by Patrick Ogle
I keep writing things down about The Death of a Soccer God by Dimitry Elias Léger and deciding I am giving too much away--sometimes even comments about STRUCTURE make me feel like I am writing too much. Perhaps I am taking this "don't give anything away" notion too far? I finished this book just as the World Cup was beginning and as it winds down I keep thinking about it.
I will say that at various points in this book I thought it was about soccer or it was about Caribbean history and oppression. There is a whiff of magical realism here and a hint of historical fiction. But neither of these define this book. Next I thought it was a love story. I also remember, with about 40 pages to go, I thought; this should be longer! I was wrong. It is as long as it needs to be. Isn't wanting to know more, wanting to be more immersed in a story the sign something is worth reading? This book is a bunch of different things and my desire for it to be longer is partly because it jumps ahead but that is obviously not an accident. I suspect we are supposed to fill the gaps ourselves.
I will write this; there is a point in the book where the main character is in an art exhibit/gallery in the jungle. An artist discusses the meaning of his painting and that description, to me, is part of the thread that ties this book together. When you read it you will know what I mean.
I read "God Loves Haiti" twice and I suspect I will read this again as well.
I keep writing things down about The Death of a Soccer God by Dimitry Elias Léger and deciding I am giving too much away--sometimes even comments about STRUCTURE make me feel like I am writing too much. Perhaps I am taking this "don't give anything away" notion too far? I finished this book just as the World Cup was beginning and as it winds down I keep thinking about it.
I will say that at various points in this book I thought it was about soccer or it was about Caribbean history and oppression. There is a whiff of magical realism here and a hint of historical fiction. But neither of these define this book. Next I thought it was a love story. I also remember, with about 40 pages to go, I thought; this should be longer! I was wrong. It is as long as it needs to be. Isn't wanting to know more, wanting to be more immersed in a story the sign something is worth reading? This book is a bunch of different things and my desire for it to be longer is partly because it jumps ahead but that is obviously not an accident. I suspect we are supposed to fill the gaps ourselves.
I will write this; there is a point in the book where the main character is in an art exhibit/gallery in the jungle. An artist discusses the meaning of his painting and that description, to me, is part of the thread that ties this book together. When you read it you will know what I mean.
I read "God Loves Haiti" twice and I suspect I will read this again as well.
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