by Laura Restrepo
I had this book for a quiet some time under my pillow. Now I do know why I did not advance despite have having a great book at hand. The book is told by different voices and just reading three pages does not get you through. To read this book, at least the first hundred pages, you need time. The time I had during my vacations on Madagascar.
To repeat the synopsis: a guy comes back from a 4-day-trip to his former family and finds his “wife” out of her mind in a hotel. He does not know what happened in these four days, but she doesn’t recognize him, she insults him, she shouts, swears …. Now he starts to investigate the past of his wife and puts previous incidents in perspective. It is not the first time that she has a nervous breakdown. Despite of revealing a sad family story, a Columbian family of recent wealth, but for these standards an old family, with horses, cotton cloth and other rare accessories for the European eye, it is more the context of the recent Columbian tragically violent history, what interested me in particular.
The story of the wife is told in pieces by Midas McAllister of modest origin according to the “cotton” bourgeoisie, and the husband, also of modest origin, but a literature professor. Midas was the class-mate of the wife and here lover for some time. She had an abortion of their love affair. As harsh as it sounds, that is not even important for the story. Midas is finally the guy, who connect the cotton bourgeoisie with the money of Pablo Escobar. Basically money laundering. What I did not know is that the Colombian old bourgeoisie actually financed Pablo Escobar at the beginning. At the end he kept them in the money making machine to keep them dependent. One of the revelations in this book.
The final showdown in the family is not that dramatic as someone thinks, but it keeps you interested until the end since you think something big will be revealed. Finally a gay son, how is not accepted by his father. And the father becomes violent.
One very interesting aspect ow to deal with a loved person going nuts. Only love and acceptance helps.
To repeat the synopsis: a guy comes back from a 4-day-trip to his former family and finds his “wife” out of her mind in a hotel. He does not know what happened in these four days, but she doesn’t recognize him, she insults him, she shouts, swears …. Now he starts to investigate the past of his wife and puts previous incidents in perspective. It is not the first time that she has a nervous breakdown. Despite of revealing a sad family story, a Columbian family of recent wealth, but for these standards an old family, with horses, cotton cloth and other rare accessories for the European eye, it is more the context of the recent Columbian tragically violent history, what interested me in particular.
The story of the wife is told in pieces by Midas McAllister of modest origin according to the “cotton” bourgeoisie, and the husband, also of modest origin, but a literature professor. Midas was the class-mate of the wife and here lover for some time. She had an abortion of their love affair. As harsh as it sounds, that is not even important for the story. Midas is finally the guy, who connect the cotton bourgeoisie with the money of Pablo Escobar. Basically money laundering. What I did not know is that the Colombian old bourgeoisie actually financed Pablo Escobar at the beginning. At the end he kept them in the money making machine to keep them dependent. One of the revelations in this book.
The final showdown in the family is not that dramatic as someone thinks, but it keeps you interested until the end since you think something big will be revealed. Finally a gay son, how is not accepted by his father. And the father becomes violent.
One very interesting aspect ow to deal with a loved person going nuts. Only love and acceptance helps.
Facts:
English title: Delirium
Original title: Delirio
Published: 2004
