AUTHOR: Raúl Aguiar
PUBLISHER: Guantanamera Editorial
GENRE:  Anthology, fiction
READER’S NAME: Annette Vazquez

Ariete by Raúl Aguiar is actually an anthology of narratives written in Spanish by young Cuban writers. Aguiar’s objective with this project is to draw attention to these young authors so their voices can be heard. He boasts that these short stories portray their fresh views of reality—their reality, unedited and uncensored.

The rationale behind this technique, according to Aguiar, is to have the writers return to basics, to tell a story in its original essence. Indeed, that is what they did!

This unique collection lures the reader into a whirlwind of uninhibited interpretations of sex, poverty, jealousy, violence, and vengeance mixed with horror, thriller and suspense. The imagery within the detailed prose is both captivating and disturbing—to the point where the reader might either continue to read avidly or drop the book altogether. It is that powerful. 

The young writers cleverly incorporate the shock factor into their texts to depict scenarios that will raise some eyebrows while bringing attention to the subject matter. Still, it is unclear whether this is the type of attention they intended to attract, particularly, since the common theme explores diverse issues of sex including the use of violence to obtain it. Even more concerning is the mockery of women’s desire to be romanced prior to acquiescing to sex.

The majority of the male characters consider that hogwash and a waste of time. What they want is immediate gratification without regard to the partner’s consent or satisfaction. For example, Marcos the character in “Chica conoce chico vs. Pornografía” by Daniela Escobar Magariño. He resentfully complies to his girlfriend’s wishes to eventually claim the prize, sex with her. Candidly, he voices his frustration with the game, “Pero había que esperar, porque ella tenía que estar enamorada, porque todo tenía que ser especial”. (“Because you had to wait, because she had to be in love, because everything had to be special.”)

Although this is just a small excerpt, it foreshadows what will eventually happen. It is fictional, but it gives the reader food for thought. That said, read with an open mind and be prepared to encounter more stories with strong sexually explicit content.
On the other hand, the suspense is not all sexual. The story “La Llamada” by Mariam Diéguez will have you on the edge of your seat as you page through her apocalyptic-themed horror story. “La Llamada” follows the lines of the movies The Kingsman: The Secret Service and Bird Box, particularly, when a phone rings and triggers a series of murders and vicious assaults against people. Similarly, in the apocalyptic horror movie Bird Box the story unfolds when a subliminal light provokes people to commit suicide. Again, hmmm.

In regards to the suitability of translation of this Spanish-language anthology, I strongly recommend against it for several reasons. Mainly, the authenticity of the language will be compromised in the translation, especially untranslatable terms. Furthermore, if the stories undergo additional editing in the process, the stories will lose their impact in English and may lose their value. Another general concern about Ariete is that it might encounter rejection because of the rape scenes in two stories which may be viewed as degradation of women rather than a description of prowess. While this depends on the interpretation of the reader, it is clear that the book will cause controversy. 

Overall, Ariete is a good read. The book contains a little bit of everything, even for the most finicky tastes. Moreover, the advantage of a short story anthology is that if a topic does not stimulate your interest, you can move on to the next story. After all, a story is not a story if you cannot relate to it or at least get lost in it. I challenge you to read it and form your own opinion. My view is that Ariete will claim its place in the spotlight for its impact—good or bad. Regardless of the outcome, Aguiar will achieve his objective for the Ariete, attention!