Beatrice and Virgil - Yann Martel

I was hugely impressed by Yann Martel's first book "Life of Pi" and was waiting for this book but I was bit disappointed.  I only knew that his novel is 'Holocaust Allegory" and have animal characters. The complexity and emotion in this novel is overwhelming for me. The challenge is immense for the author to write fiction about holocaust as he is not a Jew and not a survivor of holocaust . The story is multi layered and complex.

 Faith is like being in the sun. When you are in the sun, can you avoid creating a shadow? Can you shake that area of darkness that clings to you, always shaped like you, as if constantly to remind you of yourself? You can’t. This shadow is doubt. And it goes wherever you go as long as you stay in the sun. And who wouldn’t want to be in the sun?” 

The initial conversation between the main character Henry and the publishers are interesting (specially the roles of fiction and non-fiction) but I think this story do not need that much information , almost first 10-20 pages drag you down. This writer Henry I think is based on the author himself. His new book which is half fiction and half non-fiction about the Holocaust was rejected by the publishers as non-viable. The author receives a letter with a short story and text of a uncompleted play.

“Fiction and nonfiction are not so easily divided. Fiction may not be real, but it's true; it goes beyond the garland of facts to get to emotional and psychological truths.”

The author sets the tone for the story by giving references to some classic texts Flaubert's "Saint Julian Hospitator" , Beckett's "Waiting for Godot" etc.  Julian's redemption in that story is vital for this story. Julian redeem himself by helping a leper even after killing his own parents and slaughtered hundreds of animals.

Fame was not a sensation like love or hunger or loneliness, welling from within and invisible to the outside eye. It was rather entirely external, coming from the minds of others.

Henry the writer meets Henry the taxidermist in a shophouse full of dead animals. The taxidermist wants the writer to help him to complete his play which he is writing throughout his life. Their relationship is not progressing anywhere. Henry the writer feels that the taxidermist is unconventional in all manner.  The two main protagonist of the play are  Beatrice (Donkey) and Virgil (Howler Monkey), the two stuffed specimens sit together in the shophouse .

“Art is the suitcase of history, carrying the essentials. Art is the life buoy of history. Art is seed, art is memory, art is vaccine.

Henry the writer thinks that dead animals are metaphor for holocaust. And the taxidermist's play also leads towards it as the two animals talks about their life . But the taxidermist dismiss it as "story that has no story".  Does the author wants to think these dead animals as Jews during holocaust or making Jews to think about killing animals??

“Once you’ve been struck by violence, you acquire companions that never leave you entirely: Suspicion, Fear, Anxiety, Despair, Joylessness.” 

As the protagonist  Henry struggles to describe his new book to the publishers, Yann Martel struggles to explain his work to his readers in this book. I think I will understand this book better after I understand the holocaust better.

"Colonialism is a terrible bane for a people upon whom it is imposed, but a blessing for a language."

The climax is cinematic - action , blood and fire. But I thought the climax too was late.The writing style and the language saves the day  not the story . The description of the taxidermist shop and the tools - simply excellent.

Read it once , may be twice to fully understand the story.