21st Century Literature discussion
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The Remainder
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The Remainder - Full Book (spoilers ok)
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I'm around Ch 9 now. I fairly quickly "twigged" to the organizing structure, though (what I assume were) long flashback sequences made it harder at the beginning; essentially, there were six narrators.I'm still shocked at the child Filipe's bizarre actions. I'm a little afraid to discover an event that triggered them, though that's my biggest "question to be answered" at this point.
The child Filipe's behavior reminded me of a cousin. As a child, he was sensitive to even small frustrations, and would burst out in bizarre, almost humorous, tantrums. As an adult, he moved on to alcohol. The world Filipe grew up in, of course, was far more chaotic and stressful than my cousin's.
I think I see the link I made to Confessions Of An Argentine Dirty Warrior: A Firsthand Account Of Atrocity: The confessions come from the MEMORY of those times that continue to haunt the central character, the "warrior." The book details how the memories of both the "warrior" and many of the victims came out to paint a picture of the state atrocities that the government still refused to acknowledge.
One of the vital points Zerán makes is how the memories of the victims go on to poison the lives of the next generation as well.
Weren’t the narrator “chapter headings” interesting? I thought that was really creative. Felipe’s heading numbers get smaller as he counts down. Iquela counts mundane things around her to calm herself, as a way of escape, which may be why there aren’t any numbers in her brackets? Iquela constantly fantasizes about leaving, but never does and the brackets could symbolize the things that keep her stuck where she is. Felipe’s a fairly unsettling character, taking his power where he can wield it (against small animals, pretending to be Iquela’s friend while feeling very differently toward her in reality). It’s interesting that his grandmother asks Iquela’s mother to take him in when she can no longer deal with the “feral child”. He’s like a feral animal that may eventually settle somewhat but won’t ever be truly domesticated.
Another intriguing thing were the characters' names, and what they can mean in English:Paloma - dove
Iquela - eagle
Felipe - Supreme One
Rodolfo - wolf
Consuelo - comfort/consolation
Marc, for whatever reason, I didn't focus as much on Felipe's parts as I did Iquela and Paloma's characters. Which is weird since Felipe is half the book! I'll have to think about that a bit.Margaret, yes, the chapter headings were so interesting! What a unique way to weave the story. I really like your take on the counting of things.
The name translations are really interesting! Paloma's is the only one that throws me - she doesn't feel dove-like. I guess Consuelo doesn't feel like comfort, either, now that I think about it.
Not far in. I started cringing early in chapter 9, mention of a hungry puppy made me know something horrible would be up. By the time I got to Evaristo the bird needing to be quiet, I knew where it was heading. Unfortunately. Animal torture is something I really can't cope with in stories. Yes, I know it tells me about the character, the heaviness and depths this book is charting, but....That said, I do like the structure so far. All I can think of at this point is stagnation and a sense of being trapped.
Since Felipe is always "finding" dead people, is he actually killing them? Killers often start with animal torture.
I may need to step away from this book. Not the right book for me.
I read this a couple of months ago and thought it was very good at depicting the long-lasting trauma of brutal military dictatorships on subsequent generations.My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
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I did struggle a little with working out what was real and what was symbolic, particularly in the later parts where both Iquela and Felipe's impressions are altered by Paloma's mother's drug (presumably an opiate).
I thought Felipe's chapters are numbered in reverse order to signify a going back in time--as if to suggest the past is a constant present. Iquela's narrative is more conventional. But she peppers it with flashbacks, constantly dipping in an out of the past as if it has never left her. The narrative technique suggests the protagonists are unable to shake off the burdens of the past. They are what's left behind--"the remainders" of their parents' past activism.
Stacia wrote: "Since Felipe is always "finding" dead people, is he actually killing them? Killers often start with animal torture."Hmmm, I hadn't thought of that! There are so many dead people that that would certainly be a big twist that I didn't at all catch.
And understandable if it's not the right book for you!
Tamara, thanks for sharing your review - you say "She is haunted by her mother’s constant reminders of the past and is burdened by her mother’s refrain, “I want you to know that I do all this for you.” I'm curious what your and everyone else's impression was of Iquela's mother. Her relationship with Iquela was interesting. I think there are a lot of careers/roles that people put themselves in that have greater good to society, but can come at a cost to their relationship with their children. Whether that's long hours, travel, risks to their health/life, etc. They do it for their family, but it also has impacts.
Hugh wrote: "Why Iquela gets brackets is harder to answer, but there is a mention of parentheses late in the book."Here's the quote: " "Is that Iquela all grown up?" (her voice and then the longest silence, a parentheses that held no words.)"
Maybe Iquela sees her life as a form of silence? Invisibility?
Stacia, I shared your fear for Filipe, but after finishing the book, his experiment with the bird was the worst in the book. That was a flashback. His trauma turned inward as he grew. I like how Paloma's attitude towards drugs ("I never saw THOSE pills before, let's eat some") was forshadowed in her first appearance.
Bretnie wrote: "I'm curious what your and everyone else's impression was of Iquela's mother. ."I think she feels a lot of guilt because her political activism drew her focus away from Iquela while she was growing up. So it's as if she tries to justify her actions by constantly telling herself and telling Iquela that she did it all for Iquela. It's her way of saying, "Look at how much I sacrificed for you." That is an unfair burden to put on any child.
Aargh! the Algorithm is watching what I read! Another review showed up on its own. This reviewer is buzzed by the queerness, which doesn't seem that vital to me. He DOES give some insight into how the difference between "natives " such as Iquela and "escapees" like Paloma shows up in their language. https://theadroitjournal.org/2019/12/...
Is this the "core" of Filipe's obsession with the dead?Iquela says, in chapter 4...
The mistake had been my father's (Rodolfo's, victor's: Victor had made a mistake), for muttering two little words when they captured him two words that, like a mistranslation, a slip of the tongue, changed everything. He'd said, 'Felipe Arrabal': name and surname, two words to erase a body. But Felipe didn't know that ...
...so Filipe is officially dead; when he's picked up as a vagrant (with the dog), they don't believe him when he gives his name.
If I were a bit of a weird kid and my best friend's dad had been picked up and executed using my name, I might start counting dead bodies too. Caught in the undertow indeed.
Mark, the distinction between people who escaped vs people who stayed/couldn't leave is really interesting, and definitely shaped the relationships in the book. And gave Iquela and Paloma different desires to either get out or find a place to settle.Interesting take on Filipe being dead... A bit of The Sixth Sense?
One of the things I struggled with in the book was Felipe's obsession with the deaths and births being balanced. I think I'm grasping at the meaning behind that and not coming up with the right interpretation. I want to tie it to the violence the country experienced, and the lives lost, but it's not coming together for me.Do you guys have thoughts on what that "balance" is getting at?
Was anyone else a little thrown in the beginning about who our narrators were with the alternating numbered and ( ) chapters? What were your initial impressions as the characters unfolded?