Oscar Wao Book Review

462 Words2 Pages
The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao “There was only one way to prevent disaster from coiling around you, only one surefire counterspell that would keep you and your family safe. Not surprisingly, it was a word. A simple word (followed usually by a vigorous crossing of index fingers). Zafa...If the Yanks commit an error in the late innings it 's zafa; if somebody brings shells in from the beach it 's zafa; if you serve a man parcha it 's zafa. Twenty-four-hour zafa in the hope that the bad luck will not have had time to cohere. Even now as I write these words I wonder if this book ain 't a zafa of sorts. My very own counterspell” (Diaz 7). The prologue often serves as an exposition which introduces the background information, primary