The Tortilla Curtain in WACKY READING CHALLENGES

Jul 31, 2015 Book Concierge rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary-fiction, audio, nature, racism, tragedy, concierge, library, social-commentary

Audiobook performed by the author

Two Mexicans – America and Candido Rincon – are barely surviving in a makeshift camp in the canyons on the outskirts of Los Angeles. In contrast, Kyra and Delaney Mossbacher live in a gated community at the top of Topanga Canyon; he writes environmental articles, and she is an aggressive realtor. A freak accident connects these two couples.

I confess this went in a direction I wasn’t expecting. Somehow I thought there would be much more connection between the coup Audiobook performed by the author

Two Mexicans – America and Candido Rincon – are barely surviving in a makeshift camp in the canyons on the outskirts of Los Angeles. In contrast, Kyra and Delaney Mossbacher live in a gated community at the top of Topanga Canyon; he writes environmental articles, and she is an aggressive realtor. A freak accident connects these two couples.

I confess this went in a direction I wasn’t expecting. Somehow I thought there would be much more connection between the couples, instead I got two almost parallel story lines, which occasionally touched. I was initially quite sympathetic to the plight of Candido and America, but midway through lost much of my sympathy for them, only to regain it at the very end. It’s hard to look directly in the face of such abject poverty, such desperation, and not feel some impulse to help.

I never connected with Kyra. Boyle didn’t give us much beside a driven, career-minded woman who would step on anyone without so much as a glance in order to succeed. Her single-mindedness and narrow focus made me want to shake her.

Delaney was somewhat more sympathetic, until he began to rant towards the end. At first, I really thought he would find a way to help the Rincons, but it became clear quite quickly that he was only concerned about the inconvenience the accident presented. His only mission, it seemed, was to preserve the natural environment for his own use – so he could hike in peace through the hills observing nature (but God forbid, a coyote would come into his yard!). He became a sort of caricature. His total disregard of specific evidence in the closing chapters made me afraid for both the Rincons and for Delaney, himself.

In the end I’m puzzled as to what Boyle was trying to achieve. There are so many themes here from the abuse of the environment for the sake of development, to the harsh realities of immigrants’ lives (the abject poverty and subsistence living, their naiveté and the ease with which they are taken advantage of, their total powerlessness), to the resilience of the human spirit, to the obsessive desire to wall out anyone who is different. There’s much to think about, and it remains current and topical 20 years after it was first published.

T C Boyle narrates the audio book and does a credible job. He has good pacing and is particularly good when a character is expressing outrage or frustration. His Spanish pronunciation is accurate, as well. I did find his voice a little nasal and flat – especially when voicing the Mexicans. That’s really a small quibble, though.
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