Gordo : Book review

 


Book review

Title: Gordo

Author: Jaime Cortez

Genre: Fiction/ Short story collection 


Gordon is a collection of eleven short stories tracing the life of a young boy named Gordo. Gordo is grappling with his identity, mockery, body shaming and forced to comply to his father’s expectations of being masculine. As Gordo grows up, he begins to learn about the ways of the world, the people in his community, poverty, abuse, violence and undocumented immigrants. 


One of the key strengths in this collection is the voice of the narrator. Most of the stories are told in first person from the point of view of Gordo. There is a certain rawness and honesty in the tone that strikes a chord.  This invites the readers to empathize and travel with Gordo on his journey from childhood to an adult. Through his eyes, we see the social setting and community around him and how they treat those who do not comply with certain expected norms. 


 The author tackles some powerful themes like masculinity, a sense of belonging and community. There is a delicate balance in the language that traverses between humor and brutality. The writing is compassionate and takes the readers on a bittersweet ride. Some of my favorite in the collection are El Gordo and Alex. El Cordo portrays the vulnerabilities of Gordo trying to live up to his father’s expectations. Alex documents multiple elements that is beautifully packed and leaves a lingering impact. We see some of the characters make an appearance in two or more stories that reads like a story cycle. 


One of things that appeals about a book like Gordo is his universal it’s themes and emotions are. While it’s largely set in Watsonville, California, Gordo could be anyone of us, trying to live to go societal and parental expectations, dealing with hardships and at the same time enjoy our moments of laughter and joy. In short Gordo encapsulates the phenomenon called life.

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