Books like The garden next door by José Donoso
The garden next door follows Julio, a Chilean author whose marriage to his wife Gloria is strained by financial worries, creative doubts, and the mystery surrounding their son’s possible escapades. When Julio’s childhood friend—a celebrated artist—gives him and Gloria a lavish Madrid apartment for the summer, the city becomes a refuge, especially for Julio, who envisions a nearby garden and an alluring young woman living beyond it. The vacation turns turbulent as Julio is rejected by a critical literary agent, his son’s association from Marrakesh disrupts the peace, and Gloria’s drinking worsens. The garden itself turns out to be a metaphor for Gloria’s own creative emergence, turning Donoso’s sharp satire into a bitterly comic meditation on gardens, deceit, and the elusive muse of a writer.
First publish date: 1992
Genre: Literary Fiction/Contemporary Literary Fiction
Authors: José Donoso
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