The Library Of Mabel Mogaburu by Fernando Sorrentino

The Library Of Mabel Mogaburu Reviews

• 
  Maureen

  Really enjoyed this!
  
  http://www.eastoftheweb.com/short-sto...
• 
  Glenn Russell

  
  
  
  The Library Of Mabel Mogaburu - Signature absurdist short story from the pen of Argentina’s Fernando Sorrentino (born 1942). However, there is a dark twist at the end that will put a reader in mind of the horror tales of H.P. Lovecraft or Stephen King. A most remarkable and odd combination.
  
  Our story begins with seventeen-year-old Fernando telling us about his mania for classifying books, how he has his very own rubber stamp that he uses for each book, consisting of his name, volume number and date of purchase. Also, he has created an entire file of index cards containing this detailed information, all in alphabetical order. At the moment his library is approaching six hundred volumes and includes such classics as The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood and David Copperfield.
  
  Fernando pays a visit to one of his favorite booksellers, a dark, humid, moldy shop owned by an old Spaniard who has a young, error-prone assistant by the name of Horacio busy at the moment trying to locate a copy of the 1926 novel by Argentine author Ricardo Güiraldes entitled Don Segundo Sombra, the story of a gaucho. No success. Horacio apologizes to his customer, a girl both tall and thin. Disappointed, the girl says she really needs the book for school. The old Spanish owner pipes up, letting her know copies might be found in one of those larger bookstores on the other side of the city. Overhearing the conversation, with a tincture of mixed feelings since he hates lending his books, Fernando informs the girl he owns a copy of Don Segundo Sombra and if she promises to take care of it and return it, she can borrow his.
  
  After a bit of squeamishness, explaining she needs to read the novel immediately for school, the girl ends up accepting Fernando’s offer. He then suggests she accompany him home and learns her name is Mabel Mogaburu. On their walk back to his street, Fernando informs Mabel he is on an Edgar Allan Poe kick and just did purchase a copy of The Murders in the Rue Morgue, to which Mabel replies by saying how she does not like Poe at all: “He is gruesome and full of effect, always with those stories of murder, of dead people, of coffins. Cadavers don’t appeal to me.” In the ensuing conversation Fernando learns that Mabel, although two years his junior, has read considerably more books than he has.
  
  Taking a careful look at Mabel, Fernando sees her in a more complete light: "She was a brunette, taller and thinner than what I had thought in the bookshop. A certain diffused elegance adorned her. The olive shade of her face seemed to mitigate some deeper paleness. The dark eyes were fixed straight on mine, and I found it hard to withstand the intensity of that steady stare."
  
  Upon arriving home Fernando immediately fetches the book and returns to the street where Mabel is waiting. Although knowing nothing of fashion or cloths, Fernando now notices Mabel is dressed in what appears to be an old-fashioned style – greyish blouse and a black skirt. He asks Mabel to take good care of his book – to cover it, not to fold the pages and, above all else, not to write in it. Mabel accepts the book with her long, beautiful hands and lets Fernando know she will return it within a fortnight. They then exchange telephone numbers and Mabel also gives Fernando her address.
  
  Two weeks pass – no book returned, not even a telephone call from Mabel. Somewhat irritated, Fernando calls the number Mabel gave him but receives no answer; he calls again the next day, again, no answer. The next day, Saturday morning, he decides to walk to Mabel’s house. He rings the doorbell and a tall dark man opens the door, a man Fernando takes to be Mabel’s grandfather but, as it turns out, is Mabel’s father. From this point forward we have crossed over into a tale of H.P. Lovecraft-style Gothic terror, but a tale rendered with a light, deft, nimble absurdist touch. I highly recommend you take a moment to read for yourself – what a literary treat with all the black trimmings.
  
  Link to The Library of Mabel Mogaburu by Fernando Sorrentino:
  http://www.eastoftheweb.com/short-sto...
• 
  Jacob Overmark

  Perfectly executed within 9 chapters and though short and sweet, you never get to the point where you wonder what is going on, there is simply not enough time to build up any tension.
  Use as a short break between busstops.
• 
  Narmeen

  'But I see that you do write on your books', she said.
  'Certainly, but I use a pencil, writing very carefully in very small handwriting; those are notes and useful observations to enrich my reading. Besides', I added, slightly irritated, 'the book belongs to me and I can do what I like with it'.
  
  THAT'S RIGHT! One does not need to justify why others can't do certain things to/in their book that they do themselves. As expected, this story was told in a humorous fashion which I very much enjoy just like the rest of Sorrentino's shorts. Recommend this one to all book lovers and book collectors.
• 
  Jess the Shelf-Declared Bibliophile

  Wonderful short story!
• 
  Steven Godin

  A cracking little story! Read Glenn's superb analysis.
• 
  Jacob Kuckkahn

  Personal Response: The Library Of Mabel Mogaburu is a book that really only compels you to read it via your humanic morbid curiosity. The book compels you to read it right after you read the title, and lets onto nothing before ,during ,or after your read it. In hindsight I guess the book wasn't all that interesting.
  
  Plot: The setting is June of 1960 ,and a woman in a library is looking for a book. Her name is Mabel ,and as she realizes the library does not contain the book she is looking for, she runs into our main character Fernando. He tells her that he has the book she is looking for ,and she accepts his offer to takes\ her to his house where he keeps his collections of books, and lend her the book she's looking for. After about a week she doesn't return the book he calls her twice. The day after e goes to her address and meets her father. Her father informs Fernando that Mabel ,and her mother (his wife) are dead. He then take Fernando to his daughter's grave where Fernando finds his book on a shelf.
  
  Recommendation: This story isn't all that interesting. I wouldn't recommend that anyone read it other than those who need an idea for a book ,as this story ends abruptly.
• 
  Arthur Graham

  It's not easy being funny and spooky at the same time, but Sorrentino certainly makes it look that way.
• 
  Gita Madhu

  I was looking for a short story about books/libraries and reading in general when I chanced upon The Library Of Mabel Mogaburu
  
  
  The story enchants from several points of view. The main character is a boy in secondary school. And yet he sounds like a grand old man and this creates a cute irony.
  
  The girl is only a few years younger and her arch tone lends a delicious flavour to the narrative. I cannot tell you more without ruining the joy of this short short story.
  
  It struck a nice chord for me as I too did toy with organising and cataloguing my books. But it is not only a nerd or bookworm who would enjoy reading Fernando Sorrentino's fine fiction - lovers of the eerie will do well to dive in too.
• 
  Jennifer

  Other than the fact that the language towards the end was unnecessary, I enjoyed this.
• 
  Tommy Trionfetti

  
  http://www.eastoftheweb.com/short-sto...
• 
  Alia

  Every book collector will see a Fernando in him/her.❤️