The Novices of Lerna

This novella delves into identity and isolation as Ramon Beltra navigates a surreal fellowship, discovering unsettling truths about himself and his doppelgangers in The Novices of Lerna.

In The Novices of Lerna, readers are introduced to Ramon Beltra, an unassuming scholar who receives an unexpected invitation to a six-month fellowship at the University of Lerna in Switzerland. The invitation comes with peculiar requirements, including submitting detailed measurements and photographs of his body. Reluctantly, Beltra embarks on this journey, only to find himself in a desolate university town alongside twenty-three other individuals who are all doppelgangers of him. This eerie premise sets the stage for a captivating exploration of identity and the self.

As Beltra navigates the strange environment of Lerna, he quickly realizes that the institution is governed by an overwhelming number of rules and regulations. Initially, he is the only one to express discomfort with the bizarre circumstances, but the mood shifts dramatically when an unforeseen epidemic begins to claim the lives of the fellows, one by one. The tension escalates, and the atmosphere becomes increasingly claustrophobic as the characters grapple with their identities and the implications of their shared existence.

The Novices of Lerna serves as a profound meditation on themes of surveillance, isolation, and the human condition. With a blend of wry humor and tender absurdity, this novella provides an insightful introduction to Ángel Bonomini's unique literary style and thought-provoking narratives that resonate with contemporary issues.