“Carlos Rubio is at his best once again with ‘Dead Time,’ an unusual tale of love, hate, passion and revenge. With his eloquent use of prose, the reader is easily drawn into the hearts and minds of the characters, nearly walking in their shadow through the twists and turns of the unpredictable plot and stunning conclusion.”
Karen Sealy, Author
The Eighth House
For Carlos Rubio, the world is not to be viewed through rosy glasses or as if seen through the eyes of an innocent by-stander. The main characters in his novels experience life up close and personal–and live on the razor thin edge. In his latest novel, DEAD TIME, Carlos takes us on a puzzling journey through the mind of Herminio Aguado, an architect who wakes up one day and decides it is a good day to die. He has lost the love of his life and ends up taking the life of another–and that’s only the beginning. If you prefer predictable plots with stereo-typical characters, pick up one of those pulp fiction paperbacks on your way through the ten-items-or-less line at the supermarket. If you want to get blown out of your psychological socks after savoring a good read, pick up Carlos Rubio’s Dead Time.
Alan Hodgkinson, author of After Incoming
Dentro de la producción narrativa de Carlos Rubio Albet, Tiempo Muerto marca un punto de inflexión y el saludable propósito de ensayar nuevas vías expresivas y temáticas. Las tramas múltiples, el humor y los elementos teatrales y deliberadamente artificiosos de Quadrivium y Saga, son desplazados por un discurso más concentrado y tradicional, en el que el fino análisis sicológico de los comportamientos y las emociones pasa a ocupar un primer plano. A partir de esa mañana soleada, cuando Herminio Aguado se despierta con la apacible certidumbre de que mataría a un hombre, Rubio Albet desarrolla una indagación en esa muerte anunciada que no parece obedecer a lógica alguna. El resultado es un buceo de las zonas más inasibles del protagonista, a través de una historia contada con fluidez y mano segura, que consigue captar nuestro interés sin hacer concesiones al facilismo ni a la lectura complaciente. Estamos, en resumen, ante la nueva obra de un novelista ajeno a modas y empeñado en crear un mundo propio.
Carlos Espinosa
Autor, El peregrino en comarca ajena
“When Herminio Aguado opened his eyes that sunny morning, he felt the conviction that on that day he would kill a man. He was not alarmed…” So begins this surrealistic but potent account of a man who has lost his beloved wife and has decided to kill another man. A simple story, this novel defies the stereotypical plot.
We are invited into the mind of Aguado, a man who appreciates the rich beauty of architecture, art, and music – indeed of every life experience – as he prepares and tests the murder weapon while listening to Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. He takes us through his wonderful relationship with his wife, Adriana, and best friend, Vincent. But he meets another woman and this seems to tilt his sanity after he observes something that would probably temporarily only anger another person.
There isn’t anything outrageous about the plot in this short, spare work of fiction. Yet it exudes power because of its rich range of psychological and sensuous detail.
The novel is presented in both English and Spanish which should make it even more engaging for those knowledgeable and appreciative of the nuances of translation.
Well done, Carlos Rubo!
Reviewed by Viviane Crystal on October 4, 2004