The Invention of Morel by Adolfo Bioy Casares is a strange little novella about a man, sentenced to life in prison, who escapes to a deserted island. On this island, he is surprised by the strange arrival of a group of men and women who do not seem to know that he is there. He soon learns that the men and women are actually projections from a machine invented by one them, the titular Morel. The narrator falls in love with Faustine, one of the projections. In a bid to be closer to her, he uses the machine to record and add himself to the projections. Unfortunately, the act of recording is deadly, but this does not dissuade him.
I really wanted to like this novella. I have read so much praising it. But, it left me very flat. Casares does a very good job of building the dramatic tension. Even though I did not really enjoy the novel, I was curious enough about what was going on to finish it. But, overall, I am not sure I can recommend this one to anyone.
2.0/5
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