This is one of the ancient photocopies I have, that I would not hang onto if I were at a university with library holdings. Magnarelli’s The Lost Rib is a good book, although dated now. And I am too lazy to summarize the preface and explain the premise, and there are reviews you can look up. Before I recycle it, I am just noting a few random things.
The book is about Efraín’s emotional state, not about María. She is a key to his memories, not a protagonist; as metaphor or key/door she is associated with Mary/Esther, and all related goddesses, Isis, Ishtar. And love stories/romances are about the recreation of lost paradise. And María has no interiority, is constantly described/created (“written on”) — a blank space.
See 36: M. the person gets converted into a single, simple signifier, is immortalized and made permanent, and is also distanced and made into an object separate from the subject. (The whole book is about women characters and writing; another point suggested is that this novel and plot are about control: E. creating M. when as we know, men are born of women.)
There’s more, but I have things to do, and I’m recycling.
Axé.
coldhearted scientist وداد 