Description
Ariel and the Bodies
Book Summary
A novel that explores identity, desire, and the impossibility of love through the eyes of Ariel, a character who defies conventional categories of gender and affection. With echoes of Virginia Woolf's Orlando, this work is a tribute to loves that never quite bloom and to those that, once born, live marked by transience. A literary journey through ambiguity and the beauty of the provisional.
What is it about?
Ariel faces a question they cannot answer: whether they are a man or a woman. Their experience of the body and love is elusive, provisional, and disconcerting, far removed from established social norms. The novel recounts their story, an existence that moves between indefinability and desire, exploring how they relate to other bodies without ever fully possessing them. Inspired by Virginia Woolf's famous treatise on gender, the plot becomes a tribute to loves that never come to be and those that, once born, are touched by death from the very beginning.
Main Themes
- Gender identity and non-binariness.
- Impossible love and the fleeting nature of affections.
- The relationship between the body and identity.
- The literary influence of Virginia Woolf and her work Orlando.
- Provisionality as a way of life and love.
Who is it recommended for?
For readers interested in contemporary narratives that address gender diversity and affective relationships from a literary and reflective perspective. Also for those looking for novels that engage with the modernist tradition, such as the work of Virginia Woolf, and that explore ambiguity and the beauty of the undefined.
What this book offers
- A profound and poetic look at non-binary gender identity.
- A reflection on the ephemeral nature of love and desire.
- A literary homage to Virginia Woolf's Orlando, updated for contemporary sensibilities.
- A narrative that challenges traditional narrative and thematic conventions.
- A reading experience that invites one to question labels and the limits of the body and affection.
Technical Details
- Author: Portell, Sebastià
- Publisher: Editorial Dos Bigotes
- Language: Spanish
- Subject: MODERN AND CONTEMPORARY FICTION
- Collection: DOS BIGOTES
- Binding: Paperback
- Publication date: February 2020
- Number of pages: 280
- Weight: 375 g
Editorial Review
A brave and sensitive novel that takes up the literary tradition of Woolf to address questions of gender and love from a modern perspective. Portell’s prose, recognized with the Time Out Barcelona Creator of the Year Award, offers a stimulating read for those seeking fiction that transcends the conventional. Ideal for readers who appreciate emotional complexity and narrative experimentation.