César Aira

New in the New Directions Pearls series: an extremely rich mad scientist attempts to clone a leading genius in a bid to take over the world. César is a translator who’s fallen on very hard times due to the global economic downturn; he is also an author, and a mad scientist hell-bent on world domination. On a visit to …

Ghosts by César Aira was first published under the title Los fantasmas in 1990. Chris Andrews’ English translation was published by New Directions in 2009. It was nominated for the 2010 Best Translated Book Award shortlist.

An Episode in the Life of a Landscape Painter by César Aira was first published in 2000. Chris Andrews’ English translation was published by New Directions in 2006.

How I Became a Nun by César Aira is a novel set in Rosario, Argentina, about a precocious six-year-old named César Aira. César the character, who claims to be, alternately, a boy and a girl, has a hyper-developed sense of reality, a plethora of hang-ups, and a casual relationship with the truth. Contrary to what the …