La ola que lee

The result of an exhaustive and extensive search through newspaper archives and private collections by researcher María Belén Riveiro, *The Reading Wave* compiles reviews, notes, and columns—scattered, varied, and until now unobtainable—that César Aira published in magazines and newspapers in Argentina, Spain, and Latin America over three decades, beginning in 1981, the year of his debut with *Ema, the Captive*. Free from any learned automatism, *The Reading Wave* is animated by a friendly erudition and a vehement joy that sweeps away the commonplaces of criticism. Disguised as an essay, Aira shares a joyful literature that champions the avant-garde, defends the daily work of the writer, shares his obsessions, and highlights with admiration the genius of certain authors: from Saer to Lamborghini, from Arlt to Puig, from Unica Zürn to Witold Gombrowicz.