Fernanda Melchor

According to the author's note this is more creative nonfiction (a sort of personal journalism, focusing on individual experiences) but the LCSH lists it under fiction, so as a collection of short stories I guess it might qualify as both. The stories do take place in and around Veracruz, Mexico (1970s-2000s) and are based on or inspired by real events. Originally published as a book in 2013 (in Spanish) with most stories written/published online between 2002-2011.

little free library copy.… (més)

It's hard to know how to rate this - vacillating between 3 and 4 stars because so much of it just about horrific stuff It does a really great job of conveying the horrific stuff! But you know. The story is told in third person but through the point of view of Polo, a 16 year old school drop out who's poor, working a shit job in a gated community, and who's full of hate and anger. Mostly misogynist. A lot of the first quarter of the story is just misogyny - the awfulness of the rich when you're poor but told through the incredibly misogynistic and sex obsessed lens of Polo and his not-friend Franco (who is almost always referred to as fatboy), who is himself completely obsessed (in the stereotypical basement dwelling neckbeard way - he even has the Cheeto dust covered hands) with a woman who lives nearby. This is the main driver of the plot.

Lots of time is spent building up the atmosphere and life - Franco using Polo to get alcohol and the two of them getting absolutely wasted every day, the endless insatiable nature of Franco's obsession which builds and builds, the tediousness of Polo's job and shitty living conditions, the desperate hate against everyone and drive to have Something happen while finding no joy anywhere, just the slight numbness of alcohol. Everyone except the rich families of the gated community live lives full of violence and with the constant shadow of the drug cartels (constantly referred to as Them) being both the only route out and a constant threat that can destroy whatever you try and build.

The book is mostly formed of long long run on sentences where there's constant commas where you'd expect full stops - a whole series of impressions and thoughts and images and feelings. It's difficult staying in the mind of a hateful misogynist for so long but it's written so well.

The violence in the book that it builds up to is also handled in a completely anti cathartic way that feels very appropriate and well done. The fantasies give way to violence just being another routine thing, something else to drown out, with no conclusion.

For trigger warning type stuff... There's a lot of violent misogynist thoughts, rape, murder, physical abuse, implied child sexual abuse, incest, torture... It's definitely not a book I'd recommend going into unless you're prepared for a lot… (més)