There is no book quite like Álvaro Enrigue’s SUDDEN DEATH. In a tale that unfolds over the course of hundreds of years and several continents, Enrigue contextualizes, among other historical events and trends, Hernán Cortés’ slaughtering of the Aztecs, the endemic cronyism of 16th-century Catholic politics, and the rise of the Baroque movement within a tennis match between the Spanish poet Francisco de Quevado and the Italian artist Caravaggio.

In fact, the entirety of history converges in this meeting. What first appears to be a haphazardly chosen assortment of storylines gradually converges upon the tennis match. And without an intimate knowledge of 16th- and 17th-century European and Mesoamerican history, it is nigh impossible to decipher how much of this history is in fact true. Yes, Ann Boleyn was beheaded, but did her executioner actually steal her hair and use it to make proto-tennis balls? Were Galileo and Caravaggio ever secret lovers? Did they ever actually meet in person? This is not simply historical fiction --- this is a complete disregard for historical accuracy, and it is exhilarating. Not simply because it is unique, but because it so accurately mirrors our understanding of history. Cultural heritage is firmly ground not just within fact, but within myth and storying, and it is refreshing to see a contemporary author acknowledge that.

"This is not simply historical fiction --- this is a complete disregard for historical accuracy, and it is exhilarating. Not simply because it is unique, but because it so accurately mirrors our understanding of history."

While most of SUDDEN DEATH is structured like the tennis match at its center, a rapid back-and-forth between plots and characters, there is an overarching narrative at its core. The driving force behind this narrative, however, is not people but objects, specifically the pelota balls made of Ann Boleyn and the scapular of Hernán Cortés. Enrigue follows these artifacts from their creation to their intersection at the tennis match, detailing their origins as sentimental objects and their ascension to mythic relics. By chronicling the evolution of these objects, Enrigue is able not only to further justify his expansive cast, but also to tap into the values of these characters and societies.

If there was a hero in this novel, though, it would be Caravaggio. Pissed off, young, queer and immensely talented, he is exactly the type of central character that is en vogue for contemporary fiction. Caravaggio’s influence was only fully realized after his death. And while he is certainly considered a master now, Enrigue’s examination of Caravaggio in his prime humanizes the artist in a visceral way. It is the type of characterization that Caravaggio should have earned by this point.

This is by no means a perfect book. The cast is so large that it’s nearly impossible to remember who everyone is, let alone properly develop all of them. Similarly, the plots are erratically developed, with some threads being impressively thorough and others feeling entirely inconsequential. And upon finishing, it’s difficult to accurately pinpoint the core of this novel. Enrique himself, in a fourth-wall break more than 200 pages in, even claims not to know what it’s about:

As I write, I don’t know what this book is about. It’s not exactly about a tennis match. Nor is it a book about the slow and mysterious integration of America into what we call “the Western world” … maybe it’s just a book about how to write this book; maybe that’s what all books are about. A book with a lot of back-and-forth, like a game of tennis… I know that as I wrote it I was angry because the bad guys always win. Maybe all books are written simply because in every game the bad guys have the advantage and that is too much to bear.

It is impossible to read through SUDDEN DEATH and not grapple with these flaws. Perhaps, in some way, that is the point. Trying to fashion a central narrative out of this book is much like studying history. Faced with an endless barrage of facts, people and places, of secondhand information and mythologized conjecture, what else can you do but pick a main character --- a hero, the “good guy” --- tell their story, and hope that somewhere in the muck there is a nugget of truth?