- The Chronicles of the Gray Angel
- Published by: Ediciones de la Urraca
- Level: Intermediate
- First Published in: 1988
A group of nostalgic and romantic artists, named The Sensitive Men of Flores, engage in an ideological battle against the rational and logical Disprovers of Legends, in this irreverent collection of local legends and folklore.
The neighborhoods, street corners, and common habits of the people of Buenos Aires are exposed with humour and intelligence in Crónicas del Ángel Gris (The Chronicles of the Grey Angel) by the Argentine writer Alejandro Dolina. Though its contents are fictional, this book is perfect for understanding the nostalgic and melodramatic essence of the true porteño.
"The neighborhoods, street corners, and common habits of the people of Buenos Aires are exposed with humour and intelligence."
The main characters are a group of friends, known as the Sensitive Men of Flores, who are no-name artists living in the traditional neighborhood of Flores. They are romantics and honest dreamers. Football, romance, time travel, and the search for the meaning of life are just some of the adventures that the Sensitive Men live through in every chapter. But they must always engage in battles of common sense against the Disprovers of Legends, a group of people who live in the same neighborhood but who are the exact opposite of the Sensitive Men: logical, rational, and negative. Full of fantastic stories and unique versions of popular legends, this book mixes everyday feelings like love, friendship, and jealously with unbelievable facts and mysteries.
All the locations where the adventures take place are popular areas in the city of Buenos Aires, like Palermo, Villa del Parque, or Parque Chas. Public transportation (train, subway, and bus) is a regular environment throughout the story, and other distinctive characteristics of Argentine culture also make an appearance: the themes and dance of the tango, the popular festival of “carnaval,” the “payadores” (who are typical singers of the provinces), and traditional foods like “asado” and “churrascos” (which are a sort of beefsteak).
"Crónicas del Ángel Gris is meant to be read more than once."
Alejandro Dolina is a well-known artist in Argentina, a singer, musician, and writer who has become especially famous for his radio show, which has been on air uninterruptedly for more than 28 years: La venganza será terrible (The vengeance will be terrible). He was born in 1944 and has written other fiction books, like El libro del fantasma and Bar del infierno, as well as stage musicals like Lo que me costó el amor de Laura. As for Crónicas del Ángel Gris, it’s meant to be read more than once. It’ll make you smile when you visit one of the real street corners where the Sensitive Men have been.
