Stranger to the Moon

a Book Review of the novel by Evelio Rosero

Stranger to the Moon by Evelio Rosero might be the strangest book I’ve ever read. 

The book is about a person with extremely long fingernails who lives in a house filled only with hermaphrodites. The hermaphrodites are not allowed to leave the house, nor wear clothing, and clothed-people come to the house to have sex with them, and also, gruesomely torture and kill them. 

The protagonist, is both a man and a woman but has distinctly masculine and vengeful energy in the novel. The protagonist spends a lot of their time living in a closet because whenever any stranger visits the house it is required that someone stay in the closet (not sure if this is a bad metaphor). 

Our protagonist becomes cognizant of the torture they’re facing and seeks revenge. I think this book is filled with metaphor but the meanings are so general and vague you can shape them to fit any thesis. For example, the novel could serve as a message about the patriarchy forcing people who are different into cages so it can feel better about itself. It could also be a metaphor for crushing the patriarchy by growing out our nails and embracing both our masculine and feminine halves. It could be a million things. 

If you like bizarre Columbian novels, being enthralled yet confused simultaneously, or need a novel for an essay for school, I would recommend this 100-page book. Stranger to the Moon is creepy, and I hate that I can’t stop thinking about it. 

The Don’t Call Me Ishmael Official Book Rating, Sponsored by Neighborhood Whale Watch (NWW):

2.5/5 Whales — Readable