Normal Miguel by Erik Orrantia

[reviews_and_ramblings]

If you analyze this story, really it’s a very simple one, Miguel is a young teacher living in Mexico City and blaming himself for being gay; he is trying with all his own to make his mother proud, the same mother who is probably reflecting all her disappointed hopes in him; no father around to balance her, in a good or bad way. When Miguel leaves Mexico City for Puebla, in another effort to achieve something worthy in his life, even the job as teacher in a rural boarding school would be better than nothing, he is not expecting to find a new life and love in that rural town. But it’s probably quite simple, in the small community where he arrives, nothing is pointless and everything is known, and it takes no much time to find out that Ruben, the local candy store owner, is also gay, and that he will the perfect partner for Miguel.

In the big city being gay is something dirty and forbidden, it’s abnormal, and Miguel wants with all his heart to be normal. In the little community where he arrives, being gay is a sin, sure, but in a way, being in the open, it’s not possible to hide anything in that situation, makes it more “normal”, more ordinary, and a normal life with his very normal boyfriend, having a very normal relationship, is possible. Ad Absurdum, for once, it’s the impossibility to be anonymous that makes possible for Miguel to be happy; in the big city he had the chance to hide, and in hiding he had no chance to find happiness; in the small town, he has not place where to hide, and he is forced to come out. He is indeed lucky, since he is in a situation where it’s possible to cohabitate, and despite some threats, he will be always the teacher from the town, a somewhat privileged role, and some sort of protection.

There was a out of time feeling in the story, if not for some hints of modernity (like Christina Aguilera), the novel could have been well be set in the ’50 of the XX century. There are no cars, no modern sounds to overcome the voice of nature; Ruben, Miguel’s boyfriend, moves on a horse, and he still bakes candies from scratch. The dangers for the people, especially for the children at the school, are all from nature, not from modernity. Even if Miguel sometime refers to music, I had not heard television or radio sounds. What instead was quite palpable was the hot and cold of the weather, the feeling of the rain on the skin when Miguel takes a walk under it. You sometime felt even what the author didn’t describe, like the sweat or the smell of it.

Miguel is not a strong man, he is not a hero; on the contrary he is sometime weak, and he has for sure a lot of self-esteem issues, probably a baggage from his youth and the love/hate relationship with his mother. Often Miguel tries unconsciously to find a way to punish himself, like with his abusive relationship with the Captain, or when he almost manages to destroy his relationship with Ruben having an affair with Tomas; it’s clearly a punishment since both times he doesn’t find pleasure in those acts, they are degrading, and Miguel is nothing more than an object for those men. It will be a long way for Miguel to admit that he is not to be punished for being gay, that he can enjoy his love with Ruben, that he is normal even if he is not ordinary.

http://www.bcpinepress.com/catalogDetail.php?bookCode=0035 (ebook)

http://www.cheyennepublishing.com/books/miguel.html (print book)

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Comments

[elena-62.livejournal.com]

Hi, Elisa!

Thank you for the review.

I've just started this and it looks good. I bought it because I had read an enthusiastic review by Victor J. Banis.

By the way: your to-read-list is impressive!

Ciao

Antonella

[elisa-rolle.livejournal.com]

It is almost an old fashioned story, it reminded me a bit of Il Libro Cuore, even if there was not a gay teacher there; also a bit of Chocolat by Joanne Harris, maybe since Ruben has a candy store...

[markprobst.livejournal.com]

I'm glad you enjoyed it, Elisa. Thanks for the very insightful review.

[elisa-rolle.livejournal.com]

You (and Leslie) are welcome.

[lazylfarm.livejournal.com]

And let me join in with my thanks too, Elisa! I appreciate this review--you always pick up on such wonderful details.

Leslie

[elisa-rolle.livejournal.com]

Sometime I spent so many on details that people don't understand the whole LOL but that's me ;-)

Normal Miguel

[erikorrantia.com (from livejournal.com)]

Hi Elisa and thanks to everyone for your comments. Just got around to checking out Elisa's beautiful site. You've got an amazing list of authors here! I appreciate your comments and reviews. Do look forward to "Taxi Rojo" which Mark from Cheyenne Publishing will be rolling out next February.