#1,082 ("Solitude" by Victor Catala)

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In 1898, Caterina Albert won the prize for literature in the Jocs Florals literary competition. This win sparked a considerable scandal when the jury learned that the author was actually a young girl. As a result, Caterina Albert refused to present her work or accept the award, and from then on she used the male (and snarkily patriotic) pseudonym of Víctor Català for her writings, taking the name from the protagonist of a novel she was planning but never finished.

Unfortunately, this intriguing tidbit of trivia is the most interesting thing about this novel for Aaron. Rodney and Ilsa are a little more generous in their critique. That’s right: this month’s discussion includes their inaugural guest.