Eternal Curse on the Reader of These Pages

Less interesting as a novel than as an exercise in storytelling, Eternal Curse... seems to ask how self-deception can be a form of salvation. In the dialogue that takes up the entire text, we come across two chracters. Ramirez, an Argentine political exile, is physically crippled and Larry, an out of work History professor is emotionally crippled. For work, Larry pushes Ramirez's wheelchair through the Village, and the relationship they take up, while disturbing, is fun to observe.

The "meta" element in this work borders on unbearable when we learn that Larry is a translator, and that this quality/qualification will trigger the novel's central narrative. We've already found out from the book jacket that Eternal Curse... is a translation of sorts--written in both Spanish and English by the author, Puig.

Nevertheless, it was a compelling insight to this author's work in English. The winking references to Puig's other work are kept casual and flirtatious, and the writing is strong enough to support the minimal superstructure the form burdens it with.