Cuentos de Matrimonios

In this collection of stream-of-consciousness, first-person narratives and occasional dialogs with a therapist, Verd depicts the life of a middle-class couple and their idiosyncrasies. Pedro, who's got himself a lover, and Barbara, who works for the same company as him, attend couples counseling and can often be found in the same room ignoring each other. These short narratives are flavored with European Spanish colloquialisms and reflect a myriad of sentiments. Whether he's touching on jealousy and disillusionment or feelings about sexuality, professional status, or adultery, Verd writes with keen honesty. He has published similar short stories in the periodical El Pais Semanal. In Cuentos de matrimonios, he amplifies the humor and tenderness of domestic reality. Spanish readers from European countries will find these stories more entertaining than readers from Latin America and the United States will. Recommended for libraries with strong Spanish collections. Ninfa A. Trejo, Univ. of Arizona Lib., Tucson