The People of Paper

11May08

 Not only is this book by Salvador Plascencia really good, it’s also awesome to just flip through and look at.  The pages are composed of columns running in all different directions, giving each character a very distinct voice narratively and visually.  There are parts of the novel that are covered with large black squares and there is one character’s name who is literally cut out of each page that contains it.  It follows in the tradition of magical realism (think Gabriel Garcia Marquez or Jose Rivera) which always means you’re in for a slightly trippy ride, but it also employs a little metafiction as well (And no, I didn’t know what the term metafiction meant until I looked up a little blurb on this book).  Metafiction is:

“a type of fiction that self-consciously addresses the devices of fiction. It is the literary term describing fictional writing that self-consciously and systematically draws attention to its status as an artifact in posing questions about the relationship between fiction and reality, usually, irony, and self-reflection. In a sense, it can be compared to presentational theatre, that does not let the audience forget they are viewing a play; metafiction does not let the reader forget he or she is reading a fictional work (Wikipedia)” 

This is definitely one of the most exciting aspects of this book.  The author uses his own name as the main character of the book and while we get to see Salvador’s story played out throughout the novel, he is also an outside commentator on the events that happen.  Like the quote said, this reminds me of some theater I’ve seen; most recently Rapunzel, put on by KneeHigh Theater of Cornwall.  A modern take on the old fairy tale, the fact that the characters were in a fairy tale was often mentioned and used for sections of comic relief and audience interaction.

This book exemplifies one of my favorite things about literature (and really any sort of narrative art form).  It so often leads me to make connections to other areas of my life and turns me on to new books or films, etc., that I haven’t known of before.  This book references The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera, a book which I finally picked up and am now reading.  It also reminded me again of Gabriel Garcia Marquez, so I read Love in the Time of Cholera.  So yeah.  Read this book.  Anything that makes you interested in experiencing more new things, is worth the read.

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