The Ship of Fools

I do not know how great the English translation is, as I have only read this novel in Spanish, yet I'm sure the novel's central message will remain in tact, that being humanity's tendency to define the norm in a world where what is considered to be abnormal has always existed and will continue to exist. Rossi uses the Tapestry of Creation as a symbol of mankind's need to find perfection in the world, yet through the character of Ecks, the reader is taken on journey where the very notion of perfection is continually questioned. Ecks travels from city to city where he encounters people and places that challenge his original objective view of the world. Dealing with issues such as homosexuality, abortion, androgyny, and pedophilia, Ecks is forced to confront his world view and eventually comes to the conclusion that these "abnormal" realities have always been a part of human existence, and therefore they may, in fact, be normal. The end of the novel ends with a final, albeit ironic, description of the Tapestry of Creation, in that it is in fact not perfect and is missing certain elements, thus reiterating the message of perfection as being both unattainable and misleading.

If there's anything that might scare away most readers, it's that shudder-inducing term "experimental novel." Even worse, perhaps, is an experimental novel in translation, and "Ship of Fools," Uruguayan writer Rossi's attempt to break down the structure of the novel and reinvent it as a prose medley, almost certainly suffers in its English retelling. Disjointed, self-referential, non-linear--it is all the things one expects from an experiment, yet it has moments of brilliance and humor that nearly compensates for its difficulty and occasional tedium. "Difficulty" is probably the wrong word here; the prose style is fairly straightforward and most of it is fairly easy reading. Instead, the obscurity lies in trying to figure out exactly what Rossi is trying to accomplish. The exile Ecks (X?), wanders the world, exploring cities through the eyes of the women he meets, questioning the relevance of his own sexuality, and seeking the answer to the ultimate riddle: what is the greatest tribute a man can give to a woman? His friend Morris, trying to find a publisher for his "androgynous" book, instead finds his life's meaning in his love for a boy he encounters in a park. This barebones narrative thread, after a perplexing start and with frequent interruption, is Rossi's nod to a conventional story. The novel at times resembles a travel journal interlaced with chapter-length footnotes, excerpts from fictional documents, descriptions of an artwork entitled "The Tapestry of the Creation," and references to the "Ship of Fools" legend. There is a fairly clever sketch about urban parochialism ("The principal preoccupation of the city's inhabitants is staring at their navels."), and an underlying theme is the anonymity and isolation of the metropolis (a woman walks through New York wearing a sign saying, "I'm very lonely. Please someone talk to me."). Ultimately, though, Rossi's experiment in deconstructing the traditional form of the novel suffers from a lack of putting it all back together again. After collecting all the pieces, I'm still not quite sure what it all means: is it really just another exploration about the societal tension between sex and power? The peculiarly sympathetic depiction of pedophilia seems to undercut its feminist arguments about patriarchy (in society) and authoritarianism (in politics), and the answer to Ecks's riddle is disappointingly banal. It's a tightrope act between randomness and incoherence; like the kaleidoscope it resembles, "The Ship of Fools" is both beautiful and scattered.

Cristina Peri Rossi's work is thought-provoking treatise on exile and isolation whose metaphor resonated with me. The language is sophisticated and engaging, while at the same time evocative of the sparseness and detachedness at the novel's core. This is an impressive work which has established the author as an important new voice, not only for those interested in Latin American literature or women authors, but for anyone interested in perspectives which push the envelope of the literary canon. If you are interested in being challenged, read this book

Cristina Peri Rossi's work is thought-provoking treatise on exile and isolation whose metaphor resonated with me. The language is sophisticated and engaging, while at the same time evocative of the sparseness and detachedness at the novel's core. This is an impressive work which has established the author as an important new voice, not only for those interested in Latin American literature or women authors, but for anyone interested in perspectives which push the envelope of the literary canon. If you are interested in being challenged, read this book.