A review by kandicez
Memory Mambo by Achy Obejas
3.0
I read this because it was assigned in my daughter’s lit. class. It’s not something I would have ever read on my own, so I’m glad I read it in that respect, but otherwise? Not so much.
The writing was first person, and I tend to like this. Unreliable narrator is even better and I think that’s a given here. Juani is telling her story and while doing so, examining just how our memories work. She has “memories” of things that happened in her family before she could possibly remember them. When we examine our own memories we realize that often we only “remember” something because we have been told the story so many times.
In addition to the examination of memory, many turbulent events take place in Juani’s life during the course of the season she writes. The final event is just… appalling. So appalling that I honestly thought I had misunderstood. The event is not described and only one line is dedicated to it. I am unsure if I feel this is because it’s so awful the author feels we can’t handle more, or because she dismisses it as a small thing so feels it deserves no more mention.
This is a sexually charged narrative, and I am no prude, but I think that’s why I didn’t enjoy it. It wasn’t love making in most cases, it was just icky.
The writing was first person, and I tend to like this. Unreliable narrator is even better and I think that’s a given here. Juani is telling her story and while doing so, examining just how our memories work. She has “memories” of things that happened in her family before she could possibly remember them. When we examine our own memories we realize that often we only “remember” something because we have been told the story so many times.
In addition to the examination of memory, many turbulent events take place in Juani’s life during the course of the season she writes. The final event is just… appalling. So appalling that I honestly thought I had misunderstood. The event is not described and only one line is dedicated to it. I am unsure if I feel this is because it’s so awful the author feels we can’t handle more, or because she dismisses it as a small thing so feels it deserves no more mention.
This is a sexually charged narrative, and I am no prude, but I think that’s why I didn’t enjoy it. It wasn’t love making in most cases, it was just icky.