Places Left Unfinished At The Time Of Creation (2000) - Plot & Excerpts
I had never heard of John Phillip Santos before I picked up this book. It is the story of a family, interwoven within the greater stories and myths of Mexico. In the family, there are ghosts; Rosicrucians, mystics, rancheros, inventors and a mystery from 1939. One visual that returns over and over in the book is of the Voladores. The Voladores are sacred dancers who climb a 120 foot pole. One dancer stays at the top and drums and blows on an eagle bone whistle while the others attach themselves to the pole with hemp ropes around one ankle and jump off, whirling through the air as they spiral to the ground.The book is told in a "spiral" way as well. Some stories are revisited, especially the mystery of the author's grandfather in 1939, and each time a little more information comes out. Other stories are told, always circling and spiraling around the land the lands in both Mexico and Texas the family is descended from. The writer wonders what has been lost in the journey to El Norte - stories, ties to far flung family members who didn't come north, sacred obligations to unknown gods of their native land so the cycles of the earth will continue. This was a great story of a family and how stories can influence a person, even those born many years down the road.
I had trouble getting into this book. Despite finding it interesting, I often found it a little difficult to keep up with because of its seemingly random organization. However, when I wasn't fretting about trying to remember certain things (since I read it for one of my classes and was scared about what might be on the test), I liked learning about Mr. Santos' family and its history. I had never read a book that had such close ties to my hometown, San Antonio, so I enjoyed that as well. Overall, I think that I would have enjoyed the novel more if I hadn't been tested over it, but I probably would never have read if I hadn't been.
What do You think about Places Left Unfinished At The Time Of Creation (2000)?
i suspect my rating of this book will improve as i keep reading. the writing can be transcendent, and the author's voice is strong and believable. how does culture shape us? what are the powers of collective memory? what happens when our history is no longer ours to tell? these are just a few of the questions the author tackles.however -- so far, anyway -- the book is very light on plot, on story line. instead, we get many small character sketches and much philosophy -- all interesting and well-written, but not sustainable for a book that bills itself as a memoir of the author's family. i think this is a case of a slow beginning. the author's voice, so far, has been enough to keep me turning the pages, and i'm hopeful it will only get better.
—carrie
There were some amazing visual moments in this book, but for the most part it was quite hard to follow and somewhat boring to read. Santos has great skill as a writer, as can be seen in some of the high points of the book, but the book itself just did not work for me at all. That said, there are some cultural and family elements in the book that are truly fascinating, and worth reading, no matter what one thinks of the book as a whole. I can see why it has gotten so much praise in some circles. It's just definitely not for me.
—Tiffany
