Book Review: Zorro by Isabel Allende
Johnston McCulley wrote the first Zorro story, “The Curse of Capistrano” way back in 1919. Set in Spanish California, it told the tale of Don Diego (de la) Vega, a foppish young nobleman who in secret was Zorro, the fox, masked protector of justice. It was a modest success, but Douglas Fairbanks, Sr. read the story and loved it so much he got his movie studio to buy the rights so he could appear in the film version.
“The Mark of Zorro” was a huge success, which inspired McCulley to write a sequel to his novel, and the rest is history. But McCulley died some time back, and the folks who now own the Zorro trademark were worried that with no new print version, it might fall into obscurity. So they asked Chilean author Isabel Allende to write an authorized book about the masked rider.
And so what we have here is an official Zorro fanfic. Ms. Allende takes up the story of just how Diego came to be Zorro, from the improbable meeting of his parents, through the many circumstances that taught him the skills he’d need, to the origin of the Zorro name. This all takes place prior to the timeframe of the first novel, where Diego was already working as Zorro with little said about his past.
It’s an interesting look at what might be necessary for Zorro to learn all the tricks he has, and expands greatly on the role of Bernardo, Diego’s mute servant and sometime Zorro decoy. I was amused to see that Ms. Allende couldn’t resist putting in a self-insert character, a young woman who can see right through Diego’s foppish facade, and tellingly named Isabel.
There are numerous infodumps, which slow the story down and may irritate some readers who don’t care about the background of Jean Lafitte or the city of Barcelona. I’m also told that this book is in a different style than most of Ms. Allende’s writing, so is non-indicative of her work. Something that definitely comes from her is the moments of “magical realism”, with a certain amount of unreliable telepathy and a “Gypsy” fortuneteller who can really foresee the future.
It is good for what it is, but those seeking the full-fledged Zorro may want to return to the original books and stories.
