Octavio's Journey
Miguel Bonnefoy
Octavio
is an illiterate man who is ashamed of the fact that he cannot read.
When he meets a wealthy woman named Venezuela at a pharmacy, she
agrees to teach him how to read. Octavio is overjoyed with his new
skill, but unbeknownst to Venezuela, Octavio has a secret life that
will affect their friendship. Once he has to leave his village, he
roams the forests and jungles transforming himself and his life
before deciding it is safe to return home.
This
book didn't grab me in the way I had expected that it would. While it
isn't very long, it felt like it went on too long. I liked the
beginning and the end, but the middle of the story seemed to ramble
along without adding a lot of substance. The writing was, however, at
times quite magical. It was descriptive in a way that felt tropical
and emotional, yet I felt it lacked something to keep me connected
and hooked to the middle of the tale. The transformation of the main
character that took place at the end of the story made it worth
reading, but it wasn't the unforgettable, bewitching tale I was
hoping it would be.
This
review was originally written for and published by City Book Review.
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