Libro de los defectos de los demás (Book of the Flaws of Others )

Although she has chosen to portray herself as a man with a head that looks like a Spanish omelette, Chu-li Chen is a Taiwanese illustrator. A few years ago, she came to our publishing house with a book that had won the award for Best Project by a Design Student in London, presented at the Victoria & Albert Museum.

It must be said that Chu-li came to Spain, first and foremost, attracted by the chorizo (and perhaps, also by the Spanish omelette), because she has a weak spot for chorizo. This trait could be seen as a fatal flaw in other individuals, but in our friend’s case, it is an indisputable virtue.

As the author explains, the idea of this book originated when she began detecting great differences in character between British and Taiwanese people. She was eager to make a book, and she did it in her own terms: by building rag dolls, which she then painted and placed on the screen of a photocopier to achieve the movement effect. It might sound strange, but the original artworks of this book are photocopies.

Through five characters: Señora Chismosa (Mrs. Gossip), Señor Pusilánime (Mr. Pusillanimous), Señor Caviloso (Mr. Thoughtful), Señora Errátil (Mrs. Erratic), and Señor Ebrio (Mr. Drunk) we shall discover the dangerous people Chu-li met in Europe. Perhaps they represent people we know; perhaps they are within us. As a famous Chinese proverb says, “Nobody is perfect”; and, as another lesser-known says, “If we did not have flaws, we would not enjoy observing the ones in others so much”.

This Book of the Flaws of Others is especially recommended for enthusiasts of artistic editions, for readers of The Characters by Theophrastus (if you liked his book, you will like this one), for people who eat chorizo while reading (this book has that same red tone), and for people with flaws, in general.