The Story of My Teeth — Valeria Luiselli
This is a book unlike any other I have read. As I turned the pages, I found myself constantly thinking ‘I don’t know what I’m reading, but I like it.’ Nonetheless, even though the title seemed enigmatic at first, in the end I realized it was actually pretty straightforward. But whose are these teeth and why is their story interesting?
Above all, this is the story of Gustavo Sánchez Sánchez, better known as Highway, the self-proclaimed best auction caller in the world. Highway likes collecting things and is especially fond of teeth, but not just anyone’s teeth. In his collection we find the teeth of Plato, Montaigne, Rousseau, and Borges, among others. In this and other ways the author fills her story with literary easter eggs, including the names of many celebrated thinkers and writers. Even hers makes an appearance.
I enjoyed the tone of this short novel most of all. This is an odd story with a touch of melancholy, comedy, and genuine wit, that holds something sincere at its core. To elucidate what I mean, I share here one of its first paragraphs:
“My uncle, Solón Sánchez Fuentes, a salesman dealing in quality Italian ties, used to say that beauty, power, and early success fade away, and that they’re a heavy burden for those who possess them, because the prospect of their loss is a threat few can endure. I’ve never had to worry about that, because there’s nothing ephemeral in my nature. I have only permanent qualities. I inherited every last jot of my uncle Solón’s charisma, and he also left me an elegant Italian tie. That’s all you need in this life to become a man of pedigree, he said.”
The author of this book, Valeria Luiselli, was born in Mexico, but due to his father’s job she also lived in the United States, Costa Rica, South Korea, South Africa and India. She currently lives in New York City, where for a time she volunteered as a court translator for child refugees from Latin America. It was after this experience that she wrote ‘Tell Me How it Ends: An Essay in 40 Questions’ and her most recent novel ‘Lost Children Archive.’
Oddly, Luiselli is a Mexican author that seems to have achieved greater success abroad. When ‘The Story of My Teeth’ came out, Mexican critics gave it mostly bad reviews, while in the US and the UK the exact opposite happened. The book was even nominated for awards. In fact, I heard about this book by its English title first myself, before I found out it was originally written in Spanish.
Personally, I found this book to be a breath of fresh air. It may not be to everyone’s taste because it is very different, but it is precisely that kind of risk that can make you stand out from the crowd, and so far, it seems to be working for Luiselli. No one could have written this book but her.
This review was originally published in Spanish at Cuaderno Reciclado.
