A review by theskyboi
The Town of Babylon, by Alejandro Varela
challenging
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Every once in a while, you get lucky enough to find an author who so effortlessly writes the exact same way you think, and I was fortunate enough to bump into Alejandro Varela's debut novel. From its premise alone, The Town of Babylon seems like quite a simple, human tale of strolling down roads with memories best left unexamined, but Varela's prose manages to tackle the mundane and the emotional through a lens of public health that adds as much nuance as it does sincerity.
Through a fairly character-driven story with flawed humans just trying their best, this novel follows Andrés as he reluctantly agrees to reconnect with his high school classmates at the most recent reunion. Amid old flames, past bullies, and gossip about some absent classmates, Andrés finds himself drowning his anxieties in alcohol and regret. Overall, a vulnerable narrator yet guarded protagonist is at the helm of the main plot line.
As stated before, public health plays a huge role in this book's style. From mortality and mental health to sociocultural stressors and public transportation, Varela manages to weave together the quotidian with the philosophical and scientific. As Andrés revisits his childhood town, he glimpses into the lives of others in such an earnest way that captures the essence of what it means to integrate the past into our evolving sense of self.
Never have I read a work of fiction that so blatantly tapped into my worldview, inviting me to stay a while in the thoughts of its protagonist. Even in the moments where I felt my heart thumping at the choices Andrés made, I felt seen and heard as a gay Latino; it felt fulfilling to see another representation that didn't fit the typical, pre-approved mold. Each journey into the life and strife of Andrés, his classmates, and his family is reminiscent of what I've seen from some short story collections, yet it feels more unified through its continuous narrative.
Through a fairly character-driven story with flawed humans just trying their best, this novel follows Andrés as he reluctantly agrees to reconnect with his high school classmates at the most recent reunion. Amid old flames, past bullies, and gossip about some absent classmates, Andrés finds himself drowning his anxieties in alcohol and regret. Overall, a vulnerable narrator yet guarded protagonist is at the helm of the main plot line.
As stated before, public health plays a huge role in this book's style. From mortality and mental health to sociocultural stressors and public transportation, Varela manages to weave together the quotidian with the philosophical and scientific. As Andrés revisits his childhood town, he glimpses into the lives of others in such an earnest way that captures the essence of what it means to integrate the past into our evolving sense of self.
Never have I read a work of fiction that so blatantly tapped into my worldview, inviting me to stay a while in the thoughts of its protagonist. Even in the moments where I felt my heart thumping at the choices Andrés made, I felt seen and heard as a gay Latino; it felt fulfilling to see another representation that didn't fit the typical, pre-approved mold. Each journey into the life and strife of Andrés, his classmates, and his family is reminiscent of what I've seen from some short story collections, yet it feels more unified through its continuous narrative.