Sympathy

Hordes of dogs roaming the streets are a testament to the chaos and misery plaguing Caracas. Millions of Venezuelans have fled the metropolis, leaving their dogs to their fate in the city. Odysseus Kan, a film lover and the narrator of this story, receives a simple text from his wife Paulina: she has decided to leave him and the country. Odysseus is not heartbroken; on the contrary, the situation makes him feel free. With not much else to do, he decides to set up a foundation to rescue dogs in need. He is thus involuntarily drawn into family and interpersonal troubles that quickly make him doubt everyone around him. This new novel by the prominent Venezuelan prose writer living in Spain was nominated for the International Booker Prize.