The Pelcari Project

by Rodrigo Rey Rosa

A simple country doctor stumbles onto the hideous medical experiments being forcibly carried out on political prisoners at a secret jungle prison camp. Thus begins The Pelcari Project with a glimpse into the darkest side of the human condition. This landmark in the literature of Latin America, precisely translated by Paul Bowles, might best be compared with Franz Kafka’s The Penal Colony or H. G. Welles’ The Island of Dr. Moreau. A metaphor for the last thirty years of history in that part of the world, this work has been previously published to acclaim in Latin America and Europe.

117 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 1991

About the author

Rodrigo Rey Rosa is perhaps the most prominent writer on the Guatemalan literary scene. Along with the work of writers like Roberto Bolaño, Horacio Castellanos Moya, and Fernando Vallejo, Rey Rosa’s fiction has been widely translated and internationally acclaimed. His books include Dust on Her Tongue, The Beggar’s Knife, and The Pelcari Project, all of which were translated into English by the late Paul Bowles. In addition to his many novels and story collections, Rey Rosa has translated books by Bowles, Norman Lewis, François Augiéras, and Paul Léautaud.

Reviews

[Peter]

very cool and strange jungle sci fi about language and imprisonment

[amelia]

4

strange, haunting novella about structural linguistics, social death, necropower

[Eamon Sugarman]

Heavy stuff. Who’s producing my adaptation?

[Adam]

A very cool, philosophical-literary, jungle-SciFi novella from a Guatemalan author. On the premise that there is no thought without language, Rey Rosa describes an experiment in which a large group of prisoners have their vocal abilities restricted to a single syllable--a different syllable for each man. When brought together, they form a single, chanting voice, and the men take part in their own slavery by way of mass mind-control.

Though very short, the book creates a strong atmosphere of mystery and even adventure. There’s something here, too, about writing as a way back to freedom and to the Inner Life.

[Professor Weasel]

An extremely creepy, eerie parable. With this and "The African Shore" I am HIGHLY impressed by Rey Rosa. He is writing about horror and atrocity in a way that is very unique, commendable and just plain badass.