Instrucciones para vivir en México — Jorge Ibargüengoitia
This is not exactly a guidebook for foreigners intending to move to this country. I would say that this is more of an inside joke directed at that select group of people who have experienced the bliss and the misery of living within its borders. It is a pat on the back, a “you’re not alone” from the author, to those of us who go out every day with the best of intentions which end, most of the time, in frustrations.
Instrucciones para vivir en México was published in 1990, but it is in fact a collection of articles written by Jorge Ibargüengoitia for the newspaper Excelsior between 1969 and 1976. In his column, Ibargüengoitia broaches topics such as politics, bureaucracy, education, history, and more, but he also discusses those daily interactions within the Mexican society that make you stop and think, “did that really just happen?”.
The critical analysis of the numerous problems this country suffers is so sharp and prevailing that some of the articles might as well have been written yesterday, and they’re developed with such a clarity so as to not exclude anyone. On the contrary, ideally, we would all be aware of them. From one of the best definitions of the Mexican revolution I have ever read, to the depiction of the Mexican society as a society of castes, the latent nationalism of the Olympics, and the extreme simplification of Mexican history to the point of making it dull, these articles are filled with observations that are yet to be fully explored. I believe that the section by the name of “Teoría y practica de la mexicanidad” (“Theory and practice of the Mexican-ness”) should be a sort of required reading in civics classes
Jorge Ibargüengoitia started his literary career as a playwright and continued as a novelist and columnist. The sarcastic and critical tone for which he is famous for, has turned him into one of the most read and beloved Mexican authors, and despite his unfortunate early death, when he was 55 years old in a plane crash, he left a pretty sizeable work behind him.
The tone of irony when dealing with some of the most difficult subjects is greatly appreciated. There is no better antidote to the absurd than a bit of humor. In a country like Mexico, sometimes you have to laugh in order not to cry. What would Ibargüengoitia think of Mexico in 2021? I dare imagine that he would say not much has changed in 50 years, and he would probably be right. One step forward, two steps back, such is life in the country of slow progress.
This title might not be available in English.
This review was originally published in Spanish at Cuaderno Reciclado.
