Mascara is a novella by Chilean expat Dorfman who had an earlier novel Death and the Maiden adapted into an excellent film starring Sigourney Weaver and Ben Kingsley. Mascara follows a narrative from a nameless man whose face is so nondescript that he can blend into any situation and will never be remembered.

The man's talent is to see people's hidden thoughts and fears by looking at photogrpahs of them, and his narrative consists of an obsession against a local plastic surgeon who was repsonsible for the death of a woman from the narrarator's past.

The description of obsession and madness is gripping, and the story takes many unexpected twists, including noe toward the end that, trust me you will not see coming. Lives are tied together when a woman who has the mental capacity of a four year old is left under the protection of the narrarator against "agents" of the plastic surgeon.

This is not a casual read. Dorfman's attention to detail within the psyche of the characters is necessary to appreciate the fullness of this story.


I read about 3 books a week, so I thought I would start sharing some recs here. I can stop if you like.