Desmoronamiento. (Deterioration)

Reviewed by Catherine Rendón, Savannah, GA -- Críticas, 4/1/2007

Though he began his career as a journalist, Castellanos Moya (b. Honduras, 1957) has established a credible reputation for himself through his novels, e.g., Baile con serpientes (“Dance with Serpents”; Tusquets, 2002). This novel, his sixth, is strongly autobiographical, drawing on his parents’ story: his mother came from a conservative Honduran family and—to her mother’s dismay—married a much older man who in turn came from a Left-leaning Salvadoran family. Through their story, Castellanos Moya examines the microcosm of Central American politics and its inherent violence. The novel is divided into three sections. In the first, we meet Erasmo and Lena, the parents of Teti (Esther). It is Teti’s wedding day, but Lena refuses to go and puts every obstacle in her husband’s way to keep him from going as well. Lena disapproves of Teti’s marrying a man 23 years her senior and a possible Communist to boot. In the second part of the novel, before the outbreak of what would later be known as the “soccer war,” a cousin of Teti comes to San Salvador. Little does he know that the constant influx of Hondurans, in search of land and better economic opportunities, has reached its breaking point and that the soccer match between the two countries will become the battleground for long-repressed feelings. We finally get to meet Teti’s son, Eri, in the third and final section of the novel. Here, Castellanos Moya switches perspectives, this time giving us the voice of family retainer Mateo, who offers an entirely different perspective on doña Lena and her relations with her family and workers. Castellanos Moya’s subtle treatment of damaged family relations, and by extension of Central America’s inane rivalries, is seemingly removed to the point of indifference, an intentional approach inspired by his reading of Thomas Bernhard. By not emphasizing bloodshed and political credos, he shows that despite violence and death, life continues. Recommended for all libraries, especially those specializing in Central American collections.