NOVEDADES

En esta colección de treinta y nueve textos de once autores dominicanos, seleccionados por Emilio Rodríguez Derhorizi para ser publicados bajo el título Cuentos de política criolla el lector encontrará muchas de las características de la sociedad dominicana entre 1890 y 1930, en particular de la actividad políticas Sean relato, cuadro de costumbre, narración tradicional, anécdota, episodio o un «sucedido», destacan por su condición de documentos socioculturales, «manifestación de la psicología criolla en el escabroso terreno de la política» y de los rasgos lingúísticos de algunas zonas del país, así como por su tono satíricO-picaresco. «La sociología podría extraer de cada uno de estos cuentos un prototipo, un arquetipo criollo: el de la malicia —en sus diversas modalidades: el marrullero, el socarrón, el conservador, el oportunista o vividor; el de la incivilidad, el de la ignorancia, el de la fanfarronería, el del valor, el de la hombría de bien, el del desinterés, el del civismo; lacras y virtudes de nuestro pueblo».

There are good and bad djinns, a genie in a bottle, wizards, witches, cats and dogs (but are they cats and dogs?), and a mysterious floating castle filled with kidnapped princesses, as well as two puzzling prophecies. The story speeds along with tantalizing twists and turns until the prophecies are fulfilled, true identities are revealed, and all is resolved in a totally satisfying, breathtaking, surprise-filled ending. Abdullah was a young and not very prosperous carpet dealer. His father, who had been disappointed in him, had left him only enough money to open a modest booth in the Bazaar. When he was not selling carpets, Abdullah spent his time daydreaming. In his dreams he was not the son of his father but the long-lost son of a prince. There was also a princess who had been betrothed to him at birth. He was content with his life and his daydreams until, one day, a stranger sold him a magic carpet. All fans of classic fantasy books deserve the pleasure of reading those by Diana Wynne Jones, whose acclaim included the World Fantasy Award for Life Achievement.