Devil's Trill

Moyano, an acclaimed Argentinian novelist imprisoned and, in 1976, exiled because of his political convictions, weaves an allegorical narrative of exceptional clarity and insight. His single-minded and almost naive hero, Triclinio, an unemployed violinist, wanders between the city of La Rioja and beleaguered, war-torn Buenos Aires unable to find work--peregrinations Moyano uses to uncover the perfidy of the tyrannical government and the destruction it wreaks. Several memorable encounters during his journeys, including meetings with a president on the verge of collapse and with a sensitive and sympathetic young woman, sustain Triclinio's fragile optimism. Although the chaos of war can drown out the sounds of his music, Triclinio clings to the certainty that his own ability to create music cannot be quashed. Moyano contains the apparent cynicism of his political vision in the black humor of his pellucid, confident prose. This is the first English translation of Moyano's work. (Sept.)