11/19/02
The format of "The Mixquiahula Letters" is unorthodox. It's a fictional epistolary novel, composed of forty letters written from a Hispanic poet, Teresa, who lives in California, to her dear artist friend, Alicia, who lives in New York City. (Although one cannot help but to speculate about whether or not the novel is semi-autobiographical.) Largely, the letters thoughtfully reminisce about two extended vacations -- turned perilous adventures -- that they took to Mexico together as young women. (Teresa's motivation for writing the letters is not clear, but is perhaps simply catharsis.) In lieu of a table of contents, the reader is presented with three overlapping, but distinct, lists of letters (along with their respective page numbers), and invited to choose one of the three options. The options are labeled: For the Conformist, For the Cynic, and For the Quixotic.
The letters are not dated, and do not always refer to events chronologically, so the story can be tricky to follow, and the letters sometimes appear to be out of context. This is especially true if the book is read in the "Quixotic" fashion, or if the reader makes the obstinate and pedestrian mistake of reading the book as I did the first time: in its entirety, and sequentially from front to back.
Regardless of the manner in which the book is read, the main characters, two talented and intelligent young women, continue through-out the novel to make abhorrent choices in men, and audacious travel plans. As a feminist, I found this exasperating, particularly when I read it the second time through when I was feeling pessimistic about my romantic life, and therefore chose to read it "For the Cynic". Castillo maligns the Hispanic male in particular, and male-female relationships in general. Ironically, in part the jacket describes the novel as "One of the first strong works of Chicana fiction, 'The Mixquiahuala Letters' has been widely studied as a feminist text and praised for its powerful and gripping evocation of sexual warfare." Mercifully, the "For the Conformist" option offers the reader some hope in the last two letters, which is how I read the novel the third (and final) time through.
What is most remarkable about this book is the beautiful prose in which it is written. Ana Castillo is fundamentally a poet -- "The Mixquiahuala Letters" is her first novel -- and she has a decidedly lyrical style. In fact, she has included some poems, ostensibly written by Teresa, in the novel. I found myself reading several of the letters out loud to myself, and impulsively inspired to call friends to read sections of the book to them. Castillo has a gift for bringing emotions into keen focus. Each of the letters can easily stand alone as a poignant short story.