Winner of the 2024 Queen Sofía Spanish Institute Translation Prize
A 2023 World Literature Today Notable Translation
"Delightful... Translator Cleary expertly renders Fabre’s clever sentences without convoluting their lyricism." —Publishers Weekly
"A compelling work of fiction in deep dialogue with centuries-old verse." —Full Stop
“Though short and structured simply, there is a profound complexity to Fabre’s Recital of the Dark Verses, one that evokes reader emotion and reflection throughout, whether a fan of poetry or not. Moreover, it contains a complexity of language to match the paradoxes of its themes. … I sincerely hope that Fabre writes further novels, and that Cleary will be there to English them so well.” —World Literature Today
“The novel speeds along in a coital rhythm, perhaps erotically and without question raucously—part joyous discourse on the poem, part bacchanal, part satire and adventure.” —Southwest Review
"Exquisite... Cleary’s elegant translation not only preserves Fabre’s poetic brilliance but also stands as a work of art in its own right." —Reading in Translation
"Fabre teeters a tightrope between the borders of historical fiction and magical realism with expert precision. A satirically gothic literary read." —Porterhouse Review
“A highly entertaining novel, full of a sense of humor that manages to honor the mystical poetry of the Carmelite while inviting the reader to reflect on issues such as the sacred and the profane, the body and the soul, and spiritual (and carnal) ecstasy” —The Chicago Public Library
“Luis Felipe Fabre, one of the most original and provocative poets in Latin America, has written a genre-bending novel full of humor and a blazing intelligence.” —Valeria Luiselli, author of Lost Children Archive and The
Story of My Teeth
“Absurd, philosophical, playful and episodic, Recital of the Dark Verses is a revelation. The theft of a saint's body creates the occasion for a hilarious road trip through provincial Spain. A cousin to Quixote, Fabre's historical novel takes history and religion and manages to shape it into something entirely new. By turns brilliant, wise, entertaining, and profound. Cervantes would be proud.” —Mark Haber, author of Saint Sebastian’s Abyss and Reinhardt’s Garden