Review: “The Death of Fidel Pérez” by Elizabeth Huergo
Among the tasks that we have entrusted, is to promote the artistic talents of the area in their different disciplines. This time we are pleased to review the work of a local novelist.
“The Death of Fidel Pérez“ follows the intermingling narratives of three characters after Fidel Pérez falls off his balcony in Havana, Cuba. Each character – poor Saturnina, bicycle-cab driver Justicio, and Professor Pedro Valle – brings their unique past experiences to the story, which revolves around how Fidel’s fall affects these three strangers in different ways. Saturnina believes that Fidel’s fall is the harbinger that her dead son is returning home to her. He was killed for his opposition to the brutal Batista dictatorship that ruled Cuba until the 1959 revolution, but poor Saturnina is in denial about her son’s death. Justicio is greatly affected by his chance meetings with Pedro, as he reflects on his life throughout the story. Fidel Peréz’s death brings back traumatic memories for Pedro, such as the disappearance of his friend, Mario, and the time that he himself was tortured by the Batista soldiers.
Huergo infuses elements of magical realism, common in Latin American literature, into the novel. Pedro, who may be suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, mixes his current life with his past during Fidel Castro’s overthrow of Batista. He confuses his late friend Mario with Justicio. Mario, who was murdered by the Batista regime, appears to Pedro and has conversations with him as if he were still alive, while simultaneously talking to Justicio. This clash between the past and present and the living and dead exemplifies the inner turmoil of this protagonist. Pedro’s struggle also symbolizes the struggle for a Cuban identity; Cuba has had what some may deem a difficult political history, especially in the 20th Century.
“The Death of Fidel Pérez” brings a lot to the conversation about how political division affects people’s emotions. Huergo intertwines political messages in her characters’ stories. She portrays the psychological effects that torture and isolation can have on a man, how families separate and parents lose their children, and how an entire community can come together against their oppressive government. The readers empathize with Huergo’s characters as she takes them on her characters’ journeys. Whether or not you agree with the politics of Cuba, this book speaks to readers’ basic human emotions.
– Cathleen Alarcón
Recent Stories
