Santiago Gamboa, Night Prayers. Howard Curtis, translator. Europa Editions, 2012/2016.
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This is the first book that I’ve read by Gamboa, whose publishing career began about the same time as my favorite current Colombian author, Juan Gabriel Vásquez, whose work, any of it, I strongly recommend. Night Prayers is structured as a piece of detective fiction, or the detective element of the novel gives the story its impetus: it could be subtitled “Search for Manuel and Search for Juana” or “Search for the Brother and Search for the Sister.” The novel takes place in the first decade or so of the century, from before Alvaro Uribe became president of Colombia to the years after, and, among the many things that the novel does, it is a condemnation of Uribe’s presidency and all whom supported or facilitated the regime’s corruption, violence, and death-dealing. The novel is set in Colombia, Bangkok, Delhi, Tokyo, and Tehran, and the story is told primarily from the perspective of an unnamed Colombian diplomatic consul stationed in Delhi who is also a published author. Part of the time, the consul is telling his own story–narrating his own experiences–and part of the time he is simply the ear/the scribe for Manuel to tell his story and Juana to tell her’s. At regular intervals, the book also has chapters titled “Inter-Neta’s Monologues,” which seem to function as a kind of chorus to book’s narrative, although the relevance to the action is often obscure as is the identity of Inter-Neta (more on this later). The book is broken up into three sections and an epilogue: the first is Manuel’s story, the second is Juana’s story, the third and epilogue are the tragic ending. Although the novel is awash in alcohol and drugs, mostly cocaine, it is not focused on the cartels.
Santiago Gamboa, Night Prayers. Howard Curtis, translator. Europa Editions, 2012/2016.
Santiago Gamboa, Night Prayers. Howard…
Santiago Gamboa, Night Prayers. Howard Curtis, translator. Europa Editions, 2012/2016.
This is the first book that I’ve read by Gamboa, whose publishing career began about the same time as my favorite current Colombian author, Juan Gabriel Vásquez, whose work, any of it, I strongly recommend. Night Prayers is structured as a piece of detective fiction, or the detective element of the novel gives the story its impetus: it could be subtitled “Search for Manuel and Search for Juana” or “Search for the Brother and Search for the Sister.” The novel takes place in the first decade or so of the century, from before Alvaro Uribe became president of Colombia to the years after, and, among the many things that the novel does, it is a condemnation of Uribe’s presidency and all whom supported or facilitated the regime’s corruption, violence, and death-dealing. The novel is set in Colombia, Bangkok, Delhi, Tokyo, and Tehran, and the story is told primarily from the perspective of an unnamed Colombian diplomatic consul stationed in Delhi who is also a published author. Part of the time, the consul is telling his own story–narrating his own experiences–and part of the time he is simply the ear/the scribe for Manuel to tell his story and Juana to tell her’s. At regular intervals, the book also has chapters titled “Inter-Neta’s Monologues,” which seem to function as a kind of chorus to book’s narrative, although the relevance to the action is often obscure as is the identity of Inter-Neta (more on this later). The book is broken up into three sections and an epilogue: the first is Manuel’s story, the second is Juana’s story, the third and epilogue are the tragic ending. Although the novel is awash in alcohol and drugs, mostly cocaine, it is not focused on the cartels.