The Frog

An elusive novel about a French boy with a frog in his belly. It belongs in the tradition of modern elliptical parables honed to perfection by Kafka as well as in the tradition of "magical realists" such as Laura Esquivel (Like Water for Chocolate). We are never sure if the frog is real or imagined (just as we are never certain if Gregor Samsa really has turned into a giant cockroach), or what, if anything, the frog--or the boy's experiences--might symbolize. Hawkes revels in maintaining this tension of the suspension of suspension of disbelief, and for those of us who love ambiguity, The Frog is an exotic and well-presented literary treat.