Morirse de memoria. (To Die of Memory)

When memory kicks into high gear, it flattens out the ripples of time and space; the then becomes the now, and the present loses its definition as the mind fills each moment with a succession of eras and locations. Mexican author Monge strives to explore and map this mysterious mental terrain in his dense and challenging first novel. The narrative, enclosed at either end by images of fire, does not follow anything resembling a typical linear path. Rather, it packs into a few morning hours an intricate series of scenes from a man's lifetime. Interactions with a brother, a lover, a pet—many separate incidents, often seemingly disconnected—are bound by Monge with subtle links and a distinctive prosodic rhythm. This novel is tightly crafted but does not have the flow that many casual readers may crave; Monge's prose has a density and an experimental quality that is not for the faint of heart. Morirse de memoria follows the 32-year-old writer's 2008 debut collection of equally thorny short stories, Arrastrar esa sombra. Recommended for readers of challenging fiction.—Bruce Jensen, Rohrbach Lib., Kutztown Univ., PA