The strange case of Rachel K

Rachel Kushner

Book - 2015

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Published
New York : A New Directions Book 2015.
Language
English
Main Author
Rachel Kushner (-)
Edition
First edition
Physical Description
80 pages ; 19 cm
ISBN
9780811224215
Contents unavailable.
Review by New York Times Review

The final (and title) story of Kushner's collection is almost strong enough on its own to justify the publication of such a slender book, which contains only three stories. Inspired by a 1973 film about a Havana nightclub dancer, which Kushner has heard of but never seen, "The Strange Case of Rachel K" delves into themes of ownership and agency, reinvention of self, the mystery and pull of exoticism, and the inevitable letdown once the exotic turns out to contain the same banal discontent as the familiar. The subtlest, most engaging story in the book, it yields new discoveries with every reading. But whether the collection would still hold up with a weaker story in its place is difficult to say. The first two stories are steeped in atmospheric but florid language, and rarely feel like anything but the juvenilia they are - indeed, all three of these stories predate Kushner's debut novel, "Telex From Cuba," which appeared in 2008. In them, though, fans of her more recent work can see glimpses of the writer who went on to publish the acclaimed 2013 novel "The Flamethrowers."

Copyright (c) The New York Times Company [July 12, 2015]
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review

Kushner (The Flamethrowers) imagines Cuban history in this small collection of strong prose. In "The Great Exception," a Portuguese admiral reminiscent of Christopher Columbus in 1492 discovers Cuba. Hundreds of years later, a woman named Aloha moves from Colorado to Havana where she discovers a new life with Ferdinand K, a Frenchman who sells fake war footage of naval battles between American and Spanish fleets. In "Debouchment," a conversation among patrons at a nightclub, and an illegal radio broadcast by a man known as "the faith healer" delve into violent political conflicts that shaped Cuba in the 20th century. And, in the title story, Christian de la Mazière, the fictionalized French Nazi from Kushner's novel, Telex from Cuba, shares an intimate talk with cabaret dancer Rachel K about her origins and her relationships with both President Carlos Prío Socarrás and the dictator Fulgencio Batista. These narratives are bridged by characters, place, and resurfacing imagery. Kushner's writing is fluid and clear and possesses a rhythm as determined as an ocean current. She navigates the limits of language, seeking new or uncommon words like "batiking" and "flumed" to fit the descriptions of the world she maps. In this slim book, readers will encounter three stories of terrific depth. (Feb.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.


Review by Kirkus Book Review

Three offbeat tales that border on the surreal yet are curiously (and paradoxically) anchored in a version of historical reality.In the first story, "The Great Exception," an unnamed admiral tells a queen he believes the Earth is pear-shaped rather than round and requests money to allow him to fulfill his vision of exploration. This she grants him, though his voyage concludes with the natives of "Kuba" cooking and eating him. (First, however, they sever his toes so he can't "tromp inland and subjugate the island.") While awaiting word of the disposition of the admiral's voyage, the queen pines for him with an intensity bordering on the sexual. In "Debouchment," despite a woman's disclaimer that life on an island (also reminiscent of Cuba) is not especially violent, a faith healer provides hope to the people in his illegal radio broadcastsall this in a landscape where there are "humans hanging in the trees beyond the security fence." The final story is the most complex and subtle, and it gives the collection its title. The action unfolds explicitly in Havana in 1952 against a backdrop of Batista's rise to power; it focuses on the mysterious Rachel K, a "zazou" dancer from Paris who entertains (in all senses) her male audience and particularly gets the attention of Christian de la Mazire, a French Nazi now living on the island after having been sentenced to five years in a rather cushy prison. A short, quirky and sometimes-compelling book from the author of The Flamethrowers (2013). Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.