1 July 2019
EXCERPT — read the rest at
Full Stop Magazine by
clicking on the book cover
The sea here, of the earth and of Luisa’s mind, does not stray from what it often represents in other stories—the unknown, the sublime, the indifference of nature to paltry human problems, the beauty and power of metamorphosis, adventure, etc. This is not to say the primary settings of the novel of 1988 Mexico City and Zipolite are lacking their own pelagic qualities in the story. As the title might indicate, Aridjis writes of a world where the influence of sea monsters is not limited to their movements through bodies of water like the Pacific Ocean or the Mediterranean Sea. Sea monsters, especially the way Luisa thinks about them, are more of a lens for understanding the world; most importantly, they are indicative of shipwrecks.
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