Customer Reviews

The Disappearance of Irene Dos Santos

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I have to admit that I have been procrastinating the writing of my review for THE DISAPPEARANCE OF IRENE DOS SANTOS by Margaret Mascarenhas. It was, without a doubt, a beautiful novel that I really enjoyed reading; however, I'm a little intimidated to be writing my thoughts down. I found the story to be quite interesting and the writing was fabulous, but I have a feeling that some of the nuances were lost on me. That's not to say that I didn't understand the book (or at least I think I did) but I'm not sure that I fully appreciate the blend of myth, dreams and reality that occur in some South American literature.

The minute that I finished this novel, I wanted to discuss it with someone. I wasn't sure that I totally "got it" and I had a few questions. I immediately started tweeting with Kathy (aka Bermudaonion) about her impressions, and I admit that I felt a little better after "talking" with her. Some parts of the book were very ambiguous to me, and I had my own ideas of what happened and why -- I was a little worried that I just wasn't smart enough to understand this book. After reflecting on this book for a few weeks, I realize that I did "get it" in my own way, and this book was actually written for a great deal of interpretation on the reader's part. I found myself thinking about this book for a very long time and I really do recommend it as an ideal book for discussion!

I always like it when I'm able to learn something about a book, and THE DISAPPEARANCE OF IRENE DOS SANTOS introduced a lot of new things to me. I do not have a strong background on South American history or literature, so please keep that in mind. I was not at all familiar with the icon of Maria Lionza and her cult-like status with some people in Venezuela. Maria Lionza is a mythogical Indian princess/goddess who has hundreds of thousands of followers. She is a symbol of national identity and her cult has been officially recognized by the democratic governments of Venezuela. She usually is depicted in two forms: Yara, a naked woman who is riding a tapir and holding a human pelvis or Maria, a Virgin Mary type character. I found the entire myth surrounding her and all the conflicting things she represents to be fascinating; and I thought the author did an amazing job of incorporating her as a recurring symbol throughout the novel.

I also really enjoyed learning more about the culture of Venezuela including the radio and television novellas that are so popular there. I found it very interesting that they use these basically soap operas as ways to educate and inform the viewers on topics such as health issues and social change. Again, I thought the author did a wonderful job of working these novellas into the novel; and I loved how she was able to blur the lines between reality and these stories.

If your book club enjoys reading literary fiction or South American literature, then you might want to consider choosing THE DISAPPEARANCE OF IRENE DOS SANTOS for a future meeting. One thing is for sure -- there will be a great deal to discuss; and I can pretty much promise that you are going to want to talk about this book with someone after you finish reading it! There is are some interesting features in the back of the book, including some essays as well as a reader's guide (both in English and Spanish), that will definitely enhance your discussion. (Note: I couldn't find a link to the reader's guide at this time.) Some examples of topics to discuss are: the symbolism of Maria Lionza in the novel, whether or not the characters in this novel are real or fictionalized, dreams versus reality, and the themes of revolution and resistance. It is a very deep and thought-provoking novel to say the least.

Irene Dos Santos is the new girl in school and Lily has been assigned to show her around. The girls come from very different backgrounds. Irene's family is wealthy and she is given lots of freedom by her stepfather and gunrunning mother. Her mother is rarely home and she doesn't have much of a family life. Lily comes from a family that is closer to being middle class, leads a structured family life and is close to her mother. Despite their differences, the girls become best friends.

Irene is not the best influence on Lily and teaches her to French kiss when the girls are thirteen. When one of her teachers tells Lily's mother, the girl's friendship is severed and Lily is sent to a Catholic boarding school. The girls do manage to get together a few times through the years without their parents knowing about it.

A few years later, Lily is allowed to invite one friend on a family trip to the jungle. When she chooses Irene, her family reluctantly agrees. While on the trip, the girls go swimming in a lake but only Lily comes out. There is no trace of Irene anywhere, and Lily doesn't seem to have any memory of the event.

Fifteen years later, as Lily is about to give birth, she discovers an old letter from Irene and hopes to discover what happened to her old friend.

Since The Disappearance of Irene Dos Santos by Margaret Mascarenhas is full of characters and is told in a non-linear fashion from different points of view, I had some trouble getting into it. The writing is beautiful and the underlying themes of Venezuelan myths and revolution are fascinating, though, so I was quickly reeled into the story. I would like to read more about Venezuela after reading this book. The ending of the book, however, left me wanting, and kept me from totally loving the book. I did enjoy it; I just didn't love it. This book is full of symbolism and I'll readily admit that I didn't understand all of it.

I picked up this book just based on the great title, and I'm so glad I did. It is a gorgeously written story that blends social history with personal narrative. I was totally engrossed by this novel. I hope to read more by this author!

A beautiful, captivating, haunting read.... When Lily is in the last stage of pregnancy, she begins dreaming about her childhood friend, Irene, who disappeared when they were teenagers. She decides that she must revisit the past to figure out what really happened to Irene all those years ago. Mascarenhas is a poetic writer - the story unfolds through narratives from Irene and Lily's friends and family in such an engrossing way. I loved this book.

Between the ideal structure--nine sections centered around different characters to symbolize the nine Novenas for Maria Lionza--and the mind-bogglingly intense weaving of characters into one another's lives, this story had it all. While I actually had to make a character web to follow along, each little revelation of the relationships between the characters--hidden or otherwise, in reality or the dream world, in the present day or long ago, loving or vengeful--was a shock.

As unlikely as it is that virtually every character of this large cast was connected in some way, that's one of the enchanting aspects of this story: magical realism. I have always been a huge fan of Gabriel Garcia Marquez and other Latino storytellers who manage to conceivably include fantastical elements in their stories, and Mascarenhas has followed in that delightful tradition. There was so much symbolism embedded in the story, and it was all up for interpretation

The culture was so rich and the mythical elements truly brought the magic in the story and the lives of its inhabitants to live. The political backdrop of revolution and uncertainty leant both an edge and passion to this love story. That's what it really is, love between mother and child, husband and wife, friends, and the complications that can arise from those loves.

I was completely shocked by the way the ending left me; it could not have been a more perfect conclusion (or lack thereof) for this story. Ending an entire book with the sudden realization that everything that just happened in the lives of these complex characters might be the fabrication of a crazy woman's imaginings creates a whole new layer in this dense story.

The vendor was fine to work with and the book arrived as expected and the price was right.
Although the reviews on this book were great, I'm finding it wordy and slow paced. I understand the author is creating a setting and characters with depth; the story progresses slowly with way too much description of the latter. I'm a fast reader and will probably skip
alot of this book just to get through it.

A stunning debut in which pregnant Lily, confined to bed rest, is surrounded by loved ones who each tell a story to coax the baby out.

My husband picked this book up at the airport, and insisted that I read it. I'm so glad I did. What a wonderful read. The writing is lyrical and the story is a rich blend of magic and reality, that I was lost in the maze of this fantastic journey and experiencing a whole range of emotions: joy, sadness, wonder and awe. Approaching the conclusion I experienced dread because I didn't want it to end. Lovely.

The Disappearance of Irene Dos Santos is an atmospheric novel that takes place on many levels. It is a story about modern Venezuela. It is a story about faith. It is a story about social inequalities and class consciousness. It is a story about the power of oral history. All of these stories are woven together rather loosely around a central story line of a pregnant girl falling and having to endure bed rest. While she is resting, her family and friends tell stories to the girl and her unborn child. Although this sounds rather disjointed, the author is able to pull these threads together through beautiful writing and powerful characters. However, if you like a tight story that flows evenly, this might not be the book for you.

In Venezuela, fifteen year old Irene Dos Santos is on vacation with her best friend Lily Martinez when she vanishes. Everyone assumes she probably drowned though no body was found.

Years pass, Lily is eight months pregnant when she has an accident that leaves her bedridden on the same day that the town's statue of the Patron Saint Maria Lionza cracks in half. Lily begins seeing visions of Irene that frighten her, but remind her of how much she lost when her rebellious friend vanished. Meanwhile her family persuades her they need to perform a Novena to Maria Lionza to insure the baby makes it from the spirit realm to the mortal world. Nine nights of prayers begin with every evening a different person tells a tale to entertain Lily and guide the unborn.

This is a fascinating but extremely difficult tale to read as the narration switches nine times making the novel feel more like a series of short vignettes though there some overarching common themes. The fun is with those recurring topics as readers see radically different perspectives on the Patron saint, the vanishing, and the country's recent violent revolutionary past.

Harriet Klausner