Tag Archives: death

‘The Book of Chameleons’ — José Eduardo Agualusa

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The Book of Chameleons by José Eduardo Agualusa is beautiful and unique to read. The book was also very dreamy and it seemed like I didn’t know what was true and what was a lie or dream throughout the book. We follow the gecko’s point of view back and forth between reality, dreams, and the past.

The narrator of this novel is very interesting, his name is Eulálio, who reincarnated into a gecko. However, he still has the memory is man, and can think and observe what happens around him. Eulálio had always lived in Felix Ventura’s house, who is an albino.  Felix Ventura’s work is what I found most interesting in this book. He is a genealogist who makes up a new identity and family tree for people who have money and status but don’t have a good past. “He provides them with photographs of their grandparents and great-grandparents, gentlemen of elegant bearing and old-fashioned ladies”. (p.25)

Reading up here, Felix Ventura’s job makes me wonder, is it possible for people themselves to accept a brand new identity and get used to it? In the next scene, my question was answered. The foreigner came to Felix for a brand new identity, and he was given the name of José Buchmann and his Angolan identity. “Perhaps it’s like you see with a chrysalis, and the secret buzz of enzymes has been eating away at his organs.” ( p.63) Does a beautiful butterfly remember that it was once a small chrysalis? Why is this foreigner able to sooo easily adapt and embrace a new identity within a few months? I believe the novel also gives us an answer:  “Reality is painful and imperfect, and that’s just the way it is, that’s how we distinguish it from dreams.” (p. 94)  Similarly for us, if our past reality is ambiguous and painful, it is easier to replace and change.

In addition to the theme of dreams, truth and lies, the character Angela Lucia also adds romantic elements to this novel. She has a past she doesn’t want to talk about, but she has a future to pursue. Eulálio’s series of dreams was also fascinating. In these dreams, she was able to communicate with Felix, like a real man. This added the elements of fantasy and a more dreamy style to the novel. 

Moreover, this novel was set on Angola, and before reading this novel, I knew almost nothing about it. After finishing reading, when I searched and learned about the background of Angola, I realized how many painful memories of colonization and wars have brought to the people of Angola. Perhaps it is important it is for them to weave a false but beautiful past.  While the novel did not discuss much about Angola and war, the existence of Edmundo Barata dos Reis uncovered a real history of civil war, and the death of innocent children.

“Truth has a habit of being ambiguous too” (p 122). Referring to the title of this novel “ chameleon”, who changes itself into their surroundings to get closer to their prey. What do you think this reflects about human life? Do we hide our identity for our benefits?

$$$ To Burn—Ricardo Piglia

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This week’s reading was the novel Money to Burn by Ricardo Piglia. To be honest, I can’t say I enjoyed reading the overall plot due to the violence, sexuality, drugs, and gang life embedded in it. However, I do enjoy the narrative techniques and the underlying ironic themes of inequality within the system and injustice. 

The story begins surrounding the main characters, Malito the boss; Dorda, who is heavy and quiet with a ruddy face; and Brignone, who has thin and black hair. They were called twins because of their similar looks, and they committed crimes together, but in reality, their relationship was much more than brotherhood.  Dorda and Bridgnone, with twelve other men, are a gang, and they commit a bank robbery and go on the run with millions of pesos. In this part (pg. 30-34) I love how Ricardo Piglia chose first to explore the bank clerk Martinez Tobar, who was tempted to steal the money due to his family condition and his daughter’s illness. Ironically, the next scene that happened was the robbery scene by the gang. I find this as a way of foreshadowing that something to happen next, but also gives the reader to context of social class and poverty. After escaping with the money, Piglia gave me two perspectives: the police, and the criminals’ hideout. In between, there is a lot of drug and sexual content involved, giving a different theme to this novel. In the world of gangs and crime, there is not only money and violence but also love. 

There was also another scene that was a highlight for me. On page 168, Malito’s gang was setting five million pesos on fire. ‘ they are evil to the core, bad from the innards out, mere animals,” (p169). There didn’t seem to be much agitation for the crowd until they burned the money. “The idea got out that money is innocent, even when acquired as a consequence of death and crime” (p.170). When they burned the money, the anger of the crowd rose. It seemed that their act of robbery was not such a great sin, but their careless attitude toward the money was completely violating social norms and unethical. 

Other than the reflection on money and robbery, the love between Gauch and Kid was also depicted in detail. In the last scenes when the injured twins are surrounded by the police, they still care for each other. “His back against the broken bedhead, embracing the Kid as if he were cradling a toy doll in his arms” (p.212). In such a criminal novel, embedding the soft emotions between two men was contrasting with the rest of the book, but also beautiful. 

My question for everyone: the epigraph of the novel wrote “After all, what is robbing a bank compared to founding one?- Bertolt Brecht “ I believe the novel suggests that society’ has double standards about crimes. What do you think about this quote and its relationship with the novel,  why is one a crime but not the other?

The Hour of the Starrrr – Clarice Lispector

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 The Hour of the Star by Clarice Lispector is the shortest novella I’ve read, and I thought it was unique, but also somewhat strange. In this story, there are two narrative storylines, the first line is the narration from Rodrigo S.M.’s point of view. Rodrigo S.M. is a male writer who seems to be bored with life and struggles internally. “I am absolutely tired of literature; only muteness keeps me company. If I still write it’s because I have nothing better to do in the world while I wait for death” (p.56). It seems that in this world he can’t find agency, but he can when he is writing literature. He feels like a God who can control the images and lives of his characters and is omniscient. 

The character he chooses to write, the second storyline, is a poor girl Macabea. Macabeia was born in a remote town and later came to Rio de Janeiro. She was portrayed as a sickly, ugly, woman who was so poor that she could only eat hot dogs. Despite her pitiful life, Macabea never seems to be very disappointed or bothered by her life.

 “That girl didn’t know she was what she was, just as a dog doesn’t know it’s a dog. So she didn’t feel unhappy. The only thing she wanted was to live.” 

She is naïve and mentally free from anxiety. She doesn’t go overboard with coveting and thinking about things that are out of her range, such as God, makeup, or even spaghetti. It seems that Clarice Lispector’s message is that is knowing or seeing more about life really better for you? Macabea knows less, she feels content, and that’s probably why she’s so happy. I wonder if the reason why Rodrigo S.M. depicts Macabea in this way is because he is tormented and can’t stop thinking about the soul and death, and that a character like Macabea is very much in contrast to him.

Later in the story, Macabea meets Olímpio de Jesus, a metal worker and she loves him so much. However, Olympic betrayed her, which added another layer of sorrow to her heartbroken life. The helpless Makabeya turns to tarot cards, which give her some courage to look forward to the future: she will marry a blonde foreigner. Ironically, she was struck by an oncoming car right after she steps out. In the moment nearing death, she has a hallucinatory “star moment” occurs, and all humility is sublimated into splendour. I wonder if Rodrigo S.M. thinks that death is a relief for Macabea and he is rescuing him, or if this death is what he desires but has no courage to do so?

 In this novella, Clarice Lispector chooses to have two storylines, and I believe that both characteristics of Rodrigo S.M. and Macabea have personal meaning for her. My question is, Rodrigo S.M. and Macabea, who is more of the epitome of Clarice Lispector; or do these three characters overlap with each other?

Week 4 A Woman’s Journey of Acceptance – Maria Luisa Bombal

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The Shrouded Woman was the most enjoyable and reflective novel for me to read so far. The main character, Ana-Maria, is dead due to disease, but she amazingly still sees everything around her. She lies in her casket and sees people come to see her (for the last time), who once gave her sorrow and joy, provided her with the reflection on her vistaless marriages, the illusion of flawless love, and unpacked the secret of love and entanglement after death. 

This book is unique in that it is told from the first-person perspective of a woman who has passed away and looks back at points in her life. At the same time, there seems to have been a third human voice guiding her subjectively. This may have been her inner voice, or it may have belonged to spiritual guidance. The biggest feelings I got from this book were SORROW and REGRET, and that’s probably why Ana Maria was able to see everything that happened even after she died, to seek acceptance. Death acceptance requires finding personal meaning, and the source of meaning can come from life review, which is the return of memories and past conflicts.

“The woman in the shroud did not feel the slightest desire to rise again; she would at last be able to rest, to die.” (p. 259) Perhaps “God” also recognizes her tragic life, and this may allow her to let go of her regrets and die in peace.

“Why, oh why must a woman’s nature be such that a man has always been the pivot of her life?” (226) For me, Ana’s life is pathetic because she had always been trapped in tedious relationships with various men. Ricardo, for example, seemed to cause Ana to be emotionally “dead” at an early age. Ricardo’s departure tore Ana-Maria’s heart. Ironically, however, when Ricardo visits Ana Maria after she is dead, she realizes that Ricardo might never have completely emotionally left her. As Ana questions, “Must we die to know certain things?” (176). It’s a philosophical question; when people die, they leave behind all the hate and resentment, which allows them to see from a new perspective. If Ana was still alive, would still have the same reflections if she realized Ricardo had never left her entirely? Or do regrets and forgiveness come only after the end of life? Similarly, another tragedy is her relationship with Antonio. Her whole life is dedicated to pleasing him, but he never seems to love her. 

One question I have is about the deaths of women in this novel. In addition to Ana’s death, the deaths of the two other women in the story are also tragic. Silvia and Inés, who also died by suicide, symbolize despair toward life. I wonder how the reflection on life would have been different if Ana had chosen suicide rather than dying of sickness. Would she have been more regretful about herself and Ricardo, or more proud of her bravery and autonomy?

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