Hippopotamus is, somewhat famously, now an invasive species in colombia after some escaped from the ranch of the drug baron pablo escobar. Going down the rabbit hole with johnny and pablo youtube. A desire to obtain a liberian pygmy hippopotamus for his private zoo is indulged by his father with disastrous results. Read down the rabbit hole, by juan pablo villalobos online on bookmate tochtli lives in a palace. Longlisted for the guardian first book award, down the rabbit hole, a masterful and darkly comic first novel, is the chronicle of a delirious journey to grant a childs wish. What makes this novella different from other literature that discuss innocence is that the main character tochtli does not actual move from innocence to experience but rather stays.
Longlisted for the guardian first book award, down the rabbit hole, a masterful and darkly comic first novel, is the chronicle of a delirious journey to grant a. Down the rabbit hole by juan pablo villalobos read online on. Down the rabbit hole by juan pablo villalobos is a novella about 75 pages only tochtli is a seven years old boy who lives with his father,in mexico, and. The voice of a child has the power to undercut all the foolish tropes of adult life. Longlisted for the guardian first book award, down the rabbit hole, a masterful and darkly comic first novel, is the chronicle of a delirious. Analysis of the book down the rabbit hole by pablo juan villalobos 970 words 4 pages. Its a mesmerising and powerful read about one small boys dream to acquire a pygmy hippopotamus from liberia. What makes this novella different from other literature that discuss innocence is that the main character tochtli does not actual move from innocence to experience but rather stays innocent but as the audience reads on they figure out that tochtli has moved. It is a book that must be read for its great aesthetic value and darkly humorous tone. Down the rabbit hole by juan pablo villalobos duration. Go down the rabbit hole idioms by the free dictionary.
Down the rabbit hole by juan pablo villalobos reading matters. Longlisted for the guardian first book award, down the rabbit hole, a masterful and darkly comic first novel, is the chronicle of a delirious journey to grant a child. Apr 03, 2015 tochtli is the word for rabbit in nahuatl, and all the mexican characters have nahuatl animal names. Juan pablo villalobos was born in guadalajara, mexico, in 1973. Boyd tonkin, in his roundup of the years best fiction, the independent. Down the rabbit hole is an astonishing debut from villalobos lucy popescu, the independent. Down the rabbit hole is, on the surface, innocent, clever and lovable, but its implications are deeply disturbing. Poor little rich boy, tochtli, son of a mexican drug baron, lives a lonely life in a palace in mexico. Click down below to check out links to other websites.
That rarest of animals, a book that is, to all intents and purposes, perfect. At just 70 pages, down the rabbit hole creates a unique experience that makes you laugh and cringe. For more stories from a childs perspective i would recommend boy. My bookdepository affiliate link to down the rabbit hole if you want to use it to purchase the book thank you if you do.
His debut novel, down the rabbit hole, was published by and other stories in 2011 and was shortlisted for the guardian first book award 2011. Down the rabbit hole by juan pablo villalobos thebookbag. Down the rabbit hole is his first novel and is being translated into seven languages. Feb 28, 2014 i mention this as a sort of preemptive apology for reporting that down the rabbit hole, the first novel from the young mexican writer juan pablo villalobos, was shortlisted in 2011 for the. Read down the rabbit hole a novel by juan pablo villalobos available from rakuten kobo. Handled well it can reframe ones perception of an idea, done badly and it can descend into cloying sentimentality that is no better than didactic moralizing. Juan pablo villaloboss novella down the rabbit hole was recently shortlisted for the guardian first book award and its easy to see why. Juan pablo villalobos novella, down the rabbit hole is a surreal story about the drugs culture in mexico, body parts appearing on the news, rooms full of guns and a rollercoaster of a journey to grant a boy his ultimate dream. Boyd tonkin, in his roundup of the years best fiction, the independent if youre going to have an imprisoned child narrate a novel, then not so. His first novel, down the rabbit hole, was the first translation ever to be shortlisted for the guardian first book award in 2011 and the book has been translated into fifteen languages. Into this fray comes first time mexican novelist juan pablo villalobos, whose book down the rabbit hole deals with drugs on the periphery. Tochtli is the word for rabbit in nahuatl, and all the mexican characters have. Nov 01, 2012 still, the book is an fast, fascinating read. Down the rabbit hole juan pablo villalobos farrar, straus and giroux, 2011, 70 pg the voice of a child has the power to undercut all the foolish tropes of adult life.
Many thanks to the publishers for an interesting little book. Definition of go down the rabbit hole in the idioms dictionary. Rosalind harvey what tochtli wants more than anything right now is a new pet for his private zoo. Buy a cheap copy of down the rabbit hole book by juan pablo villalobos. Apr 29, 2014 that rarest of animals, a book that is, to all intents and purposes, perfect. Madisons debut tellall features her early life and her infamous adventures as the former main girlfriend of hugh hefner and star of the television show the girls next door published on june 23, 2015, by dey street. Rabbit hole was shortlisted for the guardian first book award. Pablo greene is the author of the book series how to kill a superhero, which you can buy at. Oct 29, 2012 down the rabbit hole juan pablo villalobos farrar, straus and giroux, 2011, 70 pg.
He loves hats, samurai, guillotines and dictionaries, and what he wants more than anything right n. Juan pablo villaloboss down the rabbit hole words without. Down the rabbit hole by juan pablo villalobos youtube. Jul 01, 20 juan pablo villalobos was born in guadalajara, mexico, in 1973.
Down the rabbit hole, the debut novel by mexican writer juan pablo villalobos, performs an unexpected trick. Ensconced in the cold and zany milieu of mexican cocaine deals, political stringpulling and backalley. Down the rabbit hole ebook by juan pablo villalobos. Sarah churchwell, book of the year, new statesman juan pablo villalobos, channeled mexicos drug wars via the voice of a narcobarons son in his touching and invigorating down the rabbit hole. It is a book that must be read for its great aesthetic. Down the rabbit hole first edition and other stories.
Dec 11, 2012 into this fray comes first time mexican novelist juan pablo villalobos, whose book down the rabbit hole deals with drugs on the periphery. Read an excerpt from juan pablo villaloboss guardian first book awardlonglisted novel juan pablo villalobos. Juan pablo villalobos was iluminated when portraiting an actual disturbed mexico society. Around the midpoint of down the rabbit hole, the debut novel by juan pablo villalobos translated by rosalind harvey, recently published by fsg, and not to be confused with the mystery novel by peter abrahams, the narrator, tochtli, the young son of a mexican drug tsar, states. Read and other stories publisher stefan toblers thoughts on juan pablo villalobos guardian first book award shortlisting and the unprecedented success of. Juan pablo villalobos born 1973 is a mexican author. Down the rabbit hole is a miniature highspeed experiment with perspective. In the novella down the rabbit hole by pablo juan villalobos, the story revolves around the concept of innocence. Essay about down the rabbit hole 1657 words bartleby. He writes regularly for publications including granta, english pens pen atlas blog, world. He is also the author of quesadillas 2011 and ill sell you a dog 2016 his fourth novel, i dont expect anyone to believe me, won the herralde prize and will be published in.
Juan pablo villalobos has done a masterful job creating a child narrator. Handled well it can reframe ones perception of an idea, done badly and it can descend into cloying sentimentality that is no better than. I mention this as a sort of preemptive apology for reporting that down the rabbit hole, the first novel from the young mexican writer juan pablo villalobos, was shortlisted in. He loves hats, samurai, guillotines and dictionaries, and what he wants more than anything right now is a new pet for his private zoo. When he says he wants a pygmy hippopotamus, his family takes him on a safari in liberia to get him. Down the rabbit hole juan pablo villalobos full stop. Ensconced in the cold and zany milieu of mexican cocaine deals.
Down the rabbit hole is told from the point of view not of a gangster, a cop or a prostitute, but that of a young child. Books by juan pablo villalobos author of down the rabbit hole. Longlisted for the guardian first book award, down the rabbit hole, a masterful and darkly comic first novel, is the chronicle of a delirious journey to. With this book we have discovered juan pablo villalobos, a linguistic virtuoso able to penetrate the elusive world of literature, shedding light on many of its mysteries. Juan pablo vilallobos s debut novel is a smart variation on the recent vogue for latin american narcoliterature. With down the rabbit hole, juan pablo villalobos has made a dramatic entrance into the literary world. Adam thirlwell juan pablo villalobos brilliantly encapsulates the chaos of a lawless existence in which, under the sway of drug lords, anything might happen and everything goes. At a scant 70 pages, this first novel, translated from the mexican spanish by rosalind harvey, about the child of a drug lord locked away in a compound who likes hats and longs for a liberian pygmy hippopotamus, is that rarest of animals, a book that is, to all intents and purposes. A book that throws a clear light on a dark subject.
Down the rabbit hole by juan pablo villalobos heraclitean fire. A deliberate, wild attack on the conventions of literature. Tochtli is obsessed with tv violence and has a love for using complex if not always appropriate words in daily conversations. Tochtlis slightly loopy precociousness and love of long words make this book, on one level, good fun to read.
He loves hats, samurai, guillotines, and dictionaries, and what he wants more than anything right now is a new pet for his private zoo. Dec 19, 2011 juan pablo villaloboss novella down the rabbit hole was recently shortlisted for the guardian first book award and its easy to see why. Down the rabbit hole by juan pablo villalobos overdrive. Down the rabbit hole by juan pablo villalobos reading. Down the rabbit hole by juan pablo villalobos, rosalind. Quesadillas, by juan pablo villalobos the new york times. Down the rabbit hole by juan pablo villalobos is a novella about 75 pages only tochtli is a seven years old boy who lives with his father,in mexico, and he calls him by his name. Juan pablo vilalloboss debut novel is a smart variation on the recent vogue for latin american narcoliterature.
Tales of childhood by roald dahl the master of childlike wonder. He now lives in madrid, spain, and has two mexicanbrazilianitaliancatalan children. Books by juan pablo villalobos author of down the rabbit. Down the rabbit hole juan pablo villalobos macmillan. Juan pablo villalobos born 1973 is a mexican author his debut novel, down the rabbit hole, was published by and other stories in 2011 and was shortlisted for the guardian first book award 2011. Down the rabbit hole a novel by juan pablo villalobos author rosalind harvey translator. Read and other stories publisher stefan toblers thoughts on juan pablo villalobos guardian first book award shortlisting and the unprecedented success of and other stories first year of publishing here. Analysis of the book down the rabbit hole by pablo. He is also the author of quesadillas 2011 and ill sell you a dog 2016. Down the rabbit hole farrar, straus and giroux by juan pablo villalobos seems like a crazy book, almost a fantasy but its a serious book about one boys harsh reality tochtli, the narrator, is a sevenyearold boy who lives in a palace in mexico filled with ammunition. Juan pablo villalobos brilliantly encapsulates the chaos of a lawless existence in which, under the sway of drug lords, anything might happen and everything goes. Down the rabbit hole by juan pablo villalobos read online. The same obviousness is given by fernando caribe during his narrative.