The Magic Dogs of San Vicente

I received a copy of The Magic Dogs Of San Vicente by Mark Fishman from its publishers, Guernica Editions, via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review.

The Magic Dogs Of San Vicente is set in El Salvador some twenty-five years after a time of great violence and disappearances. The Flores brothers, Jose Matias and Wilber Eduardo, were arrested and tortured during this time and, although they survived more or less physically intact, are still haunted by what they saw and were made to do during their imprisonment. On the day when this book is set, they see and are terrified by a mystical apparition from yhis past and we meet them as they are hiding behind boulders unsure whether to run or remain concealed.

Fishman is a Canadian author, but has obviously immersed himself in South American fiction as well as defining a unique style of his own. I loved the magical sweeps of imagination and intricately detailed observations, his breathless stream-of-consciousness writing and the rhythmically repetitive prose which, at times, felt like the refrains of some ancient epic poem or ballad. I have since read other reviews though where readers strongly disliked this book for exactly the same reasons so I guess it is a 'Marmite' read - love it or hate it! The magic dogs themselves are always at the periphery of our story, but Jose Matias and Wilber Eduardo mostly have centre stage as they tried to find a buried talisman with which to defeat the apparition and overcome their fearful memories. There are many levels of meaning in this novel. Beautifully-drawn human characters interact with magical and mythical creations; Spanish and Mexican words, phrases and poetry are woven into the prose; the long, long sentences sweep up readers sometimes for over a page at a time before briefly releasing us. I don't think I have ever read anything quite like The Magic Dogs Of San Vicente before!

This is a beautifully written book full of prose that makes you stop and take a breath. In some ways it is more like a very long poem than a novel. 

Set in El Salvador, the story follows the two Flores brothers after they have a frightening vision and begin a long journey — perhaps to escape what they saw, perhaps to deal with it. The details of the countryside, of the houses they visit, and the other characters are sensual and alive. I could picture every scene vividly.

The storytelling takes a back seat to the prose style, and quite a few times I was lost, narratively speaking, and wasn't sure how (or if) the plot had turned. I just plowed on, though, and eventually more or less worked out what was going on. The long sentences were at first difficult to parse at times, but I quickly got into their rhythm. This is a writer for whom style is everything.

I found this beautifully written book that will delight readers of literary journals and experimental fiction.

Fishman writes boldly and without any regard to making life easy for his readers. I enjoyed the novel, but it also made me work as a reader. It's a complement to Fishman to say that I needed to read every word. I applaud Fishman for tackling this subject and I'm glad to have read the book.

An unworldly fantasy tale set in El Salvador after the bloody civil war of the 80's.