The Turquoise Ring and Other Stories

Nine stories with dark fairy tale elements by Costa Rican modernist Contreras (1868–1893) appear in English translation for the first time in this enjoyable collection. In the title story, beautiful 21-year-old Italian marquis Angelo launches a complicated revenge scheme after buying a turquoise ring that unmasks the true intentions of everyone he talks to. Three young nymphs leave their protective cave one by one in “The Water Nymphs,” a biting and then tragic commentary on fickle love. Some stories are weighed down by sentimentality, including “The Gold and the Copper,” a fable of familial versus material wealth, and “Violets and Doves,” a tale of early death and lingering love. In “Humanzor,” a traveler to a charming town learns the story of a local orphan turned brigand. In “The Glass Woman,” Ahmed Walla Khan, an Indian prince, grows bored with his sumptuous life, and all that excites him is the story of a woman bewitched into a glass statue until a man’s love breaks the spell; the gratifying twist of the tale unfortunately relies on European superiority . The other three stories—“Reverie,” “Winter Song,” and “Delirium, or Sonata”—are slim, effusive exultations. Although some entries feel dated, the collection hints at what Contreras could have accomplished had she lived longer. These stories will be welcomed by fans of older, gently eerie tales and historians of Latin American literature. (Aug.)