Week 11- The Book of Chameleons
The Book of Chameleons by José Eduardo Agualusa was one filled with such complexities as the revealings of truth and discovery are wrapped up in tellings of the past, present, and imagination. This book had so much going on that I was completely shocked at every revealing, I felt like I literally gasped throughout this book. I almost don’t even know where to start.
At first this story is about a man named Felix Ventura and an observational gecko. This gecko lives in the home of Felix Ventura who is a collector and dealer of second-hand books however he takes up a deal with this foreigner who he names José Buchmann in exchange for good money. Soon we discover that Borges is actually reincarnated in the body of a gecko. This is proven through the gecko’s memories as they align with his life story. In this sense, the story of Buchmann is a retelling by Borges. However, at the same time, we are deceived by Pedro Gouveia, as Jose Buchmann’s story that is portrayed by the “gecko” (Borges) is untrue. Borges reveals this by saying the story of his mother and father was untrue therefore this retelling is really about two completely different people. In the end, when the gecko (Borges) dies it seems like he is killed by his other self Pedro Gouveia. Through all these twists and turns in the story, we get to experience the effect of fiction as a means of reinventing ourselves while still being reminded that our scars are never erased and can come back to bite us one day.
Another shocking event in the story that had me puzzled was when Barata dos Reis turned out to be the man who had actually tortured Buchmann, and killed his wife Marta. I was like NO fuckin way. I was literally shocked. The whole book kinda took a turn. But as his duplicity is revealed as Ângela the long-lost daughter shoots him in the chest and kills him. This further exemplifies the theme of this book. Showing us that duplicity and doubleness as lies and deceit can only result in an inevitable outcome. Nothing can truly be hidden by dressing it up or denying and can rather make a return. The dark past is never forgotten and will catch up to you at last.
My question for this week is why did Buchmann even lie about his life? What was the need?
“Felix finds out that the story he had given José Buchmann is actually true.”
Is it? It seems to be (coming) true, but what are we told at the end?
“the foreigner turned out to be the man who had actually killed Buchmann, his wife, and his baby.”
I think you need to re-read the end more carefully… Dos Reis is not a foreigner (nor is “Buchmann,” but initially he pretends to be), and neither Buchmann not the baby are killed… the baby grows up to be Angela, who kills Dos Reis.
I know it’s a little complicated, but go back to the book, and it all does make sense! (I do also try to make it clear in my lecture.)
Also, I don’t quite understand the question: “why did Borges even lie about his life? What was the need?” Do you mean Buchmann? The gecko doesn’t lie about his life, does he?
Hi Jasmeen!
Great blog, to answer your question I think that Buchmann lies about his life because it is the very meaning of the title of the novel, A Chameleon is an animal that hides fundamental truths about personality, I think he embodies a Chameleon in human form as resembles European colonialism, and reveals himself and his atrocities later, and he plays an important role in the unraveling of the mystery surrounding Suzy.