Gabriela Cabezón Cámara
Autore di The Adventures of China Iron
Sull'Autore
Opere di Gabriela Cabezón Cámara
Opere correlate
Etichette
Informazioni generali
- Nome canonico
- Cabezón Cámara, Gabriela
- Data di nascita
- 1968
- Sesso
- female
- Nazionalità
- Argentina
- Nazione (per mappa)
- Argentina
- Luogo di nascita
- San Isidro, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Istruzione
- University of Buenos Aires
Utenti
Recensioni
Liste
Premi e riconoscimenti
Potrebbero anche piacerti
Autori correlati
Statistiche
- Opere
- 13
- Opere correlate
- 1
- Utenti
- 245
- Popolarità
- #92,910
- Voto
- 3.6
- Recensioni
- 3
- ISBN
- 22
- Lingue
- 3
- Preferito da
- 1
“…everything alive lives off the death of someone or something else. Because nothing comes from nothing…”
The Adventures of China Iron by Argentinian author Gabriela Cabezón Cámara was shortlisted for the 2020 International Man Booker prize. It is a queer postcolonial retelling of the 1872 epic poem about gaucho Martín Fierro by José Hernández. The main character is Martín Fierro’s teenage wife China. China (“Cheena”) is actually a generic Spanish word for wife or girl. After Martín is press-ganged into the army, as part of the Argentinian authorities’ attempt to clear rural gaucho communities, she sets off with her dog Estreya (Star) to find her own freedom. China renames herself Josephine Star Iron (the English version of Fierro).
What follows, as they join the wagon journey of red-headed Scottish Liz across the Argentinian pampas, can only be described as a fever-dream riotous adventure. Liz and China meet up with Rosarió, who represents the wild nomadic life and horsemanship of the gauchos, herding cattle across the plains. The three, along with the dog Estreya form an unlikely alliance as a found family, and make their way to General Hernández’ fort in search of Liz’s husband. Hernández is a pompous example of colonialism and has stolen and published Martín Fierro’s poetry as his own. Liz and China (now Jo) succumb to the sexual tension building between them and instigate an orgy to facilitate their escape from the fort.
In the later part of the novel the three join the Indigenous Iñchiñ and become part of their peace-loving community. The retelling of the poem shifts the portrayal of the Indigeneous people as savage and violent to an opposite stereotype, that of a hallucinogen consuming, free-loving commune.
I found this an exuberant story with a surreal quality to it. It incorporates vivid descriptions of the natural habitat of the pampas and both some Spanish and Guaraní vocabulary. There were some disturbing scenes along the way, and sexual violence presented in a Baz Luhrmann-esque fashion. Overall this was an entertaining and unique read.… (altro)