Cellophane: A Novel

By Marie Arana

Don Victor Sobrevilla, a lovable, eccentric engineer, always dreamed of founding a paper factory in the heart of the Peruvian rain forest, and at the opening of this miraculous novel his dream has come true—until he discovers the recipe for cellophane. In a life already filled with signs and portents, the family dog suddenly begins to cough strangely. A wild little boy turns azurite blue. All at once Don Victor is overwhelmed by memories of his erotic past; his prim wife, Doña Mariana, reveals the shocking truth about her origins; the three Sobrevilla children turn their love lives upside down; the family priest blurts out a long-held secret....

A hilarious plague of truth has descended on the once well-behaved Sobrevillas, only the beginning of this brilliantly realized, generous-hearted novel. Marie Arana’s style, originality, and trenchant wit will establish her as one of the most audacious talents in fiction today and Cellophane as one of the most evocative and spirited novels of the year.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Release date: May 1, 2007
• ISBN: 9780440336921

Marie Arana

Marie Arana was born in Lima, Peru. She is the author of the memoir American Chica, a finalist for the National Book Award; two novels, Cellophane and Lima Nights; the prizewinning biography Bolivar; Silver, Sword, and Stone, a narrative history of Latin America; and The Writing Life, a collection from her well-known column for The Washington Post. She is the inaugural Literary Director of the Library of Congress and lives in Washington, DC, and Lima, Peru.

Reviews for Cellophane

[bookconcierge · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Wow! When Don Juan decides to make cellophane in his remote jungle paper factory he is unprepared for the result of success. The product’s transparency infects the Don and all those who live on the hacienda; there are plagues of truth and desire as a result. No one has secrets anymore. Passions are revealed. Lies cannot be told. The characters rush to action based on their perceived truths, but no one sees all clearly. This is a very Latin book with curanderos, tribal wars, jungles, and military juntas. Arana’s magical realism includes visually stunning imagery. UPDATE, July 2009 - Our book club found much to discuss in this charming, vividly written, humorous fable. I like it just as well (if not more) on this second reading as I did when I first picked it up 3 years ago.

[maryreinert · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Fascinating and witty story of power, love, and lossDom Victor Sobrevilla is an engineer in the 1950’s in Peru. As a child with his aunt, he receives a prediction: “There are those who think you are a dreamer…the more a man sees, the less he will know…Let go, and gain the world. Victor keeps this tattered piece of paper his entire life. Leaving the civilized coast of Peru with his family, he heads into the interior of Peru and establishes a paper factory using the materials of the jungle and the men of the jungle as workers. His wife, Marianna, plays the part of the loyal wife whose family comes first. Oldest daughter Graciela marries a lout but has two beautiful children. Middle daughter Belin’s life is tied to books, and son Jaime marries an heiress of a sugar magnate who lives in a fantasy world but finds love with a Peruvian native. Victor’s paper mill is very successful but he is always inventing and learns to make cellophane. Then the world changes.First there is the plague of the tongues in which everyone speaks the truth and long lost secrets come to the surface. Next there is a plague of the heart when sexual tensions run high and finally the plague of revolution as the workers in the factory turn against Victor. This is a fascinating blend of Catholicism, primitive shamans, wealth, poverty, love, sexual antics, strange characters, and a setting far from civilization. As a lover of realistic fiction, I normally prefer it without the magic, but the magic is pure delight in this beautifully told tale of a man who finally learns to let go.

[mssbluejay · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The writing style is similar to Garcia Marquez'. The story itself was interesting, but it dragged at some points.

[allison7sivak · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed Arana's approach to storytelling; she would present a situation, and write about how the situation is explained or interpreted by various characters, all of which have divergent worldviews. The Catholic priest would interpret an event in light of his religious beliefs, the curandero in light of his religious beliefs, and Don Victor (who believes in both) would explain it according to where his opinions leaned that day. Arana has created a very rich cast of characters, and allowed each of them to speak their piece--which suggests something interesting about the country of Peru itself and its own diverse populations. I also appreciated how all characters had the opportunity for a renewal of love--even if that love did not subscribe to the character's integrity, morality, or fit with their lives as they led them.

[loanappletree · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The book is a beautiful blending of factual information on Peruvian jungle life and politics, magical story telling and family dynamics. This book combines the Latin story telling with great insights into Peru. The family dynamic, the struggle of the formal church as it meets the shaman and native beliefs is revealing and fair. A beautiful window into an unknown world.

[omphalos02 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Arana writes and plots with wit & style in her first foray into fiction writing. I had such a great time reading this that I was hoping for more (like a sequel) after it ended.