There is a kind of magic in González's prose, a latent mesmerism between the chapters. Using very gentle diction and unobtrusive style he conveys a mood and tone that waivers between sublime inspiration and frank beauty, and more than this, he is able to sustain it in a way that appears effortless. Difficult Light would be too painful a story if it weren't written with González's patience and acceptance of his characters. It is still painful to read but not unbearable, not despairing, and that is its most important strength as a novel.

I'm so grateful for my Archipielago Books subscription. I could have easily missed this extraordinary author, and frankly many others. Of all my subs, Archipielago has delivered the highest concentration of hits for me (just a smidge more than Fitzcarraldo!). Difficult Light is a book I can hold up as an example of their fine press and I feel like it is a book I can recommend to anyone.