NPR's Book of the Day: Death Takes Me by Cristina Rivera Garza

Episode Release Date: March 12, 2025
Host: Andrew Limbong
Author Featured: Cristina Rivera Garza

Introduction

In this episode of NPR's Book of the Day, host Andrew Limbong delves into Cristina Rivera Garza's novel Death Takes Me, the English translation of her 2007 Spanish work, La Muerte Meda. The conversation explores how Garza challenges traditional gender narratives within violent contexts and the intricate process of translating her impactful storytelling.

Upending Gender Tropes in Death Takes Me

Cristina Rivera Garza confronts the prevalent literary trope known as "women in refrigerators"—where female characters are harmed to advance male protagonists' stories. Garza subverts this by making men the primary victims of violence.

Cristina Rivera Garza (01:54): "There is a detective, a woman detective, who finds herself suddenly in charge of a very gruesome, enigmatic series of killings against men in a city that is plagued by violence."

Garza's decision to depict men as victims serves as a deliberate inversion of societal expectations around gender and vulnerability.

The Context of Violence in Mexico

Garza writes against the backdrop of the ongoing violence related to the misnamed War on Drugs in Mexico, particularly the tragic murders of young women in Ciudad Juarez. By shifting the focus to male victims, she aims to provoke a deeper societal reflection on violence and its arbitrary targeting based on gender.

Cristina Rivera Garza (02:30): "We live in societies that have high tolerance for the suffering of women, and that has invited the perpetuation of violence against women to me. It was really important to swap these places to see that even though in Spanish the word victim is always feminine, it's la victima."

This thematic choice underscores the persistent issue of gendered violence and challenges listeners to reconsider their perceptions and reactions to such tragedies.

Language as a Tool Against Violence

Garza emphasizes the profound impact of language in shaping societal attitudes toward violence. She argues that the very grammar and terminology we use can either perpetuate or mitigate the normalization of suffering.

Cristina Rivera Garza (04:19): "And that's another reason why I pay a lot of attention in this novel. I would say that the protagonist of this novel is language. As such, there is a grammar of violence."

By personifying language as the protagonist, Garza highlights its role in either enabling or resisting the cycles of violence within society.

The Translation Process and Bilingualism

Translating La Muerte Meda into Death Takes Me involved more than a direct linguistic conversion; it was an introspective journey for Garza, reflecting on the enduring nature of violence and her evolving perspectives since the novel's original publication.

Cristina Rivera Garza (05:11): "I think it has something to say not only about what was happening in Mexico in 2007, but about what we are going through right now in 2025."

Garza collaborated with translators Sarah Booker and Robin Myers, ensuring that the novel's nuanced themes and linguistic intricacies were faithfully preserved and resonated with an English-speaking audience.

Additionally, Garza discusses her personal experience with bilingualism in her memoir, Liliana's Invincible Summer. She explains how alternating between English and Spanish served as an emotional buffer while grappling with her sister's tragic murder.

Cristina Rivera Garza (07:01): "I would follow that process and to see where it would take me. And so what I would do the next day was to use the opposite language to kind of revise what I had written the day before."

This bilingual approach underscores the therapeutic and transformative power of language, both in personal healing and literary expression.

Conclusion

Cristina Rivera Garza's Death Takes Me is not merely a novel about violence but a profound commentary on gender, language, and societal indifference. By reversing traditional victimization tropes and delving into the mechanics of language, Garza invites readers to engage deeply with pressing social issues. The translation process further amplifies the novel's relevance, bridging cultural and linguistic divides to foster a broader understanding of the pervasive nature of violence.

Notable Quotes:

• Cristina Rivera Garza (02:30): "We live in societies that have high tolerance for the suffering of women, and that has invited the perpetuation of violence against women to me."
• Cristina Rivera Garza (04:19): "The protagonist of this novel is language. As such, there is a grammar of violence."
• Cristina Rivera Garza (07:01): "I would follow that process and to see where it would take me."

Death Takes Me by Cristina Rivera Garza is a compelling exploration of violence, gender, and language, making it a must-read for those interested in socially conscious literature that challenges the status quo.