In the Beginning was the Sea

Author: Tomas Gonzalez

Genre: Satire

Publisher: Steerforth Press, 2015

Pages: 224

Rating: Recommend

Synopsis: The young intellectuals J. and Elena leave behind their comfortable lives, the parties and the money in Medellín to settle down on a remote island. Their plan is to lead the Good Life, self-sufficient and close to nature. But from the very start, each day brings small defeats and imperceptible dramas, which gradually turn paradise into hell, as their surroundings inexorably claim back every inch of the 'civilisation' they brought with them. Based on a true story, In the Beginning Was the Sea is a dramatic and searingly ironic account of the disastrous encounter of intellectual struggle with reality - a satire of hippyism, ecological fantasies, and of the very idea that man can control fate.

Review: From my 2016 Reading Challenge, this was my choice for a book translated into English. I found this book to be entertaining in that all I could picture were families or couples from House Hunters International on HGTV, a show Sal and I watch from time to time. One particular family stands out to me. Their daughter loved horses, but it was too expensive for them to own horses in Texas so they picked up and moved to Panama. The final clip showed them with a pasture full of horses, living the dream. This book was how I picture life will be for them once the novelty wears off. I thought it was great.