Review of Alejo Carpentier's Explosion in a Cathedral

In Explosion in A Cathedral, Carpentier depicts the intense climate of moral purity that existed during the French Revolution.  Punishable crimes include showing skepticism about the revolution, hanging around those who were viewed as anti-revolution, playing face cards (as face cards contain symbols of monarchy), playing traditional Catholic hymns, playing music composed by Masons, and holding mass.

Carpentier also depicts the hypocrisy inherent in the ever-changing Revolution. One of the protagonists, Victor Hugues, is a French politician in the Caribbean, and he is fiercely loyal to the Revolution. When Hugues finishes the destruction of the main church in Guadeloupe, he learns that the prevailing religion of the French Revolution has moved from atheism to the Cult of the Supreme Being and Hugues is left in an awkward position.

The worst hypocrisy of the Revolution is most obviously manifested in the attitude toward slaves. Inspired by the democratic ideals of the Revolution, France abolished slavery in its Caribbean colonies in the late 18^th century. However, in Carpentier’s book, French sailors are depicted selling slaves to other colonial powers for financial profit after the decree of abolitionism.  However, a few years later, the French (now under Napoleon) reinstated slavery in their Caribbean colonies. Victor Hugues is still a powerful politician in Napoleon’s era, and the man who formerly announced the emancipation of slavery in Guadeloupe under the Revolution leads efforts to hunt down and kill those who refuse to reenter slavery.

I found the history depicted in this book fascinating. The story of the exiled Acadians is another historical gem. However, I did not find the characters particularly admirable, likable, or (except in the case of Victor Hugues) memorable. I didn’t like any of the characters enough to be sad when the book ended in tragedy.

  

Because the book highlights contradictions and excesses of revolution, it seemed to me that the author, Carpentier, might have some conservative views. As such, I was surprised to learn that Carpentier supported Fidel Castro all his life. This is likely partly explained by how bad the dictatorship was in Cuba before Castro, particularly for intellectuals, but I wonder what other explanations there are to this mystery.