Written much like a folk tale, this was a very interesting read which makes for great discussion. The author spun a tale that almost every reader could find some part that would resonate within their life story while keeping it extreme enough to stay outside of everyday reality. The format of the story is a chronicle or retelling by the protagonist with injects from supporting characters to round out the story. At first this seemed a little disjointed, complicated further by the accents of the characters but worth persevering.Manilla is able to capture the sights and customs of the setting bringing a touch of realism to this fictional account of a reluctant saint. This tale was a challenging and entertaining experience. I had always associated Magical Realism with South American authors such as Marquez, Cortazar and Borges, with its emphasis on dreamlike states, fables, folk tales and myths. This novel begins in Sicily in the 16th Century in a small town near the fiery Mt. Etna. A rich man, wanting work and presumably sex too, from the young twins Diamante and Garnet, torture the girls because they refuse his commands. The twins pray while they are tortured and come away with the powers to heal people of skin ailments. The novel then zooms up to the 20th Century and we meet a young woman named Garnet, a descendant of the original, who has red hair and port-wine stains over her body. Much of the action takes place in a West Virginia town, Sweetwater, or Charlottesville, Virginia.Steeped in Catholic lore, fables and myths (not to mention the occasional Italian word or phrase), we change our opinion of Magical Realism and see this work as paving new ground perhaps. The modern-day Garnet shares the ability of her ancestor of healing but seems reluctant to use it. Ms. Manilla has given us a big family surrounding Garnet, and I found it hard to keep track of all of them, except near the end of the book. Garnet's family is troubled, for example her mother requires psychiatric hospitalization. But Nonna, a grandmother, is so strong she manages to pull the family along.Written in short sentences, the novel is fast paced. Ms. Manilla, however, has seemingly given every sentence concentrated words and great meaning.I have one other minor gripe: when Garnet has a female radical student friend, and they are about to make love, instead of the author writing a conventional scene or implied one, she types out the letter "z" for about a page and a half.
What do You think about The Patron Saint Of Ugly (2014)?
I loved Garnet, Nonna, Betty - the legends and of course the saints. Great book!
—zach
I liked this book and hated it at the same time. I'd recommend it.
—dmp
