The old man who read Love Stories, by Luis Sepulveda
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Nature, survival, human greed for hunt, they all dwell beautifully in this sweet fable set in the lush forest of Ecuador. Moving to the jungle, the old man, the protagonist, learns the art of survival by learning from the Shuar Indians. As time passes, his easy life is supplemented by reading love stories supplied to him by the dentist of the small settlement where he lives in his old hut. The expressions, the various interactions with the fellow beings, the mayor and his motives and every other page has a simple yet profound effect.
The hunt for a jaguar shakes him out of the reverie and the story takes a twist. And a quote about humans leaves us spell bound - “The settlers destroyed the jungle and constructed that masterpiece of civilized man: the desert.”
2 comments
The title does capture attention :)
ReplyDeleteIt was a nice little book, and the title made me look at the book and pick it!!
ReplyDelete