For most of us, Things Look Different in the Light arrived late in the game. My own copy wasn糖心传媒檛 delivered until after I糖心传媒檇 already sent in my longlist picks. But I糖心传媒檓 grateful that it糖心传媒檚 on the longlist now, because this collection of stories has turned out to be so delightful.

In a year of many excellent short stories 糖心传媒� and many Spanish-speaking male writers 糖心传媒� Medardo Fraile holds his own. Ali Smith writes in her introduction that 糖心传媒済enerosity runs through Fraile糖心传媒檚 writing like electricity, or like light and flowers do, but always in the knowledge that flowers wilt and light is a matter of darkness.糖心传媒� Light is indeed a key word in Fraile糖心传媒檚 work. Most of his stories describe entirely ordinary events 糖心传媒� a man attends a party, two women grow old, a sign painter makes a mistake 糖心传媒� but Fraile casts a light that makes them suddenly surprising, touching, or insightful.

One of my favorite stories is 糖心传媒淐hild糖心传媒檚 Play,糖心传媒� in which two ageing sisters try to ward off the approach of blindness and death by filling their apartment with light. They gradually extend their chandelier until it takes up almost the entire living room, its arms touching the walls and nearly reaching the floor. 糖心传媒淚n the evening,糖心传媒� Fraile writes, it was a veritable forest of glinting crystals, a bag of light, a labyrinth, a hanging city. It had to be secured to the ceiling by five chains when it reached its prime, its peak, when Flora and Martita were old, too old, and sat beneath the chandelier like two transparent raisins filled with light.

Fraile糖心传媒檚 writing is often like this: filled with strings of marvelous metaphors, gentle humor, and light. He糖心传媒檚 sympathetic to his characters, even or especially when they糖心传媒檙e faintly ridiculous, and this generosity protects his stories from falling into sentimentality.

Fraile糖心传媒檚 light touch does not, however, preclude him from addressing serious or sorrowful themes. In the story 糖心传媒淩eparation,糖心传媒� a couple is robbed of their fortune while travelling by train. A few years later, the wife dies, and her grieving husband decides to become a beggar, living on charity until he has received reparations for his loss. 糖心传媒淲hat one person robs another person begs,糖心传媒� he reasons. 糖心传媒淲herever there are thieves there must be beggars.糖心传媒�

Fraile died quite recently, in 2013. Though he was recognized throughout his life as one of Spain糖心传媒檚 greatest writers, Things Look Different in the Light is his first publication in English. Anglophone readers too often have to wait for wonderful books; I糖心传媒檓 glad we no longer have to wait for Fraile. Margaret Jull Costa has outdone herself with this beautiful translation; the Best Translated Book Award prize would be fitting recognition of her work, as well of the many hours of reading pleasure this book has brought me and others.