| Literature of Latin America Contributor(s): Ocasio, Rafael (Author) |
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ISBN: 0313320012 ISBN-13: 9780313320019 Publisher: Greenwood OUR PRICE: $66.33 Product Type: Hardcover - Other Formats Published: July 2004 Annotation: Many readers have already discovered the magic of Garcia Marquez's One Hundred Years of Solitude and the allure of Allende's The House of the Spirits. By examining popular works like these and introducing a host of lesser-known Latin American writers and their fiction, this volume helps readers navigate the rich and varied culture at the heart of Latin American literature. Going beyond the usual literary criticism, works of Latin American literature are considered here not only in terms of literary merit of individual works, but also in regard to their place in the literary heritage and what cultural messages we can learn from both historic and contemporary works. Following a chronological sequence, the earliest New World writings are traced from the colonial period through explorers' chronicles, military chronicles and religious texts up to the 19th century and the birth of Latin American Literature. Chapter 2 examines the Historic movements and landscapes of 20th century Latin America. Since the "Boom" writers that followed further developed the political themes, surrealistic styles and native influences introduced early in the 20th century, important literary terms and concepts are carefully explicated here for the nonspecialist. Boom writers, like Fuentes and Marquez, as well as their antecedents such as Jorge Luis Borges, are most closely associated with the coming of age of modern Latin American literature, the topic authoritatively explored in Chapter 3. A full chapter is devoted to the most significant modern women writers. Insightful analysis of works by Laura Esquivel, Rosario Ferre, Isabel Allende, and Luisa Valenzuela open windows to the cultures of Mexico, Puerto Rico, Chile, and Argentina respectively. The final chapter investigates the role of Latin American writing in the cultural and political struggles and as a political weapon in the indigenous and religious movements. |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - Literary Criticism | Caribbean & Latin American |
| Dewey: 860.998 |
| LCCN: 2004007987 |
| Series: Literature as Windows to World Cultures |
| Physical Information: 0.93" H x 6.44" W x 9.6" (1.16 lbs) 230 pages |
| Themes: - Cultural Region - Latin America |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: Many readers have already discovered the magic of Garcia Marquez's One Hundred Years of Solitude and the allure of Allende's The House of the Spirits. By examining such popular works and introducing a host of lesser-known Latin American writers and their fiction, this volume helps readers navigate the rich and varied culture at the heart of Latin American literature. Going beyond the usual literary criticism, this book considers works of Latin American literature not only in terms of literary merit, but also with regard to their place in the literary heritage. It also examines the cultural messages we can learn from both historic and contemporary works. This volume, taken as a whole, provides a wealth of information with the depth and authority demanded for serious research. At the same time, the book is structured with chronological and topical organization, so that each chapter can be read and enjoyed independently. The analysis is written with clarity and accessibility for the nonspecialists, and all terms are defined, to help students and their teachers better appreciate the Latin American writers, their novels, and the cultures that shaped them. Ten teachers were consulted on the content to ensure that the works and authors covered met student needs and interests. A timeline of historical events, and further suggested readings lend further assistance to readers who want to research and fully understand the historical and cultural significance behind these literary works. |