My review of “Ischia” by Gisela Heffes is now live over at Literal Magazine. From the review:
“Ischia,” Gisela Heffes’ novel–originally published in 2000, and now available in an English translation by Grady C. Wray—is constituted of almost entirely of the stories the unnamed narrator tells herself. These are fictional stories with the novel, where the narrator imagines elaborate scenarios that might—though probably won’t—happen. The book asks us to consider the role that our own storytelling, and our own fantasies, play in our lives.
This book can be difficult to read at times, but it’s unique and provides a twist on storytelling that I’d been looking for.