The Madman, Ziza Series, Part 3

Author's name: Jose Mauro

It is difficult for us, as we read “The Madman,” not to recall the story of the gentle boy Zizou in “My Wonderful Orange Tree” and “Come, Wake Up the Sun,” and not to become empathetic with him, and with his positions and decisions as he became a young man of twenty years of age. The boy “Zizou” or “Zai” did not abandon the glow of his personal dreams, and did not stop searching for the meaning of his life, and carving out his personal adventures in a world hostile to him, until he was described as a tramp.

Zai confronted his family, teachers, and priests, and insisted on following his dream and finding happiness. It is a touching story from José Mauro's most creative writings, one that has rarely been matched in terms of its readers' fascination and critics' interest in its artistic brilliance, because it touches on the common human condition: love and dreams.