A 2013 Best Translated Book Award Finalist
When he reads about a mysterious explosion in the distant countryside,
the narrator's thoughts turn to his disappeared childhood friend, M, who
was abducted from his home years ago, during a spasm of political
violence in Buenos Aires in the early 1970s. He convinces himself that M
must have died in this explosion, and he begins to tell the story of
their friendship through a series interconnected vignettes, hoping in
this way to reanimate his friend and relive the time they spent together
wandering the streets of Buenos Aires.
Sergio Chejfec's The Planets is an affecting and innovative
exploration of mourning, remembrance, and friendship by one of
Argentina's modern masters.
Sergio Chejfec, originally from Argentina, has published numerous
works of fiction, poetry, and essays. Among his grants and prizes, he
has received fellowships from the Civitella Ranieri Foundation in 2007
and the John Simon Guggenheim Foundation in 2000. He teaches at NYU.
Heather Cleary is a translator of fiction, criticism, and poetry. In
2005, she was awarded a Translation Fund grant from the PEN American
Center for her work on Oliverio Girondo.
