Quesadillas by Juan Pablo Villalobos
Reviewed by Ben
Translation is a tricky business, especially in the realm of literature and poetry. Not only is there a responsibility to accurately represent the original work, but good translations somehow manage to capture the nuances and style of the original language for the readers to whom it is foreign. For that reason, in the same way nothing can beat a good book, I’d say nothing can really beat a good translation of a good book. Quesadillas certainly fits the bill.
Folks might remember Juan Pablo Villalobos from his appearance at the 2012 Texas Book Festival and for his first novel, Down the Rabbit Hole, which was shortlisted for the 2011 Guardian First Book Award. Teaming up again with translator Rosalind Harvey, Villalobos’ second novel, Quesadillas, has created an absurdist tragi-comedy whirlwind. It’s a book that is definitively characterized by Villalobos’ patria (he’s from Guadalajara, Mexico) in spite of being full of characters with Greek names and universal themes. Taking on political corruption, class, and poverty, Villalobos is unflinching in his use of humor and incisive with his insight. In many ways, I was reminded of Luis Estrada films (La Ley de Herodes, El Infierno) while reading Quesadillas, but was ultimately grateful for Villalobos’ strangeness, which kept the pacing and mood lighter than an outright tragedy or drama. And right from the opening line, Villalobos comes out swinging:
“Go and [fluff] your [fluffing] mother, you [buffoon], [fluff] off!”
The time is the 1980s in Lagos de Moreno, Jalisco, a town described as having more cows than people and more priests than cows. Our narrator, Orestes, relays to us the words of his father, both a high school civics teacher and professional insulter. These insults occur most often during dinner while watching the news, as Orestes’ mother prepares, you guessed it, quesadillas for the family. For Orestes, the quality of quesadilla acts as a barometer to determine the financial situation of his family. Villalobos quickly frames Orestes obsession with class and social standing in a place of prominence in Quesadillas, and it returns consistently throughout the novel. When a revolt in town protesting another fraudulent election isolates Orestes’ family to their home on the mountainside, it sets in motion a strange series of events. What follows is perhaps better read to be believed. Rich Polish neighbors, religious pilgrims, aliens, trippy watermelons and countless amounts of inseminated cows are all major players in the story. From when Orestes first sets out to find his missing siblings (the fake twins) with his older brother, he is constantly forced to confront his place in Mexican society. From the pilgrims who affirm that he is not poor, to the politician who tries to recruit Orestes to work for him, we find that even with a wealth of experience, Orestes alone cannot seem to change his lot.
For such a slim novel, Quesadillas overflows at times. Villalobos stacks both literary and historical allusions upon witty banter and surreal sequences. The glossary and author’s notes provide some context for those not completely familiar with Mexican politics and culture, but at times interrupts the pacing. However, those that persevere will not be disappointed. Villalobos has assembled a memorable cast in the strangest setting he could imagine. It is for our benefit
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