Paradise.

• Author: Mujica, Barbara

Entre dos mundos, by Juan Zapata Olivella (Bogota: Plaza y Janes, 1990). Although the word "novel" appears on the cover under the author's name, Entre dos mundos (Between Two Worlds) is not a novel in the conventional sense. Rather is it a long meditation on topics as diverse as the workings of the human brain, the exploitation of Marilyn Monroe by commercial interests, the uses of the laser beam and the fate of illegal aliens in the United States.

The unifying thread is the idea that man, in particular, the Latin American, is caught "between two worlds": one governed by technology, the other by fantasy. On the one hand, modem science has broadened our horizons marvelously. It has brought into reach unprecedented amounts of information that can help us resolve the countless problems we face. Nevertheless, science cannot fulfill man's spiritual needs. This is the realm of fantasy, myth, religion. As one character clearly speaking for the author explains, the brain is divided into two hemispheres: "the left side ... is analytical, concrete, presumptuous, sharp, and the right side is imaginitive, innovative, visionary, and even dreamy." Logic and creativity are not mutually exclusive; on the contrary, they are mutually dependent. Man is rational and intuitive at the same time.

Zapata illustrates his thesis through his protagonist, Germin Gallardo, a neurosurgeon from Colombia who achieves international fame when he operates on the Pope after an assasination attempt. The first part of the book, designated "The Infranovel," describes Gallardo's studies and residency in Calandria, "a town fun of tradition," where he starts his career. The second part--"the Supernovel"--narrates Gallardo's experiences at the Illinois Zionic Hospital of Chicago, where he has been accepted into a highly special program in neurosurgery, his professional triumph and his decision to return to Colombia.

Throughout the novel Gallardo is "between two worlds," but they are never in conflict. His desire to excel at the study of neurology does not dim his appreciation for the traditions, legends and beliefs of his own people. Even in the United States, where technology has assumed such a dominant role, Gallardo preserves his faith and his ability to dream. His final triumph represents the perfect fusion of faith and science, for if Gallardo succeeds in saving the Pope, it is due as much to his spiritual purity and devout Catholicism as to his medical expertise.

Zapata's...