Week11: The Book of Chameleons

Hi, everyone. Welcome to the week 11 blog. The cherry blossoms in UBC are in bloom. I wonder if you have gone to see them, they are really beautiful. I took a lot of photos! OK, Back to the book. 

This week I read "The Book of Chameleons" which was written by José Eduardo Agualusa. At first, I thought it was a book about chameleons, but it turned out to be told from the perspective of a gecko, and not just any gecko, but a special one, a tiger gecko that can make sounds like human laughter. In fact, I think the title of this book may be based on the owner of this gecko, a man named Felix Ventura who has albinism. He is a person who fabricates a good past for others. So, I believe the title "The Book of Chameleons" might symbolize Felix Ventura tailoring a beautiful past for each individual based on their experiences. Chameleons can change the color of their bodies in different environments to adapt to the current environment.

The name of the Chinese version of this book will be more understandable because the Chinese version of this book is called "The Man Who Sold the Past". Compared with "The Book of Chameleons", I think one is simple and the other is dreamy. But what I find strange is that Felix Ventura sells the past. I don’t quite understand this. He can make money just by fabricating a non-existent past for others? When the photojournalist came to him and asked for a new name, a new identity that could be corroborated by the country, Felix Ventura became panicked. He said that he was creating dreams rather than creating false evidence. So why do so many people seek him out just for a vague dream? And even if a perfect past is really fabricated, everything that happened will always remain in everyone's memory. Does this kind of self-deceiving dream really have any meaning in existence?

The entire book gives me a dreamlike feeling, much like its title. It evokes a sense of interplay between reality and dreams. Regarding the question I posed earlier, my self-answer is as follows: Perhaps in reality, many people are unwilling to recall past sad memories, or perhaps they desire to break free from those haunting memories of the past. So, they turn to Felix Ventura. Perhaps Felix Ventura is more like a hypnotist? He can truly erase people's past memories, allowing them to live in the memories he weaves.

Question: Would you rather have a beautiful dream instead of a painful memory?

Comments

  1. Jon Beasley-MurrayMarch 26, 2024 at 9:58 PM

    'The name of the Chinese version of this book will be more understandable because the Chinese version of this book is called "The Man Who Sold the Past".'

    As I mention in the lecture, that's also what the original (Portuguese) title means.

    "The entire book gives me a dreamlike feeling."

    What about the ending, and the confrontation between Buchmann, Angela, and Edmundo? I feel that's a point at which the dream is broken, no? Or how did you read that?

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  2. Arissa NaumannMarch 27, 2024 at 1:42 PM

    Hi Xinrui, I also got a dreamlike feeling from this book. Especially the ending where the plot went from being chaotic to Felix having nobody to talk to felt like reading about waking up from a crazy dream. I think people seek out Felix because it lets them change how others perceive them, even if temporarily. - Arissa Naumann

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