Every now and then, the curious reader may come across an author he or she had never heard of, and briefly venture into the unknown for less money than a coffee and sandwich at Starbucks or whatever vaguely trendy coffee shop he frequents.
For the current writer, this was the case with Luis Arturo Ramos, a contemporary novelist and essayist who’s featured in the Encyclopedia of Mexican Literature but somehow doesn’t have his own Wikipedia page.
Anyway, some years back a federal deputy, or maybe several federal deputies, decided to upload an eBook of Ramos’ novel Violeta-Perú on the congressional library web site, marking the 40th anniversary of the novel.
Never one to turn down a free eBook, I downloaded it and started reading but didn’t finish it. After all, how many people finish As I Lay Dying, or Mrs. Dalloway at their first attempt? A second reading was successful, and that’s where the enthusiasm started.
Set in Mexico City presumably in the years after Tlatelolco, the book traces a series of events involving a ragtag group of colorful characters as recalled by the protagonist on a rainy, alcohol and paranoia-filled journey on the Violeta-Perú bus. (Violeta and Perú are streets in downtown Mexico City). The plot is sometimes hard to follow, but the narrative captures the atmosphere and attitudes of Mexico City in the 1970s.
Fast forward to the 21st century and the age of cell phones. The 2015 novel De Puño y Letra is the story of private investigator and unknown poet Bayardo Arizpe who’s hired to unravel the mystery of a missing text, uncovering a world of literary pretension and shenanigans. Something of a mixture of Sherlock Holmes and a not-so-tough Philip Marlowe.
For anyone who loves Mexico City, these stories serve a double purpose. Entertainment and nostalgia.
See also: Leafing Through Bookworms’ Choices in Mexico
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