The Dream of the Jaguar A Novel

The Dream of the Jaguar follows a family across several generations, with Venezuela’s political history woven into the story. It starts with Antonio, an orphan who is found on the steps by Teresa, a mute woman living on the streets. She takes him under her wing and cares for him, but eventually sends him away in the hope of giving him a better life. Antonio is an intelligent boy who works from a young age, and we follow his journey as he grows up, falls in love and builds his own life. I found it interesting to see the story unfold across different generations, especially the parts about the first female doctors in Venezuela. It’s also a story full of love, lust and questions about life and death, with elements of occult beliefs and magical realism mixed in. I liked most of the characters, and I enjoyed the writing style, which kept me turning the pages. Some descriptions were a bit too flowery for what was happening, and I found some of the sexual descriptions rather strange, as they were quite vulgar in their wording while also trying to sound poetic. The book doesn’t go particularly deep into Venezuela’s political history, as this mostly serves as the backdrop for the family story. Still, I enjoyed learning more about the country through the lives of these characters.