Memorias prematuras (Premature Memories) by Rafael GumucioA descendent of the political left, Gumucio found himself exiled from his own country, Chile. This, his first novel, charts his experiences abroad as a coming-to-age story of his place of birth viewed from afar.
What I think makes the whole thing effective is that it is narrated from the point of view of a child. Gumucio is not really evoking but almost transmitting his experiences, or 'recording' them, from the very instant.
The character aspires to be a 'genius' within a world lacking in culture, but his own limitations counterabalance against that, which leads to feelings of impotence and self-loathing.
And the novel's frequent shift to adulthood gives it a sense of reflexivity that sheds light on these 'premature memories'.
A very entertaining read and suitable for any kindred spirit who lives in Chile and has felt distanced by the country's disparity and class system.
-------------------------------
I copy and pasted this from my GoodReads account so that I can get all the procrastination out of my fucking system and to finally focus on my essay!
No comments:
Post a Comment