Despite it’s name, Juan
Pablo Villalobos’ Quesadillas is not a delicious snack but a bitter indictment
of a culture that seems hell-bent on destroying lower class people and
harvesting them for rich people. But this slim novel does so with a great sense
of humor and passionate heart, and it is just bizarre enough that it fits
perfectly for the FSG Originals imprint that has brought us authors as distinct
as the rural violence of Frank Bill and the odd realities of Amelia Grey. And
like most FSG Originals, with the exception of Frank Bill, this book is hit or
miss, but thankfully mostly hit. It gets weird sometimes, a bit too weird for
its own good and for the reader’s sensibilities, but at 158 pages, it never
over stays its welcome as long as the reader is along for the ride. Orestes, a
middle child in an abnormally large and very poor family, narrates the story.
The story is not the most important aspect here, even though it involves twins
disappearing and the possibility of an alien abduction. The real treat here is
how Villalobos can take such a grim subject matter, take away all the sadness
and anger and replace it with biting humor. When the two youngest children go
missing at a grocery store, the focus isn’t on the grief, but the possibility
that there will be more quesadillas to go round. And that silly motif is played
up throughout the whole novel, a fun metaphor for desperation and escape that
would become unbearable if the novel were longer than it is. But a lot of the
enjoyment of this novel comes from reader’s ability to go with the story’s
flow. If you are patient throughout this slim novel, I can guarantee that you
will be rewarded.
Rating: 4/5
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