Such Small Hands

One of the Guardian Best Books of 2017

"Every once in a while a novel does not record reality but creates a whole new reality, one that casts a light on our darkest feelings. Kafka did that. Bruno Schulz did that. Now the Spanish writer Andrés Barba has done it with the terrifying Such Small Hands."--Edmund White

Life changes at the orphanage the day seven-year-old Marina shows up. She is different from the other girls: at once an outcast and object of fascination. As Marina struggles to find her place, she invents a game whose rules are dictated by a haunting violence. Written in hypnotic, lyrical prose, alternating between Marina's perspective and the choral we of the other girls, Such Small Hands evokes the pain of loss and the hunger for acceptance.


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108 pages

Average rating: 5

1 RATING

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Community Reviews

Hartfullofbooks
May 08, 2023
5/10 stars
An interesting, short, psychological horror novella that delves into the themes of grief, exclusion, and love. Marina loses her parents in a tragic car accident and is seriously injured. Upon healing she is sent to an all girls orphanage where she is both loved and reviled by the other girls. Such Small Hands is beautifully written and incredibly eerie but it’s also very short. I would suggest picking this up if you want a short but unique horror full of prose and atmosphere but don’t expect too much beyond that.

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