Mouches Volantes by Floco Tausin is powerful novel in which the narrator, under the illusion of restoring an antique desk, meets and is taught by a seer, Nestor. He gradually realizes that his growth is tied to the piece of furniture, which “is like a mirror: it reflects the energy of your ideas and concepts directly back to you” (27).
Initially one might be annoyed at the storyteller who seems so arrogant and reluctant to accept anything told to him by Nestor. Frustration with this slow-learning narrator, however, turns to understanding as we begin to see him as the embodiment of all of us who spend too much time denying the existence of, or our connection, to another world.
The story reminds me of Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray in which a young man’s portrait progressively gets uglier and uglier as his evil ways in the world increase. Dorian Gray’s beauty, however, does not diminish as his picture, hidden in his attic, shows the immorality of his actions. In Tausin’s story, the antique becomes more and more beautiful during the slow restoration process, as the narrator comes closer and closer to understanding the other consciousness represented by his eye floaters.
We tend to see earth as a small picture and we are often content with this limited view, afraid of losing what we know. The struggle is not easy. Years pass in the novel as the narrator learns. This is an allegory to our lives, reminding us that connecting with another possibility is not a one-step, easy ride. It forces a personal commitment from the reader. I recommend the journey. But be sure to keep an open mind and allow yourself to see beyond this image we call our world.
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