In the novel “The President died!”, Felipe de Caux tells the story of Alberto, the head of state’s right-hand man, who wakes up to shocking news: the president is dead. Faced with this situation, in a country dominated by a dictatorial regime, Alberto must act quickly to avoid chaos among a population that is already dissatisfied, but has been kept under control for years. With Jeremiah’s help, he tries to hide the information and the president’s body, which mysteriously disappears in the fictional city.
The plot unfolds in the midst of a satire full of suspense, humor and fantastic realism, where different characters symbolize the ideals, conflicts and hypocrisies of contemporary society. From uninformed defenders of the dictatorship to petty politicians and young people in search of easy money, the work reflects the complexity of human dilemmas. Felipe de Caux offers a scathing and sarcastic critique on topics such as human rights, corruption, gender inequality and misinformation, present in all social spheres.
With light writing and engaging dialogue, “The president is dead!” It also features illustrations by the author himself, which highlight key moments in the plot. The narrative reveals how the protagonists need to adapt quickly, form alliances and find ways to compete for power, presenting a critical and neutral view of political alienation and social divisions.
How did events and the contemporary political atmosphere influence the creation of “The President Died”? What were the main inspirations and references you used to build this fictional dictatorial scenario?
The events of recent years were not what inspired me to create the book, as it was completed, for the first time, in 2017. However, after this date, revisions were made and important narratives were modified. But I still don’t believe that the events of recent years have significantly affected the work. I based myself much more on the events that occurred in the fifties and sixties, with the cold war and its repercussions, mainly because I believed that many of these events were tragicomic and, on many occasions, even surreal. However, the most incredible thing was that, despite this, the book dialogues with events, and many of these events have repeated themselves in recent years.
To build the scenario, I used a lot of the history of Latin America, which was tormented by several dictatorships, and scenes from Cuba and even Germany. In addition, several other details that are typical of any system, such as the game of power, corruption, the influence of the media, etc.
Alberto and Jeremias play a crucial role in the plot. Can you talk about how you developed these characters and their motivations? How do they reflect the internal and external conflicts present in today’s society?
The two characters begin the story and are important in driving the events. Even though they have the same objective, they are very antagonistic characters. Alberto is the brains behind the president. He is the one who decides the actions to be taken, and, from the beginning, participates actively. But above all, what fuels him is his interest in power. Jeremiah was caught in the middle of the events. He was never authorized to make decisions, he followed his path due to a total lack of options, but also out of friendship or loyalty. I believe that both characterize well all those who directly or indirectly participate in politics.
“The President Died” is described as a mix of suspense, humor and fantastic realism. How did you balance these elements to create a cohesive narrative? What was the biggest challenge when incorporating these genres into a single work?
I don’t believe that one element excludes the other. I didn’t think much about style when I started the book. I had an idea, but as I wrote the story, it took its own shape. So much so that I had to change the ending I initially had in mind, as it no longer matched the direction the story took. Humor is an important part of my life and it makes sense to be part of what I write. Suspense arose as the story progressed. Fantastic realism is my favorite style of reading, so the book ended up having some fantastic aspects, but still very real. At least within your “reality”.
What helped balance the elements was that the characters are very different. They give personality to the book, and through their differences, and through them, I managed to mix humor, suspense and violence.
The illustrations you included play an important role in presenting the plot. How did the idea of integrating drawings into the text come about? Can you tell us more about the process of creating these illustrations and their impact on the narrative?
It was almost a coincidence. At the time of editing, I was experimenting in the world of drawing and it seemed like a good challenge to illustrate it. I looked for some scenes that stood out to me and that seemed important enough to share my vision with readers. I believe that drawings help the reader shape the story, but without taking away space for their own creativity.
The work addresses themes such as political alienation, corruption and social inequalities. How do you hope readers perceive and reflect on these questions as they read your book? What messages or questions do you intend to raise in the public?
I find it difficult to write while expecting a reaction from the reader. People are free to use the book as they wish, as reading has several functions, including just entertainment. I never expected the book to change opinions or the way readers see the world. I put into it personal impressions of how I see the world today, but without expectations. However, in a certain way, when I receive feedback that the book helped me reflect, it means that what I wrote was important to someone.
The book deals with the inherent contradictions of humans. Can you give us an example of how these contradictions are explored through the characters or events in the plot? How important are these contradictions in the construction of the narrative?
Contradictions are important and are part of who we are. By placing them in the book, the characters become more real, making it easier for readers to identify with the characters. One of the biggest contradictions, and it happens a lot, is following a cause you don’t believe in, just as Jeremiah does in a large part of the book. Another common contradiction, which can be seen in several parts of the book, is about prejudice, which could be between people, or even systems.
In a satire with fantastic realism, how important was this genre to criticize and at the same time involve the reader in the story? How do you see the role of fantastic realism in contemporary literature?
It makes it possible to cross the barriers of realism, without making the story incredible. I think that although fantastic realism or magical realism is not a genre exclusive to Latin American writers, it fits well with our reality. Perhaps because our life and culture are full of almost fantasy events, but which we still view with the seriousness of realism. Life in Latin America can be, at times, magical and full of events that break the barrier of reality. Furthermore, this genre offers us brilliant writers with even more extraordinary imaginations.
The fictional city where the plot takes place is essential for the development of events. How did you create this environment? Was there inspiration from real or literary locations to create this scenario?
Everything I’ve experienced influences what I wrote, and I’ve lived in different cities and countries. This helped me put together a city with pieces of all these places, but also no specific place. I took parts from older neighborhoods in Belo Horizonte, small cities in Minas Gerais, but I think I took a lot of elements from Santiago de Cuba, where I lived for six years during college.
The fun dialogues are a notable feature of the book. How did you work the humor within a plot that addresses such serious and heavy themes? How important is humor for the narrative and for readers’ critical reflection?
When dividing the book by characters, I looked for characteristics of their personalities that allowed me to modify the way of telling the story, because by working on the different characteristics, I was able to exercise different forms of humor. In the Jeremias and Carmen chapters, for example, I was able to write more obvious, clearer humor. Other chapters didn’t allow me humor, but more sarcastic and discreet forms.
Humor plays an important role as it makes the heavy parts more bearable. In a review I heard something from a reader that seemed interesting to me and answered this question well. She said that “I can write difficult topics in a light way”. I always make a point of emphasizing that I write with humor, not comedy books.
You mention that the work deals with social issues critically, but maintains an ideologically neutral field. How did you achieve this neutrality when approaching such polarizing topics? How important is it to maintain this neutrality in the narrative?
When writing it, I thought it would be important, in that moment of great division, to maintain neutrality. I thought it reasonable to do something more palatable. I did not feel I had the role to encourage further polarization, which was excessive and excruciating. I think I used the book to escape her a little. Even though no work can be completely neutral, I think that, in a way, I managed to get closer to neutrality, at least, so far, I feel that the book pleased people from both extremes. This is possibly due to the fact that it is written from different characters, which allowed different views to be created.
As much as, in “The President Died”, I tried to maintain neutrality, I do not believe that it is essential to maintain impartiality. We have our visions, choices, options, opinions, etc., and we must share them with readers, as the book is also a part of the writer.
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