Cristina Rivera Garza’s The Taiga Syndrome was an eye-catching read, to say the least. It was adventurous and mysterious, while also difficult to understand what was going on at times. Simultaneously, the book also had some really resonating quotes that not only intensified the plot of the story, but also made me think—in more abstract terms—about life and our world.
To characterize both the beginning and ending of the story, each ends of the book were mysterious, in I had a strong yearning for more clarification. The very abstract quote written on the telegram, “’WHAT ARE WE LETTING IN WHEN WE SAY GOODBYE?’” was just the beginning of this growing curiosity. I questioned, “who exactly was this man, who hired the detective (our narrator)” and “who exactly is our narrator?” (p. 5). I just wanted to know more about the context—the place, people, and exact situation of the investigation—for my own sense of security. With the lack of this, I think I felt quite lost; I was questioning every advancement I made throughout the book, with a sense of excitement that came from the false hope that all my questions would be answered in a blockbuster ending.
This ‘blockbuster ending’ never occurred. However, the ending still gave me some chills. First of all, I wonder what exactly the ending of the story is. Does the book come to a proper closure? “At the foot of a volcano” (p. 119) is what left me an additional influx of questions. At first, I thought I was overthinking, but after going through the lecture, I think I was going towards the right direction with this book.
“This story that almost literally has no end is not only a fairy tale awry, but also a detective story whose poetics of failure point to the end of sovereignty without obviously establishing any alternatives. We can no longer even escape to the vanishing woods” (Rivera Garza Lecture, p. 1).
Like what Professor Jon stated, I also thought the book “almost literally has no end” (Rivera Garza Lecture, p. 1). In a literal sense, the quest to the Taiga forest the begun at the start of the book did come to an end, albeit a failed one. However, although I’m not sure exactly why, I keep getting a sense that there is something more left to the book; and Professor Jon’s quote—“Had his first wife really “died in an accident, years ago” as he is rather too quick to tell the narrator (15)? Is the detective missing the real case, right under her nose?”—added to this feeling (Rivera Garza Lecture, p.7).
Question: Personally, do you think the story came to a proper closure? Why do you think so? What makes a proper ‘ending’?
Both the first wife and the second, in their relationship with the husband remain a mystery. Not only do many questions remain open, but the clues we have followed do not seem to give us a concrete direction either. And if they are not in the words of the book… are they found elsewhere? What is the function of music, for example? Is there a “message” or is it just ambient noise?
Hi Daniel,
I completely agree with you about The Taiga Syndrome being an eye-catching read. It was adventurous and mysterious, although at times, it was difficult to fully understand what was happening.
As for your question about whether the story came to a proper closure, I am also unsure. While the quest to the Taiga forest may have come to an end, albeit a failed one, there seems to be a lingering sense of mystery and unanswered questions. I think a proper ending is one that provides a satisfying resolution to the story’s main conflicts and themes, but also leaves room for interpretation and reflection. In the case of The Taiga Syndrome, the open-ended nature of the ending adds to the overall enigmatic and thought-provoking tone of the book.
Hello! Thank you for your really insightful post this week! I totally agree with you that the story from the very beginning brings out an eerie curiosity from the point of view of the year as many details seem so laid out yet we are still left with so many questions. I think your take on this theme throughout the book was very interesting and awesome to hear! To answer your question, personally, I don’t really think it came to a so-called “proper close”. I guess to me, generally when finishing a story, most of the loose ends are tied up, leaving me feeling satisfied to have most of my questions answered. However, in this book, I felt similar to you in that there was still so much I felt I didn’t know and found myself curious as to what those missing pieces were. Anyways, thanks again for the great post!