El Deleite De Vivir

Natalyia Munoz leaves her groundbreaking perspective on the page with her first novel, The Joy of Living. The novel, based on the author’s experiences and reflections, is meant to be a call for introspection and positive evolution, guided gently by the hand of the protagonist, Eliza.

By exemplifying all the ways in which we can transform our lives on our day to day, Eliza fits the role of both first-person narrator and an indirect advisor for her readers. Instead of reading as a manual of do’s and don’ts, the use of Eliza’s internal monologue exposes the reader to her understanding of reality and personal philosophy below and beyond the threshold of consciousness, delivering the text’s message that much deeper.

Eliza’s journey is very much a spiritual one framed by one between countries, cities, and cultures, denoting our own internal development throughout our lives. She grows, changes, and ultimately transforms into her best self, the self that had been there all along. In doing so, and by providing the readers with an in-depth look into her psyche, she highlights just how powerfully we can, in fact, control and change our destiny to match our desires and make us incandescently happy.

Natalyia Munoz, therefore, takes her readers through a journey that they are meant to complete themselves, already knowing exactly that success is possible while recognizing that the journey is deeply personal, instinctive, and different for everyone. But in re-reading Eliza’s journey and tracing her steps towards fulfillment the reader will certainly find a novel that will accompany him during his own journey like a faithful friend.