One Hundred Guinea Pigs

Gustavo Rodríguez is a Peruvian writer, and one of the most distinctive voices in contemporary Latin American literature. His novel One Hundred Guinea Pigs won the prestigious Alfaguara Prize in 2023 and is his first book to appear in English.Daniel Hahn is a writer, editor and translator. His work has won the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize and the International Dublin Literary Award, and has been shortlisted for the International Booker Prize. His translations for Charco Press span Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Colombia and Peru.

"Although largely about ageing and dying, Rodríguez’s layered novel […] never feels mawkish or sentimental. He treats his subject with both warmth and humour." —The Financial Times"Fast-paced and witty… Gustavo Rodríguez is a remarkable talent." —World Literature Today"Rodríguez blends fatalism and irony into the well-crafted story, while offering a sensitive depiction of euthanasia. There’s much to admire in this layered tale." —Publishers Weekly"Both classic and rhythmic, the story unfolds into a lively road trip through old age. A final whirlwind before the inevitable leap: this luminous novel is a compassionate tribute to hearts and bodies that are weary yet remain defiant in the face of decrepitude." —Le Monde"A tragicomic story, moving, crafted with skill and humour." —Claudia Piñeiro , author of ELENA KNOWS "Amusing and thought-provoking." —Latino Book Review"Gustavo Rodríguez skilfully captures the metaphor of life as a passage to death, navigating it with a touch of humour and dignity, devoid of moralistic overtones or sensationalism." —ABC Cultural"An appealing novel with an excellent plot development: endearing, moving, intelligent, and empowering." —Segre"Gustavo Rodríguez once again alternates between the good and the bad in life to reveal a horrible indecency. (…) Racism, economic inequality, and the contradictions of Peruvian society are elements that One Hundred Guinea Pigs inherits from his previous work [...] luminous writing." —El periódico"A work where tragedy and comedy intertwine in the exploration of the passage of time, old age, and its contradictions. [...] A masterful development that allows the voice of his country in world literature to rediscover its place, breaking free from what seemed like an eternal adolescence." —Zona de Obras"In his ninth novel the writer reveals just how little attention is paid to the elderly in our society, and advocates for worthy representation, at the same time that he challenges the taboo that is dignified death and offers a portrait of structural classism and racism in Peru. These topics could be difficult to digest, but Rodríguez seasons them with a wit that points to an astonishing literary maturity and brilliance." —Coolt"An ode to old age, a song to existence, and a tribute to those women who work, suffer, care, empathise, yearn, and, despite everything, survive." —La Razón"A story about the culture of caregiving, senectitude, the body, ageism, and death." —El Mundo