The Boy Who Stole Attila's Horse - Softcover

Ivan Repila (b. Bilbao, 1978) is a Spanish writer celebrated for the originality and depth of his prose. He worked in cultural management and as an editor, before turning to writing with his highly acclaimed debut novel, Despicable Comedy. The Boy Who Stole Attila's Horse, his second novel, is his first book to appear in English.

Ambitious and relentless... The Boy Who Stole Attila's Horse is high art, an imaginative allegorical work of breathtaking yet restrained lyric power... magnificently rendered into English... [soars] like an epic poem... This exquisite, terrifying novella is daunting and magnificent, a book that celebrates storytelling as the truest way towards understanding existence Irish Times Ivan Repila is one of Spain's intriguing young literary talents... strange and haunting South China Morning Post Its depiction of madness is as affecting as any I've read in modern fiction... Seek out this treasure; prepare for a knock-out Big Issue An allegory... of economic inequality, and revolutionary rage... a book which packs huge weight for its size -- John Self Asylum A stark allegory about the experience of being arbitrarily imprisoned... Repila gives us ground for optimism in this climate of austerity... the ending of this bitter-sweet fable of our times is both tragic and a call to arms TLS Has the unfailing grimness of a fairytale... A dark allegory for modern capitalist society... explores the limits of the human mind and our enduring capacity for hope Booktrust The language supports the story's imaginative breadth...Repila's style is witty and refreshing New Statesman Beyond brilliance... may well in time emerge as one of the most widely celebrated books of the decade -- Eileen Battersby Irish Times Utterly fascinating... a novel with a message that cannot be ignored The Bay A deeply unsettling but compelling novella with all the visceral, elemental force of myth and folktale Lady A powerful book, with a fine twist at the end Literary Review Beguiling -- Scott Esposito BOMB Magazine! Hughes's vibrant translation aids Repila's lyrical descriptions of anguish and hope, and the narrative's intelligence and depth make it a gripping read Publishers Weekly Beautifully-crafted and effective... It is beautifully written. Much of what is presented is also very dark and raw, but it is also a hopeful novel - angrily, almost furiously hopeful, but nevertheless. A very fine small work - and one very much of and for our times. Complete Review The project of the always brilliant Pushkin Press via the translation of the very best in modern European Literature for an Anglo-audience. My pick of their bunch from 2015 is the Spanish writer Ivan Repila's allegorical novel The Boy Who Stole Attila's Horse. Human desperation vs the necessity of hope, told via fairytale, this is big-picture writing at its most imaginative and unpredictable Huffington Post A startling and most memorable allegory, given due care and attention Bookbag Repila has written a very disturbing book that one feels physically as one reads it. It is a short book, but one with a very powerful impact and that would support multiple readings... The book reads beautifully in English Conversational Reading Beautifully presented... yet another gem in the Pushkin Press Collection Messengers Booker Thank god for literature like this in the world - concise, untraditional and uncompromising Never Stop Reading There's a solemn allegory of metaphorical imprisonment lying beneath the surface story. It makes for a potent brew and I hope we see more of Repila's work in English before too long David's Book World A dark allegory for modern capitalist society and the way in which citizens are kept in place by this system One Day Perhaps I'll Know What ultimately resonates... is the relentlessness of the novel, certainly one of the most warped and unsparing coming-of-age stories ever Fright.com Short, sharp and blackly humorous Full Stop Beautifully and evocatively written Nudge.com