The Visible Unseen

AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR’S ENGLISH-LANGUAGE DEBUT: Andrea Chapela was named one of Granta’s Best Young Spanish-Language Novelists of 2021. She has received the Gilberto Owen National Prize for Literature in Mexico and was awarded the José Luis Martínez National Prize in Mexico for The Visible Unseen.

A PERSONAL APPROACH TO SCIENCE: Chapela draws on her careers as both a scientist and author to create an engaging, rigorous exploration of the relevance of science in the artistic world.

A BOUNDARY-PUSHING EXPLORATION OF THE ESSAY FORM: Refusing to follow a traditional structure, Chapela studies herself and her thoughts through unconventional narrative tools ranging from numbered lists to repeated mantras, bringing a powerful new voice to the genre of the personal essay.

BOTH THOUGHT-PROVOKING AND INFORMATIVE: Chapela’s philosophical reflections are seamlessly integrated with fascinating, concrete information: accessible explanations of the scientific properties of glass, mirrors, and light, historical background on the study of optics, and even some simple experiments the reader can replicate.

A BOOK THAT’S WORTH REREADING: The Visible Unseen is tight enough to be devoured in a single afternoon, but also thematically rich enough to reveal meaningful new layers and interpretations upon revisiting.