I loved this so much! What an interesting idea and a fascinating book.
Mariana Enriquez is an Argentine writer who likes visiting cemeteries – captivated by the stories that lie within, but equally willing to share how the visits fit in with her own life and passions. This is autobiography and history and folklore and loads of great stuff all in one book, and it is so beautifully written (and translated – absolute kudos to the translator because it reads fabulously). From the first (slightly surprising!) visit she narrates, through cemeteries around the world, we meet the friends and lovers who are part of her story. Some of these places were familiar to me – Highgate and Greyfriars in particular – but there are so many other places we are taken to, described captivatingly, so that the reader gets a real sense of the sites and people and the stories. Enriquez is a huge music fan (Manic Street Preachers in particular) and it was lovely to see where her interests intersect – music, travelling, cemeteries, folk tales and superstition.
Some of the stories are told with humour, some with poignancy – and there are some genuinely surprising moments around sex, death and theft! All of it is told with warmth and curiosity and a lively narrative voice, presenting us with a narrator who is real and self-deprecating and sees with absolute clarity.
Each chapter in the book is a separate place and illustrated with a photo from the cemetery being described. All of them made me appreciate the beauty and uniqueness of each place, and made me want to follow in Enriquez’s footsteps and see these amazing places for myself.
I’d really recommend this book – you don’t have to be interested in cemeteries to enjoy this as (despite what you might think) all life is here.
Thanks to NetGalley for my review copy of this book.
Thanks to Ruben Ortega on Unsplash for the header photo.
