Childhood book
Juan Villoro is an accomplished writer, journalist, and translator with over 50 published works and numerous prestigious literary awards in the Spanish-speaking world. Although he is known for his unconventional literary experiments, it is his novel for children and young adults , The Wild Book, that has brought him to a global audience. To date, the book has sold over 1.5 million copies in Mexico, has been translated into several languages, has been converted into Braille for the visually impaired, and is currently in the process of being adapted into a film.
Writer Juan Villoro
PHOTO: FORBES MEXICO
The work revolves around 13-year-old Juan, who, because his parents are in the process of divorce, has to go on summer vacation and stay with his uncle Tito. Uncle Tito lives in a house filled with books like a maze with a maid and two cats. Here, Juan begins to discover his special ability when he has to search for a "mysterious" book by fighting the "villain" ghost. Through the work, Juan Villoro praises the love of reading and the special meaning of books.
Although he is a famous writer for his works for adults, in The Wild Book for younger readers, Juan Villoro maintains the intimacy while still showing his unique writing style. The first highlight lies in the way he builds convincing characters. For example, although Juan is portrayed as resilient through the biggest upheavals in his life when his family breaks up at the age of 13, through his sensitive storytelling and feelings, the author still reveals many moments that show the fragility of this age.
Besides, the way Uncle Tito is built is also very interesting, when his eccentric personality attracts readers, and the mystery behind it also conveys many great messages. From this experience, Juan's maturity process also gradually begins, from which he gains more strength to face unpredictable changes. It can be seen that, through special descriptions, regardless of age, readers can see themselves in the characters, and that is the attraction of the novel.
Reading in many ways
As a work about books and reading, the author also included many unique experiments, when referencing other works and incorporating them into the plot. For example, Uncle Tito's maze of book walls reminds us of the short story The Library of Babel by Jorge Luis Borges, while the image of his blind father also leads us to the famous Argentine writer mentioned above, when Borges was blind at the end of his life. In addition, other names such as Julio Cortázar, Homer, Franz Kafka... are also mentioned when Uncle Tito turns the almost impossible "ideas" in their works into reality. This is what makes the book interesting, partly suggesting good novels and adult readers having the opportunity to review what they have experienced.
The work The Wild Book is published by Nha Nam and the Writers Association Publishing House.
PHOTO: Provided by publisher
Born in a continent where magical realism is deeply rooted, Villoro has embraced and constantly innovated on it, making the book special. The magical element appears everywhere in this work, from Juan's terrifying dreams, the rich imagination of his sister Carmen... to the changes in Uncle Tito's special and mysterious house. According to him, books always have souls: They constantly change positions when we are not paying attention, they also choose worthy readers themselves and disappear before individuals who do not meet the "standards"... Meanwhile, Juan's main mission is to find the "wild book" - a mysterious work that only a few chosen people can access, tame it, and then tell their own story...
However, in terms of reality, Villoro's imaginations can be completely explained reasonably. For example, it is because of human absent-mindedness and the random arrangement of action sequences that books constantly change places. Choosing books is a human initiative, but when you come across an unsuitable book, reading will be miserable, leading to the feeling as if they "escape" from you... Therefore, the book is not too difficult to understand, and from this magical nature, the Mexican writer has expanded the boundaries of imagination, creating dramatic, thrilling plots, dangerous opposing forces.
Through that, Juan Villoro sends many meaningful messages. For example, living with Uncle Tito makes Juan more mature, when he finds the love of his life as well as knows how to protect his mother and sister in the process. But above all, he also knows that books also need to be selected, that there are always toxic books, which seriously affect reading. In addition, Uncle Tito, from a true "bookworm", who used to isolate himself from the world , also opens up more, reconnecting with the community that he once missed. This shows that sometimes reading is not everything, but more importantly, life is big and many interactions in society...
With a skillful writing style and rich imagination, the author creates a world familiar to all readers: For children, they see here an interesting magical story. For teenagers, they feel sympathy for the days they have experienced. And for adults, they will have the opportunity to return to the old days. Therefore, it is not difficult to understand why The Wild Book has such outstanding achievements, as well as Juan Villoro's important position in Mexican literature in particular and the Spanish-speaking world in general.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/sach-vo-la-the-gioi-mo-185250530221935067.htm
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