Literary Conference

Name: Literary Conference
ISBN: 9787533960520

塞萨尔·艾拉 / 徐泉Zhejiang Literature and Art Publishing House · ChinaApr 2021

4.0

Word count: 63K words
Chapters: 16
ISBN: 9787533960520

Report an error Find this book

Summary

A short, wildly inventive novel by Argentine writer César Aira, *The Literary Conference* is the most tightly paced and enjoyable installment in the "César Aira Series." Its style shifts constantly: it opens as a treasure-hunting adventure, turns into science fiction, becomes a love story wrapped in a bizarre, unsettling play-within-a-play, and finally builds to a climax in the form of a horror film. Behind this dazzling surface lies the author's reflection on life. He is disillusioned and depressed by the declining publishing industry, and he pours scorn on pretentious "cultured" types. The ingenious, biting metaphors hidden within the fantastical story feel exactly right.

Editor's review

A short, wildly inventive work by Argentine writer César Aira. Known for his distinctive "improvisational writing" style, Aira blends science fiction, adventure, metafiction, and black humor in this novel, which follows a writer who encounters a series of absurd events while attending a literary conference. What begins as conventional narrative takes a sharp turn with the appearance of a mysterious "clone bug" and becomes a madcap sci-fi adventure. Aira's prose is jumpy and imaginative, moving freely between reality and fantasy and challenging readers' assumptions about literary genre. The book's value lies not only in its wildly inventive plot but in the light-handed way it explores the nature of creation, the fluidity of identity, and the boundary between reality and fiction. For readers familiar with writing after the Latin American Boom, Aira offers a lighter, more playful, and more unconventional contemporary narrative sample. Reading it is like experiencing a storm inside the skull: it offers no definite answers, yet greatly expands the possibilities of narrative.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in contemporary Latin American literature, especially writing of the "post-Boom" period
Readers who enjoy experimental texts that break genre boundaries and blend science fiction with literary fiction
Newcomers to César Aira who want to understand his distinctive "improvisational writing" style and literary world
Readers who enjoy short, intellectually playful novellas full of unexpected turns

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking traditional linear narrative and complete character arcs
Readers who find metafiction, self-reference, and absurd plots uncomfortable or confusing

Reading tips

Treat it as a relaxed literary game; don't insist on finding deep meanings, and enjoy the leaps and surprises of the narrative itself
While reading, pay attention to how the author pushes ordinary everyday scenes (such as a literary conference) abruptly into science-fictional spectacle
After reading, compare it with other Latin American writers such as Borges and Cortázar, and consider Aira's unique position in inheritance and innovation

About the publisher

Zhejiang Literature and Art Publishing House China · Founded in 1983

Zhejiang Literature and Art Publishing House is a Chinese publisher specializing in literary publishing. Judging from the 808 titles in the database, its publishing areas cover world classics, foreign literature, social novels, folk literature and classic works, as well as modern and contemporary literature and prose. Representative titles include foreign literary translations such as Anna Karenina, The Temple of the Golden Pavilion, In Praise of Shadows and The Complete Tragedies and Comedies of Shakespeare, alongside classic works by Lao She and Lu Xun such as Camel Xiangzi, Teahouse and Wandering. Its authors and translators include Leo Tolstoy, Cao Ying, Lao She, Yukio Mishima, Jun'ichirō Tanizaki and Zhu Shenghao. The press emphasizes the translation and introduction of classic texts and the compilation of native literary works, giving equal weight to Chinese and foreign literature. Owing to limited public information, its specific series and editorial policies are not elaborated here.

版权信息
第一部分马库托之索
马库托之索
第二部分大会
大会
一
二
三
四
五
六
七
八
译后记从创世伟业到虫子的狂欢：跟着艾拉“一路向前”
从创世伟业到虫子的狂欢：跟着艾拉“一路飞奔向前”
塞萨尔·艾拉作品导读八十部小说环游地球：艾拉博士的神奇写作

FAQ

How is this book different from typical Latin American magical realism?

Aira's style leans more toward "the fantastic" than "magical realism." He relies less on cultural mythology and builds spectacle in a more personal, improvisational, and science-fictional way, with a faster narrative pace and a more playful tone.

Why is César Aira considered a representative of "improvisational writing"?

Aira claims he never revises; he writes several pages a day at a café and lets the story flow naturally. This approach fills his work with unexpected turns and improvised flashes of inspiration, and *The Literary Conference* is a typical embodiment of this creative philosophy.

The book is very thin—is the content thin as well?

Quite the opposite. It is short but extremely dense, fusing multiple genre elements and completing several narrative shifts within a limited word count. It requires readers to actively fill in the gaps left by the leaps, so it may be more thought-provoking than some full-length novels.

Related on WeRead

Comments

Find this book

This site is an index: you start “Search all sources” in your browser, and the entries it lists all point to third-party sites; please judge their availability yourself.

About the author

塞萨尔·艾拉 Author

César Aira is a writer whose works have been translated into Chinese. The library currently holds seven of his titles, including The Littoral Life of a Landscape Painter, The Literary Conference, The Musical Brain, Dr. Aira's Magic Cure, God's Tea Party, The Ghost's Feast, and the boxed set The César Aira Quartet. On this site these works are usually grouped under classics, foreign literature, and otherworldly fantasy, suggesting that his writing combines literary quality with imaginative, often strange and fantastical subject matter. Public information about his nationality, dates of birth and death, and English name is limited, so this page does not speculate. Judging from the available titles, Aira's works vary in length and form, appearing both as individual volumes and as sets, and may appeal to readers interested in contemporary foreign literature and inventive narrative.

徐泉 Author

Xu Quan is an author for whom only limited public information is available. Two works are currently known, namely Night in Chile and The Literature Conference. As details such as nationality, dates of birth and death, and English name remain unconfirmed, little can be said about the author's personal background. Existing classifications place the works under foreign literature and otherworldly fantasy, suggesting that the writing may span both realistic and fantastical subjects. Judging from the works themselves, Xu Quan tends to develop characters and events within concrete situations and to choose subjects without restriction, moving both into the context of foreign literature and into narrative spaces with an otherworldly flavor. The two works, placed side by side, reflect the author's varied attempts in subject and style. Although verifiable material on Xu Quan's life and creative background is still lacking, the two existing works nevertheless offer readers an entry point for observing the author's writing orientation and for learning more about this author.