Literature of Latin America

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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.