“Harsh Times by Mario Vargas Llosa recounts a disastrous event in the past, but it is also highly relevant in this era of disinformation, extremism, and violence.” Continue reading Translation Tuesdays: Harsh Times by Mario Vargas Llosa @ nyjb
This week I review Island of the White Rose, by R. Ira Harris, about a disillusioned Cuban priest struggling with his moral and political convictions amidst the Batista dictatorship. Continue reading CCLaP Fridays: Island of the White Rose, by R. Ira Harris
Karl Wolff reviews Firefly by Severo Sarduy (release date, March 2013), a writer praised by Roland Barthes, for his verbal richness and dreamlike evocation of pre-Castro Cuba. Continue reading Translation Tuesdays: Firefly, by Severo Sarduy
Mexico has been in the news lately. It has also been part of the literary tsunami following the publication of Roberto Bolaño’s epic 2666. In the section entitled “The Part about the Crimes,” Bolaño brings us into a world of chaotic violence against women in Santa Teresa near the US-Mexican border. The free flow of capital and drugs turns Santa Teresa into a zone of relentless murder, brutality, and violation. But to understand the violence of modern Mexico, one must also understand the violence of 19th century Mexico. C.M. Mayo’s historical romance, The Last Prince of the Mexican Empire, brings … Continue reading Book Review: The Last Prince of the Mexican Empire, by C.M. Mayo
The Driftless Area Review 