Have you ever read a book that feels like a dream? Beautiful, yet unsettling, where every page pulls you deeper into its enigmatic spell? That’s exactly what Aura by Carlos Fuentes does. It’s not just a story; it’s an experience, one that lingers long after you’ve turned the last page, and welcomes you to question your relationship to yourself, to love, and to the obscure.
The Haunting Premise
The novella is written in the second-person, an interesting choice, and a master-move to captivate the reader, and make you personally invested since the first few words. The book is now your story.
Our main character is Felipe Montero, a young historian (you), who is lured to an old, decaying house by an irresistible job offer. He’s tasked with organizing the memoirs of a deceased military man, but the job quickly takes a backseat to the eerie presence of the house’s inhabitants: the mysterious widow, Señora Consuelo, and her hauntingly beautiful niece, Aura. The book’s second-person narrative immerses you entirely, as if you, the reader, are Felipe, trapped in the house’s oppressive atmosphere.
the atmosphere
What makes Aura unforgettable is its atmosphere. The house feels alive—its dim, greenish glow, creaking sounds, and pervasive sense of decay practically seep off the page. Fuentes’ prose is lush and poetic, painting every shadow and whisper with vivid precision. There’s a palpable tension, a sense that something isn’t right, and yet, you can’t look away. It’s as if the house itself is an extension of the characters—mysterious, decaying, and full of secrets.
The Themes: Love, Obsession, Identity, and Time
On the surface, Aura is a gothic love story, but dig deeper, and it becomes a meditation on the nature of identity and obsession. The lines between past and present blur as Felipe’s connection to Aura and Consuelo deepens. The connection between Felipe, Aura, and Señora Consuelo suggests that love can transcend time but also entrap people within it. Fuentes blurs the lines between love as an uplifting force and love as something possessive and consuming.
Fuentes uses Felipe’s experiences to question the stability of identity. Through the second-person narrative, readers become Felipe, immersing us in his psychological descent. Aura and Consuelo are revealed to be two sides of the same identity, mirroring Felipe’s unraveling sense of self. By the end, identity feels less like a fixed trait and more like a malleable, spectral construct that bends to forces beyond individual control.
Time is a key theme in Aura, depicted as cyclical and non-linear. The house, with its oppressive atmosphere and decayed beauty, feels frozen in time. Fuentes explores how the past haunts the present, especially through Señora Consuelo’s obsessive desire to relive her youth and love. The fusion of Felipe’s reality with the house’s spectral past suggests that time doesn’t just flow forward; it loops and traps, repeats and stretches.
Recommendations
If Aura has piqued your interest, here are some other works to sink into:
- “Pedro Páramo” by Juan Rulfo: Equally haunting, this Mexican classic delves into a ghostly village steeped in memories and regret.
- “The House of the Spirits” by Isabel Allende: A multi-generational tale blending magical realism with family secrets and political unrest.
- “Beloved” by Toni Morrison: For its exploration of the past’s grip on the present, with a similarly spectral tone.
- “The Shadow of the Wind” by Carlos Ruiz Zafón: If you crave literary mystery steeped in atmosphere, this is a must-read.
If I could only read a book a million times over for the rest of my life, I would choose Aura in a heartbeat. Reading Aura is like stepping into a lucid dream—a captivating, eerie, and beautifully written journey that holds you there with it. Give yourself the opportunity to find your new favorite book!