BONSI

Bonsai

C o n d e m n e d t o a l i f e o f s e r i o u s n e s s a n d i m p o s t u re , J u l i o ,
t h e s i l e n t p ro t a g o n i s t o f t h i s b o o k , e n d s u p c o n v i n c i n g
h i m s e l f t h a t i t i s b e t t e r t o s h u t h i m s e l f i n h i s ro o m t o o b -
s e r v e t h e g ro w t h o f a b o n s a i t h a n t o w a n d e r a l o n g t h e u n -
c o m f o r t a b l e p a t h s o f l i t e r a t u re . T h i s i s , a s t h e n a r r a t o r
says, a simple story that becomes complicated, an ellip-
tical and vertiginous short story marked by the disturbing
disappearance of a woman. Jorge Luis Borges advises us to
w r i t e a s t o r y a s i f w r i t i n g a s u m m a r y o f a n a l re a d y w r i t e n
n o v e l . T h i s i s w h a t A l e j a n d ro Z a m b r a h a s d o n e i n t h i s b o o k ,
w h i c h , i n t h e s a m e w a y t h a t a b o n s a i i s n o t a t re e , i s n e i -
ther a short-novel nor a long-story: it is a summarised no-
v e l , o r e v e n b e t t e r, a b o n s a i n o v e l . B o n s a i i s t h e b r i l l i a n t
narrative debut of the young Chilenean poet and literary
c r i t i c A l e j a n d ro Z a m b r a .

ALEJANDRO ZAMBRA The critics highlight:

A l e j a n d ro Z a m b r a
(Santiago de Chile, 1975)
has published the poetry
books, Baha intil
(1998) and Mudanza
(2003). He writes about
l i t e r a t u re i n t h e C h i l e a n
p re s s ( L a s l t i m a s
noticias, "Revista de
L i b ro s " o f E l M e r c u r i o a n d
The Clinic, among others).
He has also collaborated
i n Tu r i a m a g a z i n e a n d t h e
literary supplement
"Babelia" of El Pas.
C u r re n t l y, h e t e a c h e s l i t e -
r a t u re a t t h e D i e g o
P o r t a l e s U n i v e r s i t y.
Bonsi is his first novel
and has just been awar-
ded the Literary Critics
Aw a rd , a s t h e b e s t
Chilean novel in 2006.
"An ironic game of metaphysical tran-
scendence: the world for the two pro-
tagonists is a permanent aspiration of
happiness without any possibility of
achieving it... It is usually said about a
book that it is worth reading but
rarely, as in this case, could it be said
that it is even more worth re-reading."
Arturo Garca Ramos, ABC
An extremely original work, full of
unforgetable sparks of humour... In
Chile, there are also writers who pro-
duce perfect novels: brief as a sigh
and forceful as a heavy blow." Juan
Manuel Vial, C APITAL
A story that causes a great impact us-
ing a minimum of elements: two liter-
ature students, a marriage in conflict
and a famous writer. lvaro Matus,
R EVISTA DE L IBROS , E L M ERCURIO
"A literary construction of the first or-
der... A book that makes clear that a
grandiose and perfect novel does not
have to be a complicated hefty tome
of 1,5 kilos.... Bonsi is an exquisitely
articulated piece... an unclassifiable
object of unusual beauty... one of the
two or three best Chilenean novels of
recent times". David Lacalle, L AS LTI -
MAS N OTICIAS
"A Lilliputian, minimalist and perfect-
ly constructed novel... the small pieces
fit perfectly into a big story, becoming
a metaphor for the prodigious power
of language." Antonio Garrido,
C UADERNOS DEL S UR
Like all great writers, Zambra casts his
gaze from high up, using a telescope,
instead of a fountain-pen... From up
there, he has written Bonsi, his first
novella. This book is a skeleton key of
love... Zambra does the opposite of
writing everything down: he has writ-
ten an e-mail poem, a haiku. In short,
he is a great writer, of few words. This
book leaves you numb, alone with the
wish to share a coffee and some
tears. Csar Casal, L A V OZ DE G ALICIA
"Bonsi" has been one of the greatest
literary events of recent years. Almost
everything in this brilliant novel has
been a provocation, despite the fact
that it appears inoffensive, fragile and
diminutive Alfonso Cortnez, L AS LTI -
MAS N OTICIAS
A promising voice among the new
generation of Chilean authors,
Alejandro Zambras first novel has a
strange power over the reader. L IVRES
H EBDO

Rights sold to:

La vida privada de los rboles
Rivages (France)

ANAGRAMA FICTION Bonsi

For more information please contact: Rivages (France), Neri Pozza (Italy), Patakis (Greece), Teorema (Portugal),
Melville Books (USA).
egubern@anagrama-ed.es
pcanal@anagrama-ed.es
www.anagrama-ed.es