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A review by jamgrl
Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Some of the members of my book club mentioned they weren’t so sure about the main character, Noemí, because of her vanity, particularly at the beginning of the book. This surprised me because I LOVE a vain protagonist 😂 (does this say something about me?) and I think Noemí’s character perfectly encapsulates a rich young woman who rebels against expectations through doing what she wants- dressing up and stringing along men she doesn’t want to marry and daring to care about her academic pursuits just as much as her beautiful dresses. (And I love her.) So what happens when you take this cosmopolitan woman out of Mexico City and send her to a crumbling gothic mansion in the rural mountains to find out what has gone wrong with her cousin’s fairy tale ending- and to uncover the secrets of this (“Aryan”) British family descendant from once powerful mine-owners (for whom her mixed indigenous and white heritage is a matter of interest and scrutiny).
This book grapples with colonialism and the ghosts it has left behind, both through its physical remnants and through the persistence of its ideas. It grapples with patriarchy and eugenics, and class and wealth- and how those interact with race and heritage- all weaved into the vivid gothic imagery and fantastical horror of the story. It is unsettling and scary and it is intelligent and incisive.
Some people have claimed this book is not “Mexican” enough- I find this critique very odd, especially since the inspiration for the book was very specifically Moreno-Garcia’s experience with British colonial remnants in Mexico- this book is about colonialism rooted in a specific context, what makes that not Mexican enough? If you have read or are interested in reading this book, check out the book club kit by Random House Books for some really interesting insight into the inspiration of this book from the author (plus discussion questions and paper dolls)!
This one was 5 stars for me!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This book grapples with colonialism and the ghosts it has left behind, both through its physical remnants and through the persistence of its ideas. It grapples with patriarchy and eugenics, and class and wealth- and how those interact with race and heritage- all weaved into the vivid gothic imagery and fantastical horror of the story. It is unsettling and scary and it is intelligent and incisive.
Some people have claimed this book is not “Mexican” enough- I find this critique very odd, especially since the inspiration for the book was very specifically Moreno-Garcia’s experience with British colonial remnants in Mexico- this book is about colonialism rooted in a specific context, what makes that not Mexican enough? If you have read or are interested in reading this book, check out the book club kit by Random House Books for some really interesting insight into the inspiration of this book from the author (plus discussion questions and paper dolls)!
This one was 5 stars for me!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️