AUTHOR: Jesús Bengoechea
PUBLISHER: Armaenia Editorial, S.L.
GENRE: Novel, Fiction, Narrative
READER’S NAME: Annette Vazquez
DATE: June 11, 2020

Alada y Riente, a Spanish novel by Jesús Bengoechea, takes the readers on a journey through a series of letters written to or about various well-loved fictional characters of other books that are enmeshed with their fate. For example, Pinocchio, Captain Ahab, and Geppetto, just to name a few. The correspondence between them covers the age-old question of good versus evil, the mysteries of fairies, and life in general. Oddly, Bengoechea includes excerpts about Jack the Ripper, Sherlock Holmes, and Arthur C. Doyle’s fascination with “fairies.” Nonetheless, the book cover has an image of an enormous whale.

What role does the whale have since the title of the book is Alada y Riente (The Winged and Smiling One). What relationships exist between the characters and their dilemmas as they ponder on what is real, mystical, or flat out nonsense?.

Alada y Riente is not for the faint of heart. When you begin to read the book, it seems to drag and perhaps slow to engage in the book, pay attention to the minutiae, or you will get lost. While I continued to read, I enjoyed how Bengoechea animated Captain Ahab, Geppetto, and other protagonists with the descriptions of their concerns and their relationships through the correspondence to each other. These communications were vivid and dealt with real-life situations. Moreover, the dialogue further reveals how their lives changed after their encounters with fairies. Were these real or a figment of their imaginations? It had to be true because Pinocchio was alive and well. What about Dr. Frankenstein’s so-called “monster”? Did he come to life because of the appearance of the fairy or just by Dr. Frankenstein’s experiments?

The events that unfold in the background will have you turning the pages with curiosity to learn the connections.

What are the cons?

Despite the excellent writing, I was disappointed with several aspects of the book. The first is how some passages dragged by the usage of formal vocabulary to say something simple. I had to flip many pages to empathize with some of the character’s anecdotes. Sometimes, I had to turn back the pages to see if I missed something.

Next, the description of the fairy godmother disturbed me. She is beautiful, which is why people find these creatures attractive. However, the narrator in a scene perceived her as a seductress, a woman who surprisingly provoked him (at least that is what he thought).

Finally, the ending left me perplexed. Although I did grasp the connections, the chapter requires an attentive, slow reread to comprehend it fully. Perhaps that is Bengoechea’s intent.

What worked?

On the other hand, there are many things to appreciate in the book. I truly loved how the author humanized the characters as each communicated their perspectives on life.  For instance, Geppetto expresses his love and anguish of the empty nest in his letter to Pinocchio:

“Te echo en falta de manera terrible, niño mío. Nadie puede imaginar qué infinitas son las horas de las tardes sin ti. Son ya demasiados meses imbuido en tu ausencia…”  (I miss you terribly, my son. No one can imagine how the afternoon hours are infinite without you. Too many months have passed by filled with your absence…”

This passage broke my heart. Additionally, he states, “Tu ausencia

es, como digo, el precio que debo pagar por tu felicidad.Visto así, debo considerarla una bendición”.  ("Your absence is, as I say, the price I have to pay for your happiness. In that case, I must consider it a blessing.” ) As a parent, this hits home.  

Further, in another chapter, I was amused by Captain Ahab’s outraged response to Captain Hook’s proposal: “Ni el espíritu más ingenuo podría sustraerse a la peste a fraude que toda la documentación exhala.” (“Not even the most naive spirit could remove the stench of fraud that exudes from the documents.”) Hilarious! How bizarre and funny is that?

Indeed, this writing can be captivating even in the horrific accounts about Jack the Ripper, which incite curiosity. After all, inquiring minds will want to know, who is this monster?

Conclusion

          Alada y Riente will be a success in the United States. But, I have mixed feelings about the preservation of the prose and its beauty in the translation. Conversely, without one, the English-speaking audience will not have the opportunity to enjoy such intriguing and entertaining literature.