The critics of 'Babelia' review the latest books by Nuria Barrios, Anna Fifield, Jesús Valbuena García and the new biography of Carmen Balcells.

It has been 20 years since Dientes blancos (2000) became an iconic book that would make Zadie Smith a precocious but undisputed star of contemporary narrative, heir to Carver's conciseness and his tacit critical judgment of society. Now, the British author returns with her first book of stories, Grand Union. The formal promiscuity that can be seen in this compilation, as well as its transgenderism and its shrewd and steely look at our fickle society, refer to David Foster Wallace and the way in which criticism, luddism and experimentation are intertwined in La broma infinita.

In her first novel, the writer and cultural journalist Lucía Lijtmaer also flaunts her virtuosity. Cauterio, which intertwines two plots separated in time, is a display of talent and craft, simply doing it and doing it well.

Read the full article here: El País - Babelia