Bedside Manners

In "Bedside Manners," Luisa Valenzuela tells the story of a woman who returns home to an unnamed Latin American country after having lived away. The protagonist's visit to a country club soon becomes a surreal comedy in which sex, politics, militarism, and economics are all mocked and deconstructed.Along the way, Valenzuela satirizes the U.S. military presence in Latin America, the use of television as a narcotic, and other aspects of 20th century culture. A bizarre cast of characters--the imperious maid Maria, a megalomaniacal military commander, and more--enact scenes that are often funny, often disturbing. And throughout the unsettling refrain is repeated: "Don't think. . . . Thinking's bad for you."Luisa Valenzuela just might leave you thinking. This is an important work by a major writer of Argentina.