: Price eventually finds himself swallowed by the violent political conflicts of the young republic, where the lines between predator and prey begin to blur. Key Themes
: The narrative highlights the irrational destruction of the environment driven by burgeoning capitalist interests during the mid-19th century.
: The novel examines how European scientific and artistic representations of the "tropics" were used as tools for global domination and the commodification of nature.
Published in 2023, by Colombian author Juan Cárdenas is a genre-bending novel that blends historical fiction with elements of the Western, travel chronicles, and art history. Set in 1850s Colombia, it explores themes of colonialism, identity, and the destruction of nature through a surreal, hypnotic lens. Plot Overview
: Cárdenas explores how national identity in Colombia was manufactured through the lens of 19th-century scientific expeditions.
: What starts as professional curiosity turns into a personal and philosophical pursuit as Price follows Pandiguando’s trail through a wild, often hallucinatory Colombian landscape.