Chloe Aridjis's The Shadow of the Object: A Bold Fable of Illusion and Friendship
In her latest novella, The Shadow of the Object, Mexican-American author Chloe Aridjis delivers an enchanting and fable-like narrative that delves into technologies of illusion and a life-changing friendship set in Mexico City. This work has been praised as one of the boldest pieces of English literature today, showcasing Aridjis's unique blend of mythopoeic storytelling and profound humanity.
A Violent Start and a Hospital Encounter
The story begins with a sudden eruption of violence: Flora, a fortysomething woman visiting her mother and stepfather in Mexico City, is attacked by Diego, the household's beloved guard dog, who sinks his teeth into her hand. This incident shatters Flora's sense of safety and the delicate fictions that have shaped her life, forcing her into a private hospital for the remainder of her vacation.
Confined to the hospital's winding corridors, Flora experiences ambivalence—the environment is dull, yet it offers a rare respite from responsibility. During a midnight stroll, she meets Wilhelmina Blau, an elderly German woman with pneumonia, and the two form an unlikely friendship. Their nightly meetings in the dimly lit hallways become a conduit for Wilhelmina to share wisdom from her unconventional life.
Technologies of Illusion and Shared Wisdom
Wilhelmina recounts tales of her late husband, her son Max, and her childhood in a preventorium at a former Cistercian abbey. She describes her favourite exhibit at Mexico City's Museum of Anthropology—a greenstone heart with a face and fangs—and, most significantly, her collection of pre-cinema toys and instruments, including magic lanterns, peep boxes, and zoetropes.
For Wilhelmina, these technologies illustrate the persistence of vision and the repetition of human emotions across centuries. She hosts a magic lantern show in her hospital room, captivating Flora and nurses with images of angels, gardens, and magicians. This event highlights the transformative power of illusion, but soon after, Wilhelmina succumbs to her illness, leaving Flora to return her belongings and cremated remains to her son in London.
Prose and Themes of Enchantment
Beyond its thematic depth, The Shadow of the Object is celebrated for its strange, impressionistic prose. Aridjis explores seams of enchantment in daily reality, suggesting that no scene or existence is self-contained. In one poignant scene, Flora and Max walk along London's New River Path, where Flora's awareness of hidden history beneath the canal's cloudy water evokes a shared ecstasy with the reader.
The novella adopts an episodic structure as Flora transitions from her friendship with Wilhelmina to a hesitant intimacy with Max. Aridjis's writing is pared back yet rich, tempering gothic excess with humanity. While lacking a conventional plot, the book glows with mythopoeic beauty, solidifying Aridjis's reputation as a bold and innovative writer.
The Shadow of the Object by Chloe Aridjis is published by Chatto & Windus, priced at £16.99. This review underscores its status as a must-read for fans of literary fiction and magical realism.
