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LAS POSEÍDAS
A new girl, Felisa Wilmer, joins a religious school for girls in the north of Buenos Aires. Recently arrived from London, Felisa becomes the centre of attention thanks to her rebellious attitude and bad behaviour, and her artistic tendencies, her perfect English and her impenetrable and independent character means that she is surrounded by a 'poetic' aura. At least that's how López, the narrator and protagonist, sees her, and she wastes no time in making friends with her. The two girls live among the more or less salacious stories that they tell about the school's history, and certain more real 'dangers' that are to be found nearby. But little by little López will discover more about Felisa, who lives with her grandmother since her mother was killed in an accident, and the reasons for her eccentric and suicidal behaviour, as if 'possessed' by those around her.
Our Panellists had a very good feeling about this book from the very first time they discussed it. They saw real potential and said it would work very well in the UK. This interest was reinforced by Martin Schifino´s Reader report and the fact that “Las Poseídas” was awarded the “VIII Tusquets Novel Prize” .
This is a novel to be recommended. It has an absorbing atmosphere and intriguing characters. The narrator’s voice is engaging, in large part thanks to González honed writing. (…)
(…)González is very convincing with characterization and description, and has a keen eye for the kind of drama that obtains when two or three characters clash. Her sense of history and locale is spot-on: I grew up in the eighties in the same neighbourhood where the novel is set, and I often found myself smiling with recognition. That of course is of no value for most readers; but I think the author’s ability to convey what a particular time felt like should be appreciated. Peripheral episodes help flesh out the main plotline, and play on the historical moment: a school outing to a military museum exemplifies some of the ill-advised choices religious schools made at the time. There are also fine observations about the peculiarity of nuns. (…)
(…) It is undoubtedly a fine literary novel and a pleasure to read. At some fifty thousand words, it would also be reasonably cheap to produce, so publishers who worry about the cost of translation can cross that problem out. As for translators, they shouldn’t have any problems at all: they can comfortably do a first draft in two weeks. And revise it at the weekend. (From the reader report by Martin Schifino)