Review of Shantytown by César Aira

Aira is best enjoyed in small portions, I find.

Seems like the longer his book, the less interesting it becomes. In this still bite-sized tale, a shantytown and its resident bodybuilder hog the spotlight. While not particularly moving, the story is undercut with some emotional resonance. The plight of those inhabiting the satirical town forces the reader to compare other towns they know to this fictional conglomeration of destitute humanity. Drug cartels, political schemes, and snide character interactions propel the plot, which is at times adequate, and is otherwise far-fetched. The style is typical of the author, neither too lyrical nor realistic in the least. His poetic phrases come at the expense of believability. But his down-to-earth protagonist will please some readers. The setting, while gritty, is surprisingly full of life, and as always, Aira excels at astute descriptions. I noticed a few wooden interchanges of dialogue and the aforementioned less-than-convincing events portrayed, but the overall effect was agreeable.