Memories of My Melancholy Whores

This short novel follows an unnamed journalist in Colombia who, as he approaches his ninetieth birthday, decides to give himself an unusual present. His plan draws him back to an old brothel-keeper he knows, and into an unexpected encounter that unsettles his solitary, orderly life. Looking back on his habits and past relationships, he begins to see love and tenderness in a new light. The book is a brief, reflective story about ageing, desire and loneliness, and it handles its delicate subject matter with a gentle, ironic tone that has also drawn criticism and debate.