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A review by aegagrus
Pedro Páramo by Juan Rulfo
3.25
[re-read for class, not a full review]
Rulfo's sparse prose and magical realism are gripping and compelling, but a substantial part of their appeal is in their ambiguity. Once the story develops to a point at which the reader understands the rules of the world in which we're operating, the novel loses steam, in part because it is no longer as ambiguous. At heart this is a collection of stories and memories lived by different people at different times, and some are more compelling than others. Fr. Rentería is particularly compelling and interesting, in part because his story implicates the broader themes drawing the novel together in a quite nuanced way. Other stories and characters feel somewhat more peripheral.
Rulfo's sparse prose and magical realism are gripping and compelling, but a substantial part of their appeal is in their ambiguity. Once the story develops to a point at which the reader understands the rules of the world in which we're operating, the novel loses steam, in part because it is no longer as ambiguous. At heart this is a collection of stories and memories lived by different people at different times, and some are more compelling than others. Fr. Rentería is particularly compelling and interesting, in part because his story implicates the broader themes drawing the novel together in a quite nuanced way. Other stories and characters feel somewhat more peripheral.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Grief, Incest, Mental illness, Murder, Rape, and Suicide