The Feast of the Goat: A Novel by Mario Vargas Llosa
This was the first book in February's installment of the 2012 Reading Project. I chose this book because it was mentioned in The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao. Also, though no fault of my own, I know next to nothing about the Dominican Republic. It wasn't something I chose to learn about in school and the history of the island nation was waiting to be discovered. The Feast of the Goat is dense and filled with postmodern structure. Llosa interlaces dialogue from one era to another, so keeping track of who is talking as well as when they are talking can be a challenge. It is an interesting way to have a novel keep a very dreamy sense of reality. Reading this book was like buying a pair of shoes where one is slightly taller than the other. At the outside everything seems normal, examined closer everything is a disaster.
I feel it is important to note that this book compares the rape of a child to the rule of a country by a dictator. Rafael Trujillo was a terrible man. Human rights were nonexistent during his rule of the Dominican Republic. The country suffered deep and strict sanctions after Trujillo attempted to overthrow Rómulo Betancourt. The comparison between that and the rape of a child is apt. The country he claimed to love suffered greatly and for a long time. I realize at the outset that the comparison may be difficult to swallow. However, due to the amazing craftsmanship of Llosa it doesn't feel overwrought. It is also important to note that this book is extraordinarily dense. It may give the impression that it is of average length, but it took me twice as long to read it.
Next, I'm moving onto the second book in February's installment of the 2012 Reading Project. In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez. I have been avoiding a discussion of the Mirabal sisters and how their death brought down Trujillo until I read this book. Butterflies is a specific examination of this topic by a master author. I have a feeling I'm going to really like this book. Also, this book is part of the NEA's Big Read project. I stumbled upon that website a few months ago and wanted to get it some attention. Big Read books are a great way to get introduced to some classics, and to some books that may have slipped past quietly in the night.
This was the first book in February's installment of the 2012 Reading Project. I chose this book because it was mentioned in The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao. Also, though no fault of my own, I know next to nothing about the Dominican Republic. It wasn't something I chose to learn about in school and the history of the island nation was waiting to be discovered. The Feast of the Goat is dense and filled with postmodern structure. Llosa interlaces dialogue from one era to another, so keeping track of who is talking as well as when they are talking can be a challenge. It is an interesting way to have a novel keep a very dreamy sense of reality. Reading this book was like buying a pair of shoes where one is slightly taller than the other. At the outside everything seems normal, examined closer everything is a disaster.
I feel it is important to note that this book compares the rape of a child to the rule of a country by a dictator. Rafael Trujillo was a terrible man. Human rights were nonexistent during his rule of the Dominican Republic. The country suffered deep and strict sanctions after Trujillo attempted to overthrow Rómulo Betancourt. The comparison between that and the rape of a child is apt. The country he claimed to love suffered greatly and for a long time. I realize at the outset that the comparison may be difficult to swallow. However, due to the amazing craftsmanship of Llosa it doesn't feel overwrought. It is also important to note that this book is extraordinarily dense. It may give the impression that it is of average length, but it took me twice as long to read it.
Next, I'm moving onto the second book in February's installment of the 2012 Reading Project. In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez. I have been avoiding a discussion of the Mirabal sisters and how their death brought down Trujillo until I read this book. Butterflies is a specific examination of this topic by a master author. I have a feeling I'm going to really like this book. Also, this book is part of the NEA's Big Read project. I stumbled upon that website a few months ago and wanted to get it some attention. Big Read books are a great way to get introduced to some classics, and to some books that may have slipped past quietly in the night.
No comments:
Post a Comment