In the Palm of Darkness

by Mayra Montero and Edith Grossman

Book Overview

The quest for an elusive amphibian in the mountains of violence-torn Haiti brings together an unlikely pair of hunters--American herpetologist Victor Grigg and his Haitian guide, Thierry Adrien--whose individual stories unfold and intertwine in a mesmerizing tale of love, sex, and fraternal rivalry; of the propagation and extinction of species in the natural world; and of the mysterious forces of nature that govern the fate of all living creatures...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0060929065
• ISBN13: 9780060929060
• Release Date: June 1998
• Publisher: Harper Perennial
• Length: 192 Pages
• Weight: 0.38 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.3" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

AKA In the Palm of Darkness

Same book, different title. A wonderful read - questions our view of the world , our priorities, our interpersonal relationships in a quiet way. This is a book wrapped in factuality re:the extinction of frogs and in mystery - the zombies, poisons and spirits of the Haitian world. This is tightly constructed story that is never a hard read.

intriguing!

I read this book as part of a local book club I belong to, and it was by far the most interesting, well-written (what I could tell from the translation) of the three we've read so far. I loved the juxtaposition of the Haitian guide's personal anecdotes with the main thrust of the story told by the narrator. There is even juxtaposition within each chapter, as Thierry recounts his mysterious stories about his life in Haiti (sometimes gruesome and always enthralling) the narrator is only half-listening, as he ponders his own less-than-fulfilling personal history. The writer never fully unravels the dark mysteries of Haiti, only hints at them. I am anxious to read other books by Ms. Montero.

Life, death, quest ...

A wonderful read - questions our view of the world , our priorities, our interpersonal relationships in a quiet way. This is a book wrapped in factuality re:the extinction of frogs and in mystery - the zombies, poisons and spirits of the Haitian world. This is tightly constructed story that is never a hard read.

More than just Haiti and frogs

It's a shame that there aren't more English translations of this writer's work. I'm eager to discover what else Montero has to say (A hint to translator Edith Grossman should she ever read this). I found this novel among those listed in the Best Fiction of 1997 compiled by Booklist. Montero's novel certainly is deserving of a "Best of" list being a uniquely constructed story with alternating viewpoints of the two protagonists (the American gets the even numbered chapters, his storytelling Haitian guide the odd) and intertwining reports of the decline of numerous species of frogs throughout the world. I have never come across a work of fiction that incorporated the extinction and threatened extinction of amphibians as a metaphor for the chaotic state of the human condition. Having recently returned from a wildlife tour of Costa Rica, I am well-acquainted with the low or completely absent populations of frogs there. I was astonished to learn from reading t! his novel that the phenomenon of vanishing frogs is a global one. Readers with an interest in the alarming environmental situation of our planet and the mysteries of life should find a copy of Montero's novel and give it a thorough read. It is sure to give some reflection on the fragile state of both Earth and the human heart. The final paragraph is heartwrenching. I gasped before closing the book leaving me with much to mull over.