4 out of 5 stars
Escape from the system?
Sports journalist Russell Martell is on holiday in
Puerto Vallarta, Mexico . His wife
Rosalita has recently died and Russell feels lost and hurt, drifting through
life. Then his journalistic senses begin
to come alive as he starts to get the hints of stories: not sports stories, but
crime and current events, with a hint of politics. What is the real story behind a body found in
strange circumstances near the beach front?
Is the rumor of a police raid on a suburban house really connected to
drug cartels? Who is the colorful
character Devon (Devo) that appears to be making a splash in town, at least
according to the bar scuttlebutt? All
these questions seem to draw together, but only more questions emerge. Soon Russell and his friend, Johnny Miles, will
become caught up in an adventure where mystery and uncertainty abounds. How will ordinary citizens survive, let alone
take action in a world of gangs, police and government? Seve Verdad’s Finding Devo: A Novel Adventure is a story of mystery and action
which will intrigue and excite the reader as they follow Russell and Johnny in
their desperate attempt to escape disaster.
Verdad writes well and he lifts his prose with
colorful phrases, giving interesting atmospheric descriptions and character
details. Describing Devo, for example,
Verdad writes: “But he is smooth. Smooth
as a pythons belly. Smooth as a razor
blade, a bullet, a warhead” (Ch. 83).
Much of the book varies between chapters in first person narrative,
giving Russell’s point of view, and chapters in third person narrative, giving
the perspective of various other characters.
This change in viewpoint works well to keep the story complex and
interesting. The text contains quite a
liberal scattering of Mexican Spanish.
Sometimes an English translation is given and sometimes not. The lack of translation is at first annoying,
but the reader soon notices that these phrases are not of critical importance
to the plot. The book can certainly be
enjoyed without knowledge of Spanish.
There is occasional offensive language, both in English and Spanish, but
probably less than occurs in most people’s common language. Only the most conservative will be
offended. Occasionally there are nice
hints of irony. For example Joaquín ‘Garras’
de Jesús, a brutal federal agent, is depicted “imagining his garras [claws]
wrapped around the necks of those who might be responsible for such a barbaric
massacre” (Ch. 48). Who is the barbarian
we wonder? Similarly there is a nice
contrast between Garras meditating in order to concentrate his powers of
destruction (Ch. 48) and Russell meditating in order to survive pain (Ch. 50). As a point of criticism it should be noted
that the first half of the book is, in sections, a bit too wordy. The party which Russell attends gets quite a
few chapters allocated to it even though it is just one night. Similarly the revelations from the computer
disk, which the police find, go on chapter after chapter, even though we
quickly get the basic idea of what they are saying and their relevance. Also the bomb explosion gets several chapters,
each one from a different character’s perspective, even though the basic
response of all is shock. These sections
could have been condensed to make the plot move at a swifter pace. After Chapter 50, however, the book really
takes off and never slows until the very finish. This point should not be overemphasized. It would be wrong to say that the first half
of the book is boring: it is just a little slow in some sections.
The novel is divided into three parts. Book I Fiesta (Ch. 1 – 28) gives an
overview of the circumstances in all its many complications, introducing the
reader to the book’s many main characters.
This section is characterized by questions and mystery. Book II Rain (Ch. 29 – 83) is a
narration of disaster, then capture and escape.
It begins slowly but escalates midway into a high action and adventure
narration. Book III Camacho (Ch.
84 – 114) is a further story of escape in which questions are answered and
resolution is given. It should be noted,
however, that even at the end of the book there are still some open questions,
and indeed the reader wonders if Verdad plans a sequel. This is not a book where everything is tied
up neatly.
The characters are nicely drawn and we immediately
relate to them as real people. We like
Russell because of his inquisitiveness and initiative. His background in sports makes him appealing
to male readers. His grief over
Rosalita’s death shows him to be a man of some feeling, beyond his All-American
bravado. But as the plot progresses the
reader begins to see some of Russell’s failings. He is “egotistical” (Ch. 51) and “rash” (Ch.
7). Also as we read further Russell
evolves from an ‘ordinary’ man to one who deals decisively, if perhaps
extremely, with extraordinary circumstances.
Devo, by contrast, remains throughout almost all the book a man of
mystery. He is rumored to be a “pot
grower” (Prologue), but we never quite find out how he gets his money. He is variously a “psycho” (Prologue), a
“wildcard” (Ch. 52) or just a good guy engaged in “shenanigans”
(Prologue). Devo is quite a performer
who carries off acts in which he appears to change height, change age, and even
flawlessly change his voice. He performs
slight-of-hand (Ch. 25 & 72) and indeed Verdad manages to make Devo seem
almost mystical and magical. Devo of
course has his limits. At one point he
comments “I don’ know everthin’” (Ch. 50), but he is certainly no ‘ordinary’
man. By keeping this character an enigma
Verdad instills in the readers a sense of intrigue which keeps him
reading. The book has quite a host of
other characters which Verdad also successfully draws. He even manages to sum up quite minor characters
in just a few words. Teachers’ union
leader, Teodoro Viareal, for example, is described as having “the voice of an
excitable Chihuahua” (Ch. 7).
Ambiguity is one of the novel’s chief themes. As has just been noted Devo is a man of
mystery. We do not know exactly how to
place him. He could be a hero, but seen
from other angles he is quite villainous.
Moral and political ambiguities are at a premium in the book. Actions, circumstances and perspectives are
described as having both good and bad points.
Government officials fight for good, against terrorism, yet they are
themselves corrupt and inept. Capitalism,
Marxism and Anarchism are all made understandable, being both praised and
criticized. Verdad constantly poses the
reader questions which are not easy to answer.
This is not a novel which teaches a ‘correct’ viewpoint: rather it opens
up complexity. Indeed isn’t the world
just that: complex. Aren’t different
people, with different perspectives, able to interpret the same event in very
different ways with very different conclusions?
Corruption is itself so central to this book that it
must be considered as a theme in itself.
Vice impairs the function of institutions which could work to the
good. We all say about our little
misdemeanors that ‘it doesn’t matter’.
We even say our ‘shadiness’ gives us ‘character’. But when our dishonesty ends in real trouble we
are left embarrassed, and even ashamed of our actions. We immediately seek to emphasize what little
good we can salvage and hide the bad.
The individual is a third important theme. We are single units, yet we are also in
systems. Do our actions count or is the
weight of the system too much for us to make a difference? The individual struggles for survival, and
yet so much that happens is a result of external circumstances which we cannot
control. As single people we have a
certain ignorance of the system and even naivety. Yet also as individuals we have our own
talents which we can use to direct our future, and even contribute to the
bigger picture. Are we better off in a
system or purely as individuals, or is a mix better? Is anything other than a mix even possible?
Verdad’s novel is very much set in a male world of
macho toughness and competition and so there are a scattering of anti-female
descriptions. Russell observes “a pair
of bubble head dolls” (Ch. 2). Police
Lieutenant Benito Cuevas Romero thinks “Why stand women at all, but for one
thing…?” (Ch. 8). Women are reduced to
body parts: “… breasts – important assets for a girl” (Ch. 7). Gloria Infante Velázquez, however, stands out
as a major female character who is capable, successful and dynamic. Her husband would not be a successful mayor
without her help, and he is completely guided by her strong political
sense. Indeed Gloria, if she had chosen
so, “might have become mayor of Puerto Vallarta herself, or perhaps Guadalajara,
her home town…” (Ch. 5). Certainly Gloria
has her failings, as any person does.
She is driven by power, money and prestige. In the middle of one of her business
negotiations we read: “Her eyes had darkened, become bland, almost dead. Shark eyes’ (Ch. 7). But Gloria regrets her part in the major
disaster that occurs. She has a strong
sense of “guilt” (Ch. 43) and immediately sets about devoting all her energies
to set things right. When attacked by
corrupt policemen Brenda, Russell’s new love interest, fights like a “wildcat”
(Ch. 60) and her sister Araceli joins the fight by hurling a baseball at the
attackers. Feminist readers will be glad
to find that, in this novel, women are not meekly subordinate adjuncts to men,
but rather dynamic persons in their own right.
As has just been noted Finding Devo is, at least on the surface, a world of male machoism
in line with 1950’s values. Both Russell
and Johnny live for sports, womanizing, drinking, cockfights and have dabbled
in law breaking (minor for Russell’s part and major for Johnny’s part). This comfortably male dominant world,
however, is very much undercut when both men find themselves in real
trouble. Suddenly Russell and Johnny are
victims who need to be rescued. Their
bravado wears thin as they find themselves in waters way beyond their
depth. Certainly it is a male who
‘saves’ them and certainly they are not completely helpless themselves, but the
brash American male image takes a beating.
Quite a number of other male characters in positions of power are also
undercut. Their confident acceptance of
corruption in various forms, as a bonus of their ‘tough-guy’ power, leads to
their downfall and ineffectiveness. Devo,
as has been noted, remains an enigma. He
is certainly a ‘tough-guy’ hero, but we never quite know how to take him. Is he to be admired or viewed with some
doubt? He ‘pulls the strings’, but to
what end? Rather than the traditional
1950’s ‘super-hero’ we have an ambiguous magician who even at the end leaves us
with questions. How much should we
admire him? Devo has intelligence, skill
and charisma, but is hardly a New Age man of feeling. Russell by contrast gains positive
re-connection with his emotions and is able to associate with others in a
mature way.
The indigenous people of Mexico are represented in the
text, though not always in a positive light.
Those people in power in the novel do not view the Indians
favorably. They are described as “naco”
a “pejorative word often used in Mexican Spanish to describe the bad-mannered
and poorly educated people of lower social classes” (Wikipedia. Naco (slang):__ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naco_(slang)). As early as Chapter 1 we read: “They have no
respect. Better to send them all
north. Let the gringos deal with them,
fill their jails with them” (Ch. 1). But
the Anarchist Carlos Mansalva (Manco) takes up the cause for the Indians. We read “The entire continent belongs to us,
those of Indigenous blood” (Ch. 8).
Further we read of “Zapatistas” (Ch. 5 and following) the politically
left Indigenous Mexican movement. The
indigenous are mentioned as demonstrating for their rights (Ch. 7). Indigenous people are represented chiefly by
two characters: Javier Menticlaro and Paulo Pepino Revueltas (Chimp). Javier is an influential Zapatista leader,
though he could be viewed as a ‘bad’ character.
Similarly Chimp holds the respected occupation of police officer, but is
certainly not represented positively. It
must be remembered that ambiguity is strong in the novel and so both the good
and the bad of indigenous people is discussed.
Javier is a particularly ambiguous character. We can understand him as an indigenous
person, but do not necessarily agree with his actions.
In turn with the macho atmosphere of the book LBTIQ
characters are absent. There are indeed
a couple of anti-Queer comments made in Chapter 2. Perhaps one positive character could have
been included in the party, at the beginning of the book, and we know that
police are not exclusively heterosexual.
In an novel which so emphasizes ambiguity, and which asks so many
questions, it is perhaps a missed opportunity that LGBTIQ characters were
passed over.
The Aged, a much ignored group, are also absent. They perhaps would have been inappropriate in
the heavy partying, high action world of the novel.
As has been mentioned ambiguity is prevalent in this
novel and peaks when it is viewed from the Marxist / Capitalist debate. The Capitalist U.S. is viewed as a very safe
place compared to the Socialist Mexico, yet the Capitalist desire for money and
prestige is a very major contributing factor in the crisis of the novel. Indeed Gloria’s Capitalist ventures end in
defeat, not triumph. But similarly
Marxism is represented as being falsely hollow. Media Minister Lazarito
Charlado is an appointee of the Socialist Reform Party, but is interested in
the “advance … [of his] … fortunes” (Ch. 3), that is, in the personal moneys he
can amass and the power and prestige he can gain. Even more the Socialist influenced Zapatista
movement is depicted as violent and aggressive.
At the heart of both Capitalism and Marxism corruption can lead to a
political culture where power, authority and legitimacy are undermined. Anarchism, a political ideology more left
than Marxism, is partially represented in the text by the activist Carlos
Mansalva (Manco). Manco makes quite good
arguments against Capitalism and for the advancement of the indigenous Mexican
people, but he has quite violent tendencies. Even more Maco is depicted as
being falsely hollow, like Lazarito, being motivated by the large amounts of money
he can earn for his dubious dealings with Chimp (Ch. 58). Despite this
criticism, though, Anarchism has a prominent place in the novel. The actions of private citizens are seen as
being more effective than those of organizations. But can even individuals be trusted to act
for the ‘good’? The questions abound.
Finding Devo is very much a postmodern
novel in the sense that there are no hard edges or categories anywhere. As Brenda observes: “People are brutal,
Russell. The whole lot of us” (Ch.
18). Even the ‘good’ are capable of
doing ‘bad’ given the right circumstances, and indeed what is good and what is
bad depends on the observer’s perspective.
Even the ‘bad’ character Masked Apocalypse, who by his nom de plume is
associated with the devil, is given human motivation.
Verdad has written an action adventure, rather than a
more poetic book, and so there is not much imagery and symbolism in it. There are, however, a few elements of the
symbolic. Devo’s nickname hints at the
word devolution, suggesting escape from a system, but once again questions,
rather than answers, arise. Which system
is being escaped from? Is it good or
bad, or perhaps both, to escape a system?
Is to devolve to go backwards, or is there still a creative forwards
motion in it? Where exactly is Devo
taking Russell? Similarly, through much
of the novel unusual weather hangs over Puerto Vallarta. Light rain hangs over the city like a “mist”
(Ch. 60) obscuring the view, making people feel slightly at odds. This is symbolic of the crisis of the novel where
for most of the characters, the action remains a mystery. Confusion abounds and truth is obscured. People think they have the answer, but are deluded.
Looking deeper into symbolism and myth it should be
noted that Devo is a magician. He uses
metaphoric smoke and mirrors to trick, to obscure, when it suits him. We never quite know where exactly he
stands. He uses electronic ‘trickery’ to
help him pull off his ‘secret agent’ stunts.
This element of the novel draws upon the cultural mythology represented
by the Tarot card The Magician. Sally
Annett and Rowena Shepherd observe that this card implies both “rules … [and]
.. cheating” (The Atavist Tarot:__ London:
Quantum, c2003, p. 47), and both Arthur Edward Waite (The Pictorial Key To The Tarot:__ Stamford, CT: U.S. Games
Systems, c1971, p. 72) and Giordano Berti and Tiberio Gonard (Tarot Of The New Vision:__ Torino,
Italy: Lo Scarabeo, c2005, p. 19) note that the card implies both virtue and
trickery. Indeed going further Annett
and Shepherd note that, when thinking of the card, “we must be aware that man’s
ability to manipulate the elements can be used for evil as well as good” (Atavist Tarot, p. 49). Berti and Gonard particularly emphasis that
“ambiguity” (New Vision, p. 19) is
the key to the card, and as has been noted this is a major theme in the novel. Where exactly does Devo stand in the
novel? Is he a force for evil or
good? Karen Hamaker-Zondag notes of the
card: “He has a vision or ideal to which he is devoted, and on which he expands
his energies. [ … ] Hence The Magician possesses both flexibility and courage,
and his vitality makes him want to do something worthwhile.” (Tarot As A Way Of Life: A Jungian Approach
To The Tarot:__ York Beach, Maine: Samuel Weiser, 1997, p. 132) Devo is certainly heroic and his mind and
actions are definitely set on a particular problem or project. Sallie Nichols writes: “The Magician will
include us in his plans. He welcomes us
on stage as his accomplice. Some degree
of cooperation on our part is necessary for the success of his magic.” (Jung And Tarot: An Archetypal Journey:__
York Beach, Maine: Samuel Weisner, 1980, p. 46)
Russell and Johnny certainly become caught up in Devo’s plans and in a
sense he needs them to work his magic.
Seve Verdad’s Finding
Devo is an exciting adventure / mystery novel with interesting
characterization and generally good writing style. The plot revolves around the main themes of
ambiguity, corruption and the individual.
There is a fairly strong political emphasis, though no one system is
favored as being ‘right’. Men and women
are depicted realistically, and in terms that would be viewed positively by
those interested in modern Gender Studies.
Indigenous Mexicans are depicted, partially favorably, partially unfavorably. At 565 pages the novel is probably not a
weekend read, though it can certainly be read enjoyably over a longer period of
time. I am happy to rate this book as 4
out of 5 stars.
Finding Devo by Seve Verdad (Kindle ed.)
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