BOOK REVIEW | Lilus Kikus by Elena Poniatowksa

5 deconstructing stars.

Lilus Kikus by Elena Poniatowksa, on the surface level, is about a young girl and her adventures as she grows up.  This book was first published in 1954 erroneously as a child’s novel due to the age of the protagonist (although her age is never clearly defined) and the simplistic writing style.  However, Lilus Kikus is bursting at the seams with a feminist and anti-patriarchal agenda.  

 As a modern reader, the evidence of this book’s agenda is so apparently and blunt that the only explanation as to how it could ever be passed as a children’s novel is because the publishing industry in the 50s, especially in Mexico, was dominated by men and they just didn’t expect this sort of commentary from a woman.

The reader is first introduced to Lilus when she is outside playing.  Lilus does not like to play with dolls (which are traditionally feminine), instead she prefers to play doctor and perform experiments (traditionally masculine roles).  As she grows up, she joins an all-girls school where one of her closest friend, the “Lamb,” is being sent away due to pre-martial sex that resulted in pregnancy.  

When Lilus is talking to her next door neighbor, the Philosopher, he says this of the Lamb:

“The lamb, the lamb… let me think.  Ah yes, the feminist.  The free thinker.  … Well, life started too early for her.” Lilus herself is neither fully feminine nor fully masculine, but she knows better than to try and stand up for her female rights.  She knows she will end up exiled like the Lamb and decides that "she would rather keep quiet.  It is better to feel than to know."

Indeed, the Lamb was born into the wrong time period, where women are not allowed to commit the same “sins” as men or hold the same positions.  They are meant to be beautiful, vivacious and submissive: “Also, Lilus had heard it said that dummies were the most enchanting women in the world.”  

One of my favorite parts of this book is when Lilus is describing her good friend, Chiruelita, who is very naiive and innocent.   Chiruelita is the picture perfect idea of a "feminine" lady, of a "delicate" woman.  She ends up marrying an artist and obeying him easily, until the one day she decides to think for herself and “with a languid gesture, the eccentric artist wrung her neck!”

If that's not a blatant statement comparing the patriarchy to the silencing of women, then I don't know what is.  It is baffling to see how original readers missed all of this subtext.

Eventually, Lilus cannot be contained and is sent to a nunnery where she is completely oppressed, both by the patriarchy and the Catholic religion.  The ending is open – it can be read as Lilus searching for signs of rebellion or as Lilus searching for signs of God.  Either way, the message is clear: the woman’s place is in the silence of the men’s voices. 

All this in a “children’s” book.

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TOP TEN TUESDAY: Authors I've Only Read Once

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish.  This week's full theme is "Authors I've Only Read One Book From But NEED to Read More."  (I'm tweaking it a bit to include short stories.)

In no particular order, here are my Top Ten Authors I've Only Read Once:

1.  Joyce Carol Oates.  I read Oates's short story "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been" in university and fell in love.  She has this magnificent way of creating a subtext that can be interpreted in a multitude of ways.  I ended up writing an entire paper on this short story and found that the interpretations are endless.  I actually own her novel, Mudwoman, and will hopefully get to it early next year.

2.  Cat Winters.  I buddy read Cat Winters' debut novel, In the Shadow of Blackbirds, with Brandi from The Book Geek a year or so ago and fell in love.  Both of us ended up tossing our read-a-long schedule to the wind because the book was just that good.  I've heard her new book, The Cure for Dreaming, is equally phenomenal. 





3. Elena Poniatowska.  Ms. Poniatowska was one of the only female voices being published in Mexico before the 60s and her work, Lilus Kikus, was originally mistaken for a child's novel.  If you were to read it today, however, the feminist subtext is so blatant that I'm still amazed anyone could have thought it a children's story to begin with.  She has been a fervent voice for Mexican women and was originally a journalist.  Since Lilus Kikus, which I read, she has published a number of different books, short stories and journalist pieces detailing the position of women in the Mexican patriarchy.  I've technically read more than just one book by her, because I've read a few of her stories too, but she is an author I desperately want to read more of, and I encourage you to do so, too. 





4.  Kathryne Kennedy. Diving into a few romantic reads, Ms. Kennedy has a beautiful writing style that I found easy to engage in.  I was interested in the characters, I thought her world building to be fascinating and all around just really enjoyed my experience while reading her.   I've only read The Fire Lord's Lover, which I recommend to anyone who's a fan of romance, but I cannot wait to get my hands on more from her.  It honestly was one of the most beautifully written romance novels I've ever read.

5.  Rainbow Rowell.  I posted a review of Rainbow Rowell's Fangirl, which I absolutely adored.  I have honestly only heard good things about this author.  I know she has three other books out, one YA and adult, and I have been anxious to read them.  And honestly, who couldn't love an author with an amazing name like "Rainbow."  She's already inherently fabulous by default.







6. Laura Whitcomb.  Laura Whitcomb is the author of the beautifully written YA novel, A Certain Slant of Light.  This novel was my favorite read of 2012 and made it onto my personal-favorites list as well.  The prose in this is just to die for and she tackles tricky subjects with elegance and grace.  I'm very much looking forward to reading more by this author.'








7. J.R.R. Tolkein.  He's a legend.  He's a master.  He's a genius.  And yet I've only read The Hobbit by him.  At this point, being a 24-year-old fantasy lover, there's really no excuse.  As you can imagine, The Hobbit is filled with fantastical world building, interesting characters and lack of women.  (I'll do a post on the underrepresentation of women in fantasy novels soon.)  Reading The Lord of the Rings is one of my goals for 2015.  Because the time is now, my friends.

8. Margaret Atwood.  Ms. Atwood is one of the greatest writers of our time.  The voices she gives to women in literature, the light she shines on the dangers of patriarchy and the heart-wrenching tales that she writes have all earned her a spot on the "Best Authors of the Era" list.  I've only read The Handmaid's Tale, but found her prose filled with fascinating subtext.  She's an author I've been meaning to read more of for years.

9. Gillian Flynn.  I had very mixed feelings about Gone Girl, some of which stemmed from the book itself and others from the expectations I had before going in.  I'm still torn as to whether or not I think she's a good writer, but I do think she's an interesting storyteller.  I won't say too much, because I do have a review of Gone Girl coming soon, but she is an author that I think it worth more than one read. 

10. Don DeLillo.  DeLillo has a lot to say and he manages to get his message across using a relatively short page count.  He just screams satire.  He's honestly one of those authors that I'd recommend everyone give a try.  Even though he might not be your cuppa, you'll probably still appreciate what he's trying to achieve.  I've only read his novel White Noise, but very much need and want to read more by him.

Who are YOUR authors you've only read once and need to read more from?