This was the first book I read entirely in one sitting. I was surprised, but how could you not keep on reading when the first line is “This is going to be a horror story”(pg.1) …
The theme of memory is quite present throughout Auxilio’s broken narrative. Her recollections seem very “…fragmentary, as if mauled by an enormous animal”(p101). The way that Auxilio tries to piece together the dates and events of the story reminded me a lot of Perec’s W. “And I had nothing either, except my memories” (pg.44) Perec and Auxilio both seem to be running, from their past life, with not much to their name (just their books of writing). But they both hold tightly onto their memories. I think they are both affected by the trauma they endured and it is evident in both texts. “Memory plays malicious tricks on me when the light of the waning moon creeps into the women’s bathroom like a spider” (p107). Auxilio’s trauma is repeated with the vision of the fourth floor bathroom of the faculty of Philosophy and Literature during the armed takeover of the UNAM, throughout the book which almost felt like an anchor and re centred me as a reader. Whenever she feels heightened emotion such as when she was being followed in the night (pg.66) or was about to follow Arturito and Ernesto into the Clover hotel (pg.91) she reminds herself of her strength by reliving that powerful memory.
I found the way that Bolaño touches on the social/political climate of Mexico in 1968 very accesible and I think even if you don’t have background on the context it’s still very powerful. “…as if they weren’t creatures of flesh and blood but a generation sprung from the open wound of Tlatelolco…”(P.g 77). Here Auxilio is describing the young “children of the sewer” poets that Arturito hangs out with when he comes back from serving in Chile. This touches on the generational trauma of the children of Mexico that have to live with this bloody betrayal by the government. “They were all growing up exposed to the storms of Mexico and the storms of Latin America, which are worse, if anything, because they are more divided and more desperate” (p.g44 )They were raised in this time of chaos and tragedy which provokes Auxilio’s mother instinct to look out for them.
This book has really stuck with me unlike any one we’ve read so far. The beautiful writing created a dreamlike almost hallucinatory quality that was really enticing. Overall I was completely mesmerized with Bolaños work. My question for the class is how did you feel about Auxilio’s “mental trips”? (such as to Remedios Varo’s house) What is the significance of this imaginary narrative? How did it add to the story?
Some quotes that will really stick with me that I just have to include:
“…now there’s another reoccurring and terribly Latin American nightmare: being unable to find your weapon; you know where you put it, but it’s not there” (pg. 67)
“History is like a horror story” (pg.66)
“El pueblo unido jamás será vencido” (pg.75)
“And although the song that I heard was about war, about the heroic deeds of a whole generation of Latin Americans led to sacrifice, I knew that above and beyond all, it was about courage and mirrors, desire and pleasure. And that song is our amulet.” (pg.184)