(Reviewed by JD Jung)
#CommissionsEarned
“The paradox of letters made weapons, words made bayonets with which to pierce the page and exact revenge against my own destiny, which I had judged—until then—to be so harsh.”
Poet and writer Ricardo Funes didn’t find fame until he was dying. He was born in Peru but went into exile during the Peruvian dictatorship. He made his way to Spain, via Mexico City selling contraband tobacco.
He could have been well off doing that, but instead chose to live as a “starving” writer in Catalonia. An uncompromising spirit, he was somewhat of a hermit and rebel, as he chose art over money and fame. He was loyal to the “negacionismo” poetry movement he discovered as an adolescent in Mexico and didn’t tolerate those who sold out their literary integrity. However, he was continually frustrated by the lack of recognition he received, as he would submit work to regional writing contests, never to win.
After twenty years, he seemed to be losing his passion for writing. Then as he realized that he was dying, he found that spark that produced noteworthy pieces at a fast rate that would be published and revered by the literary community. In fact, the years he was sickest were his best years of writing.
We learn about Ricardo from the perspective of his best friend and wife, related in alternate chapters. He is a man of contradictions, and his obsessive personality keeps the reader’s interest. However, not until the end do we learn the truth about him from his own words that explain his thoughts and actions.
This story is loosely based on the life and work of Chilean writer Roberto Bolaño. Though I am not familiar with his writing, I found that delving into the mind of an obsessive writer to be fascinating.
If you consider yourself to be part of this niche audience, then Last Words on Earth may just be for you.
