(Reviewed by JD Jung)
#CommissionsEarned
“I feel a deep regret for encouraging them to dream, for reinforcing illusions that will lead nowhere, because they’re unattainable, because this county is finished. It stopped existing a long time ago. We are the last survivors, but we are doomed.”
Caracas, Venezuela is under siege. The city has been hit by horrific crime, political and police corruption, hunger, and scarcity. Fernando Morales, a forty-three-year-old drama teacher feels guilty about lying to his students, giving them hope for the future.
He is afraid for their safety and feels powerless to do anything about it. He, as well as many of his students, are suffering from “The Lisbon Syndrome”, believing that there are no options left in their country. His marriage is also falling apart, and he feels helpless in that regard also.
The problems in Venezuela are taking a backseat in the eyes of the rest of the world, as an asteroid destroyed Lisbon, Portugal and the entire Iberian Peninsula has been scorched. Details are sketchy due to censorship of news and social media. In fact, Venezuelans feel disconnected from the rest of the world.
Fernando’s elderly friend Moreira, who emigrated from Portugal, has a more positive, though still pragmatic view of the world. He acknowledges that one can never go back to the places they loved, as nothing remains the same. Moreira relates his fascinating life to Fernando which also delves into the fascist Salazar regime.
I was drawn into both men’s lives, as well as those of the supporting characters. There is also a surprise at the end, that I didn’t see coming.
Though the particulars are different, I can’t help but see parallels with what is happening today. So many innocent lives are destroyed at the hands of evil dictators and leaders.
Author Eduardo Sánchez Rugeles hopes that the publication of The Lisbon Syndrome will promote discussions of the power of literature to promote social activism. I think he succeeded in that as well as creating a riveting novel.
