The illogic of Kassel
By: Enrique Vila-Matas ; translated from the Spanish by Anne McLean & Anna Milsom
Contributors: McLean, Anne, 1962- translator; Milsom, Anna, translator
Series: New Directions paperbook -- 1307; New Directions paperbook -- 1307.
Published: 2015
Language: eng
Number of pages: 220
ISBN-13: 9780811221498
Subjects: Arts; Exhibitions; Authors; Spanish fiction; Modern Arts; Fiction
Work titles: Kassel no invita a la lógica
Description: A puzzling phone call shatters a writer's routine. An enigmatic female voice extends a dinner invitation, and it soon becomes clear that this is an invitation to take part in the documenta, the legendary exhibition of contemporary art held every five years in Kassel, Germany. The writer's mission will be to sit down to write every morning in a Chinese restaurant on the outskirts of town, transforming himself into a living art installation. Once in Kassel, the writer is surprised to find himself overcome by good cheer as he strolls through the city, spurred on by the endless supply of energy at the heart of the exhibition. This is his spontaneous, quirky response to art, rising up against pessimism.With humor, profundity, and a sharp eye, Enrique Vila-Matas tells the story of a solitary man, who, roaming the streets amid oddities and wonder, takes it upon himself to translate from a language he does not understand.
Notes: "A New Directions book."