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A review by thatotherjlo
The Daughter of Doctor Moreau by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
A thoughtful reimagining of Wells' story, set against the background of the Caste War in late-nineteenth-century Yucatán -- such a brilliant choice of context by Moreno-Garcia, which allows her to overtly explore the colonialism that would have shaped Wells' worldview and through which so much of our "modern" science was developed. I really appreciated the way in which Moreno-Garcia uses this white, French Dr. Moreau's treatment of indigenous people and local fauna to profit off the land (the hybrids are created to be laborers in the fields, in the aftermath of the abolition of slavery in Mexico) to examine the intersection of race, colonialism, and capitalism in turn-of-the-century Latin America.
I am not generally a fan of sci-fi (admittedly, this one was fairly light on the "science" end), but I do enjoy Moreno-Garcia's world-building and ability to weave historical context into her storytelling. Her social and historical commentary was the most compelling element of the novel, and I found the extensive use of religious symbolism intriguing, as Dr. Moreau often took on the role of God, Carlota (the eponymous daughter of Dr. Moreau) the role of Eve, and Yaxaktun (the hacienda where they live) the role of the Garden of Eden. This was especially thought-provoking as the characters' relationships with religion evolved over the course of the novel.
I was underwhelmed by the character building and development, however. Most of the characters felt flat or underexamined, which was especially true for the hybrids. Given Moreno-Garcia's angle on this story, I would have expected (and loved) to see greater attention paid to their stories and experiences, which we only really see through Lupe. Meanwhile, Carlota's growth throughout the novel is inconsistent -- this may have to do with the six-year time jump, which I don't think was used to best effect, but I also suspect it has to do with Moreno-Garcia's objectives for her. Carlota is presented as extraordinarily sweet and innocent throughout (more on that in a bit), likely to subvert stereotypes or expectations upon the reveal that she is a hybrid, but I think the attempt to make her seem so mild and normal (meant to highlight the "twist") just made her uninteresting.
Moreover, Carlota's naïveté around how the Lizaldes will treat her after the reveal -- her belief that she can deal or negotiate with them on behalf of the hybrids, even after they learn that she is one, too -- was grating in the context of her being a dark-skinned, mixed-race woman raised in a colorist, colonialist, and patriarchal region and household. Carlota has experienced prejudice and discrimination before, as seen in the novel, so it felt strange for her to so thoroughly fail to see how her status had changed in the eyes of the Lizaldes.
Despite these issues in characterization, The Daughter of Doctor Moreau is a relaxing read that showcases Moreno-Garcia's lush world-building skills.
I am not generally a fan of sci-fi (admittedly, this one was fairly light on the "science" end), but I do enjoy Moreno-Garcia's world-building and ability to weave historical context into her storytelling. Her social and historical commentary was the most compelling element of the novel, and I found the extensive use of religious symbolism intriguing, as Dr. Moreau often took on the role of God, Carlota (the eponymous daughter of Dr. Moreau) the role of Eve, and Yaxaktun (the hacienda where they live) the role of the Garden of Eden. This was especially thought-provoking as the characters' relationships with religion evolved over the course of the novel.
I was underwhelmed by the character building and development, however. Most of the characters felt flat or underexamined, which was especially true for the hybrids. Given Moreno-Garcia's angle on this story, I would have expected (and loved) to see greater attention paid to their stories and experiences, which we only really see through Lupe. Meanwhile, Carlota's growth throughout the novel is inconsistent -- this may have to do with the six-year time jump, which I don't think was used to best effect, but I also suspect it has to do with Moreno-Garcia's objectives for her.
Moreover, Carlota's naïveté around how the Lizaldes will treat her after the reveal -- her belief that she can deal or negotiate with them on behalf of the hybrids, even after they learn that she is one, too -- was grating in the context of her being a dark-skinned, mixed-race woman raised in a colorist, colonialist, and patriarchal region and household. Carlota has experienced prejudice and discrimination before, as seen in the novel, so it felt strange for her to so thoroughly fail to see how her status had changed in the eyes of the Lizaldes.
Despite these issues in characterization, The Daughter of Doctor Moreau is a relaxing read that showcases Moreno-Garcia's lush world-building skills.