Well, I have to say that I don't really know where to start with this, the last of the dictator novels. I’m actually speechless. To begin with, I think that this is one of the novels that we’ve read in class that I could definitely see myself re-reading sometime down the road, even though many parts, especially in the second half, were completely heart-wrenching. I just couldn’t put it down, I had to know what happened, despite the terrible things that I knew would befall the assassins and Urania; I just felt compelled to go on, and I had no choice. I thought this book was particularly interesting because a large portion of the points of view don’t come from the dictator, but from the common people who are being crushed beneath him. While we get a glimpse of this in The President, I feel that we get a much stronger view in this book.
The storyline that most captivated me was that of the assassins, or the May 30th Heroes, however you want to title them. I found them very interesting, they had wives, families, and children and yet they sacrificed it all when they conspired to kill Trujillo. They all seemed so tangible and so human, and their motivations for what they chose to do, tied with the way each of them faced their own mortality and death. Some went out in a blaze of glory, while others were captured or allowed themselves to be captured and faced extreme torture with what seemed to be superhuman bravery, while at the same time maintaining their humanity. While for a time I feared that all the assassins would be captured and killed one by one, which seemed to be the pattern that we were seeing for a while, it was somewhat relieving to find that Imbert and Amiama (whom we didn’t really get to know) survived the terrifying hunt. I was also intrigued to learn that, in reality, Imbert even went on to become President of the Dominican Republic for a few months.
Urania was a very compelling character as well. Even after being away from her country for thirty-five years, the figure of Trujillo continues to dog her steps, perhaps to illustrate that there are some wounds that go too deep to ever truly heal.
Overall, I loved this book. Although I don’t think I could bring myself to read it again for quite some time…
2 comments:
i agree, im glad that some of the assins, even though it was only two, were able to get away. even though, in my opinion, killing someone is nothing to be glorified, but in this case, it is a good thing. its interesting to know that imbert later became president!
It might be interesting to compare Urania to the assassins, as different reactions to dictatorship. Of course, Urania was much younger at the time, but her reaction is first exile, then study, and finally the attempt to find some kind of reconciliation.
Or is it? What is she looking for?
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