Walking Words: With Woodcuts by Jose Francisco Borges

"Walking Words" is an intriguing volume by Uruguayan author Eduardo Galeano. The book has been translated into English by Mark Fried. Galeano's text is enriched on nearly every 2-page spread by the woodcut illustrations of Jose Francisco Borges.Like Galeano's superb "Book of Embraces," this is a book that defies a simple classification by genre. "Walking Words" is made up of a series of stories that are interspersed with short pieces that often read like mini-essays or prose poems. Most of the stories contain fantastic elements: a talking dog, a man who wants to become pregnant, human/animal transformations, etc. The short interludes are sometimes humorous, sometimes philosophical, sometimes mystical. Many of the interludes reflect on the nature of language and writing. In this book Galeano draws on Guarani Indian belief, the Cabala, Christian theology, Latin American folk custom, and other sources.Borges' woodcuts are a marvelous text on their own: he captures human, animal, and supernatural images that are often whimsical and/or grotesque. Overall, a fascinating book; I especially recommend it to those who are interested in Latin American literature.

Galeano is an author well worth reading solely for his unconventional techniques - a series of small pieces of story, history ... slowly building a coherent whole while standing "complete" on their own. Walking Words is an excellent introduction to his style (Book of Embraces is the other starting point I would recommend). Initially you can believe that you are reading traditional tales but by the time you get to the whorehouse you realize that his humor has caught you again. A few stories further and you see that the stories hold together as a whole providing insight both into human nature and the political realm. The illustrations are absolutely a perfect foil for the text. This is definately a book to foist off on friends as a "must read" - it appeals to a very wide audience. END