Reviews
Praise for I'll Sell You a Dog: " I'll Sell You A Dog is a reminder of how effortless literature should be to love. This unexpected ride through a character's second childhood, his building, neighbourhood and history is so magically twisted that it could be real. As ever Villalobos writes a peephole through politics and time, to simply watch us dance in all our lurid whimsy." DBC Pierre "Villalobos subjects the colourful and at times very funny plot to a rigorously, gracefully applied style, which never projects reality but rather, sentence by sentence, constructs a parallel reality upon it . . . Nothing is real and yet at the same time, everything is recognizable . . . Villalobos has found a tone and a rhythm all his own, unlike anything else in Mexican fiction today. He makes the reader laugh at the absurd and as he does so, he reveals the senselessness of the world." Fernando García Ramírez, Letras Libras "With this, his third and brutal novel, Villalobos is confirmed as the definition of new Mexican literature." Matías Néspolo, El Mundo "Villalobos' farce spares no one. And with the laughter there emerges a compassion for people living marginal lives which positions the novel on the side of the unexpected and unknown, as the novel demands the imagination's autonomy over reality, thus rebuking the conventions of fiction in a way that is as stimulating as the novel's humor." Francisco Solano, El País Praise for Juan Pablo Villalobos and his other works: "Short, dark, comic, ribald and surreal . . . manic-impressive." Dwight Garner, New York Times "Pure fantastical rapture." Julie Morse, The Rumpus "A vibrant, comic novel." Leigh Newman, Oprah.com "Riotous . . . Villalobos has inaugurated a new kind of avant-garde novel, one whose grasp of certain dehumanizing political realities never erodes the power to dream something better."-- Kirkus, starred review "It's a trick to use the f-word three times in a novel's first sentence and still be as charming and disarming as Juan Pablo Villalobos manages to be . . . frequently laugh-out-loud funny." Nick DiMartino, Shelf Awareness "If you haven't expanded your horizons by reading literature from around the globe in 2014, Juan Pablo Villalobos might be your best place to start." Jason Diamond, Flavorwire "Fast-paced and colloquial; it is troubling and funny all at once . . . an unusual and important novel that deserves to be read." Arthur Dixon, World Literature Today, Praise forI'll Sell You a Dog: "I'll Sell You A Dog is a reminder of how effortless literature should be to love. This unexpected ride through a character's second childhood, his building, neighbourhood and history is so magically twisted that it could be real. As ever Villalobos writes a peephole through politics and time, to simply watch us dance in all our lurid whimsy." --DBC Pierre "Villalobos subjects the colourful and at times very funny plot to a rigorously, gracefully applied style, which never projects reality but rather, sentence by sentence, constructs a parallel reality upon it . . . Nothing is real and yet at the same time, everything is recognizable . . . Villalobos has found a tone and a rhythm all his own, unlike anything else in Mexican fiction today. He makes the reader laugh at the absurd and as he does so, he reveals the senselessness of the world." --Fernando Garca Ramrez, Letras Libras "With this, his third novel, Villalobos is confirmed as the definition of new Mexican literature." --Matas Nspolo, El Mundo "Villalobos's farce spares no one. And with the laughter there emerges a compassion for people living marginal lives which positions the novel on the side of the unexpected and unknown, as the novel demands the imagination's autonomy over reality, thus rebuking the conventions of fiction in a way that is as stimulating as the novel's humor." --Francisco Solano, El Pas Praise for Juan Pablo Villalobos and his other works: "Short, dark, comic, ribald and surreal . . . manic-impressive." --Dwight Garner, New York Times "Pure fantastical rapture." --Julie Morse, The Rumpus "A vibrant, comic novel." --Leigh Newman, Oprah.com "Riotous . . . Villalobos has inaugurated a new kind of avant-garde novel, one whose grasp of certain dehumanizing political realities never erodes the power to dream something better." --Kirkus, starred review "It's a trick to use the f-word three times in a novel's first sentence and still be as charming and disarming as Juan Pablo Villalobos manages to be . . . frequently laugh-out-loud funny." --Nick DiMartino, Shelf Awareness "If you haven't expanded your horizons by reading literature from around the globe in 2014, Juan Pablo Villalobos might be your best place to start." --Jason Diamond, Flavorwire "Fast-paced and colloquial; it is troubling and funny all at once . . . an unusual and important novel that deserves to be read." --Arthur Dixon, World Literature Today, PRAISE FOR I'LL SELL YOU A DOG " I'll Sell You A Dog is a reminder of how effortless literature should be to love. This unexpected ride through a character's second childhood, his building, neighbourhood and history is so magically twisted that it could be real. As ever Villalobos writes a peephole through politics and time, to simply watch us dance in all our lurid whimsy.'-- DBC Pierre "Villalobos subjects the colourful and at times very funny plot to a rigorously, gracefully applied style, which never projects reality but rather, sentence by sentence, constructs a parallel reality upon it [...] Nothing is real and yet at the same time, everything is recognizable ... Villalobos has found a tone and a rhythm all his own, unlike anything else in Mexican fiction today. He makes the reader laugh at the absurd and as he does so, he reveals the senselessness of the world.'-- Fernando García Ramírez, Letras Libras "With this, his third and brutal novel, Villalobos is confirmed as the definition of new Mexican literature."-- Matías Néspolo, El Mundo "Villalobos' farce spares no one. And with the laughter there emerges a compassion for people living marginal lives which positions the novel on the side of the unexpected and unknown, as the novel demands the imagination's autonomy over reality, thus rebuking the conventions of fiction in a way that is as stimulating as the novel's humour."-- Francisco Solano, El País PRAISE FOR DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE AND QUESADILLAS "Funny, convincing, appalling ... a punch-packer for one so small."-- Ali Smith "Short, dark, comic, ribald and surreal . . . manic-impressive."-- Dwight Garner, The New York Times "Pure fantastical rapture."-- Julie Morse, The Rumpus "A vibrant, comic novel."-- Leigh Newman, Oprah.com "Riotous . . . Villalobos has inaugurated a new kind of avant-garde novel, one whose grasp of certain dehumanizing political realities never erodes the power to dream something better."-- Kirkus, starred review "It's a trick to use the f-word three times in a novel's first sentence and still be as charming and disarming as Juan Pablo Villalobos manages to be ... frequently laugh-out-loud funny."-- Nick DiMartino, Shelf Awareness "If you haven't expanded your horizons by reading literature from around the globe in 2014, Juan Pablo Villalobos might be your best place to start."-- Jason Diamond, Flavorwire "Fast-paced and colloquial; it is troubling and funny all at once . . . an unusual and important novel that deserves to be read."-- Arthur Dixon, World Literature Today, Praise for I'll Sell You a Dog: " I'll Sell You A Dog is a reminder of how effortless literature should be to love. This unexpected ride through a character's second childhood, his building, neighbourhood and history is so magically twisted that it could be real. As ever Villalobos writes a peephole through politics and time, to simply watch us dance in all our lurid whimsy." --DBC Pierre "Villalobos subjects the colourful and at times very funny plot to a rigorously, gracefully applied style, which never projects reality but rather, sentence by sentence, constructs a parallel reality upon it . . . Nothing is real and yet at the same time, everything is recognizable . . . Villalobos has found a tone and a rhythm all his own, unlike anything else in Mexican fiction today. He makes the reader laugh at the absurd and as he does so, he reveals the senselessness of the world." --Fernando Garca Ramrez, Letras Libras "With this, his third novel, Villalobos is confirmed as the definition of new Mexican literature." --Matas Nspolo, El Mundo "Villalobos's farce spares no one. And with the laughter there emerges a compassion for people living marginal lives which positions the novel on the side of the unexpected and unknown, as the novel demands the imagination's autonomy over reality, thus rebuking the conventions of fiction in a way that is as stimulating as the novel's humor." --Francisco Solano, El Pas Praise for Juan Pablo Villalobos and his other works: "Short, dark, comic, ribald and surreal . . . manic-impressive." --Dwight Garner, New York Times "Pure fantastical rapture." --Julie Morse, The Rumpus "A vibrant, comic novel." --Leigh Newman, Oprah.com "Riotous . . . Villalobos has inaugurated a new kind of avant-garde novel, one whose grasp of certain dehumanizing political realities never erodes the power to dream something better." -- Kirkus, starred review "It's a trick to use the f-word three times in a novel's first sentence and still be as charming and disarming as Juan Pablo Villalobos manages to be . . . frequently laugh-out-loud funny." --Nick DiMartino, Shelf Awareness "If you haven't expanded your horizons by reading literature from around the globe in 2014, Juan Pablo Villalobos might be your best place to start." --Jason Diamond, Flavorwire "Fast-paced and colloquial; it is troubling and funny all at once . . . an unusual and important novel that deserves to be read." --Arthur Dixon, World Literature Today, Praise forI'll Sell You a Dog: "I'll Sell You A Dog is a reminder of how effortless literature should be to love. This unexpected ride through a character's second childhood, his building, neighbourhood and history is so magically twisted that it could be real. As ever Villalobos writes a peephole through politics and time, to simply watch us dance in all our lurid whimsy." --DBC Pierre "Villalobos subjects the colourful and at times very funny plot to a rigorously, gracefully applied style, which never projects reality but rather, sentence by sentence, constructs a parallel reality upon it . . . Nothing is real and yet at the same time, everything is recognizable . . . Villalobos has found a tone and a rhythm all his own, unlike anything else in Mexican fiction today. He makes the reader laugh at the absurd and as he does so, he reveals the senselessness of the world." --Fernando García Ramírez, Letras Libras "With this, his third novel, Villalobos is confirmed as the definition of new Mexican literature." --Matías Néspolo, El Mundo "Villalobos's farce spares no one. And with the laughter there emerges a compassion for people living marginal lives which positions the novel on the side of the unexpected and unknown, as the novel demands the imagination's autonomy over reality, thus rebuking the conventions of fiction in a way that is as stimulating as the novel's humor." --Francisco Solano, El País Praise for Juan Pablo Villalobos and his other works: "Short, dark, comic, ribald and surreal . . . manic-impressive." --Dwight Garner, New York Times "Pure fantastical rapture." --Julie Morse, The Rumpus "A vibrant, comic novel." --Leigh Newman, Oprah.com "Riotous . . . Villalobos has inaugurated a new kind of avant-garde novel, one whose grasp of certain dehumanizing political realities never erodes the power to dream something better." --Kirkus, starred review "It's a trick to use the f-word three times in a novel's first sentence and still be as charming and disarming as Juan Pablo Villalobos manages to be . . . frequently laugh-out-loud funny." --Nick DiMartino, Shelf Awareness "If you haven't expanded your horizons by reading literature from around the globe in 2014, Juan Pablo Villalobos might be your best place to start." --Jason Diamond, Flavorwire "Fast-paced and colloquial; it is troubling and funny all at once . . . an unusual and important novel that deserves to be read." --Arthur Dixon, World Literature Today, Praise for I'll Sell You a Dog: " I'll Sell You A Dog is a reminder of how effortless literature should be to love. This unexpected ride through a character's second childhood, his building, neighbourhood and history is so magically twisted that it could be real. As ever Villalobos writes a peephole through politics and time, to simply watch us dance in all our lurid whimsy." --DBC Pierre "Villalobos subjects the colourful and at times very funny plot to a rigorously, gracefully applied style, which never projects reality but rather, sentence by sentence, constructs a parallel reality upon it . . . Nothing is real and yet at the same time, everything is recognizable . . . Villalobos has found a tone and a rhythm all his own, unlike anything else in Mexican fiction today. He makes the reader laugh at the absurd and as he does so, he reveals the senselessness of the world." --Fernando García Ramírez, Letras Libras "With this, his third novel, Villalobos is confirmed as the definition of new Mexican literature." --Matías Néspolo, El Mundo "Villalobos's farce spares no one. And with the laughter there emerges a compassion for people living marginal lives which positions the novel on the side of the unexpected and unknown, as the novel demands the imagination's autonomy over reality, thus rebuking the conventions of fiction in a way that is as stimulating as the novel's humor." --Francisco Solano, El País Praise for Juan Pablo Villalobos and his other works: "Short, dark, comic, ribald and surreal . . . manic-impressive." --Dwight Garner, New York Times "Pure fantastical rapture." --Julie Morse, The Rumpus "A vibrant, comic novel." --Leigh Newman, Oprah.com "Riotous . . . Villalobos has inaugurated a new kind of avant-garde novel, one whose grasp of certain dehumanizing political realities never erodes the power to dream something better." -- Kirkus, starred review "It's a trick to use the f-word three times in a novel's first sentence and still be as charming and disarming as Juan Pablo Villalobos manages to be . . . frequently laugh-out-loud funny." --Nick DiMartino, Shelf Awareness "If you haven't expanded your horizons by reading literature from around the globe in 2014, Juan Pablo Villalobos might be your best place to start." --Jason Diamond, Flavorwire "Fast-paced and colloquial; it is troubling and funny all at once . . . an unusual and important novel that deserves to be read." --Arthur Dixon, World Literature Today
