Naked Men

September 24, 2018
The women of Giménez-Bartlett’s incendiary Planeta Prize–winning novel deploy their wealth to upend sexual dynamics amid the dislocations of Spain’s collapsing economy. When Irene’s husband leaves her for a younger woman, she retreats from her friends and brushes off concerns about her failing family business. She reconnects with free-spirited Genoveva, who coaxes her to join in exploits with male escorts. When prissy Irene finally agrees, she discovers the men repulse her but she enjoys the power of ordering them to undress. Genoveva introduces her to chauvinistic Iván and his friend Javier, a mousy, recently laid-off literature tutor cajoled first into stripping and then sex work by Iván. Irene’s rejection of physical contact initially offends Javier, but he slowly erodes her resistance. Even after sex with Javier unlocks unimaginable pleasure, she remains mercurial and rebuffs his suggestions that they pursue a more conventional relationship. Giménez-Bartlett’s stinging commentary on masculine fragility (notably in Iván’s perpetual frustration and Javier’s reluctance) pairs well with her exploration of feminine restraints through Genoveva’s surprising propriety and Irene’s shackling attachment to her deceased father. This provocative dive into gender, power, and class uses diverse viewpoints to craft a powerful story and an unpredictable, memorable ending.

December 1, 2018

Having lost his job owing to the recent economic recession, literature teacher Javier, encouraged by his sleazy friend Iván, becomes a stripper and then a male escort. Irene, uptight and recently divorced, is prompted by free-spirited companion Genoveva to seek out the company of men, at first engaging only in voyeurism but then in more active sexual encounters. Predictably, Javier and Irene meet, but their relationship ends with unexpected and tragic consequences. The narrative is related entirely in the first person and spread among the four major characters, who advance the story mostly by means of dialog and interior monolog. The author is well known for her murder mysteries starring the gutsy detective Petra Delicado (only three of which are available in English), and this work retains a similar crime-novel feel, with translator Rosenberg finding appropriate English-language equivalents for the profuse Spanish slang. The attempt to equate men who are physically naked with vulnerability and a lack of dignity, does not, however, really take hold. VERDICT Though the book is fast paced, with well-developed if largely unlikable characters, the repetition, focus on the seedy underworld, and brutal ending pall, leaving a bitter aftertaste.--Lawrence Olszewski, North Central State Coll., Mansfield, OH

Copyright 2018 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 1, 2018
Winner of the Planeta Prize in 2015, this spirited novel reverses the trope of men using their wealth to dominate women. Irene, who runs the factory she inherited from her beloved but controlling father, is blindsided by her husband's announcement that he is leaving her for a younger woman. Javier, whose favorite activity is reading, finds his life upended when he is laid off from his job teaching literature at a Catholic girls' school. Both are taken under the wings of more free-spirited friends. Genoveva considers Irene to be a pampered prude but likes to have company in her pursuit of a good time. And a chance encounter with childhood acquaintance Iv�n lands Javier a temporary (he hopes) gig in a men's strip club, where he proves to be surprisingly adept. The four characters' paths cross when Genoveva introduces Irene to the world of male escorts, and Iv�n convinces Javier to explore the idea of being paid for sex. Irene and Javier connect, but his vision of a future life clashes disastrously with hers. Frequent shifts in point of view?sometimes several shifts on the same page?add energy and immediacy.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)