This book is aimed at readers of contemporary poetry who are looking for a reflective and suggestive work on the act of reading itself. It is ideal for those who enjoy metaliterature, halls of mirrors, and the exploration of the limits between wakefulness and sleep. It will also be attractive to poets and writers interested in the creative process and the construction of a poetic voice.
What this book contributes
- A reading experience that invites introspection and self-discovery.
- A deep reflection on the pleasure and deception that literature implies.
- An original look at insomnia as a space for creation.
- A subtle dialogue with the poetic tradition, enriching the reader's understanding.
- A short but intense work, perfect for a relaxed and meditative reading.
Technical Specifications
- Author: Escolano (1964-), Mercedes
- Publisher: Huerga y Fierro Editores
- Language: Spanish
- Subject: POETRY, POETRY BY INDIVIDUAL POETS, POETIC ANTHOLOGIES (VARIOUS POETS)
- Collection: HUMANITIES
- Binding: Paperback
- Publication Date: November 2019
- Number of pages: 65
- Weight: 120 g
Editorial Review
Pleasures and Lies is a poetry collection that stands out for its ability to condense a lucid and poetic reflection on reading and writing into few pages. Mercedes Escolano manages to create an intimate and suggestive atmosphere, where the reader feels complicit in the literary game. It is a work that, without fanfare, invites you to pause and savor every verse, offering a deep and memorable reading experience. Its brevity is not a defect, but a virtue that makes it a perfect piece for those looking for quality poetry with an original approach.