Marcela Serrano is a great writer, she is able to communicate emotions and feelings in a very strong and effectiveness way. When you are reading you can really feel what the characters experience, and at the same time you get to know the reality of south America: great book!

Violeta, one of the main characters, has commited murder in order to save her daughter, and her best friend, a famous singer who knows her since they were both children, is entrusted with Violeta's journals. From that point on, Josefa tells the stories of their childhood, the beginning and growth of their friendship, and the circumstances of their marriages and families, in a seamless collection of stories that glide smoothly from Violeta's imprisonment to the two friends' reunion in the small city of Antigua. This is a very, very good book, although some characters can be terribly unnerving with their neuroses and meddling, but overall, this is a perfect book to curl up with during a quiet afternoon.

Carlos Fuentes has written a brief, poetic elegy to love and classical music in his latest novel, "Inez".I have translated it into farsi and it is released just today,May 10th 2003. It weaves together three tales, a love affair spanning decades between Mexican diva and the famous European conductor Gabriel Atlan-Ferrara, that briefly mirrors the political chaos of the the 20th Century; the other, the love affair of two prehitorian Europeans somewhere along the coast of Ice Age Europe, thousands of years ago,The last one is combination of Damnation of Faust by Hector Berlioz and other classical operas of history.It is under tyhe influence of Maria Calas the Greek diva aca La triviata. This terse tale is among the finest examples of recently published literary prose that I've come across and translated into Farsi.I have tried a lot to find a contact address of Carlos Fuentes but in vain.Please read it and enjoy the Novel and help me with an address of the Mastero.

Carlos Fuentes has written a brief, poetic elegy to love and classical music in his latest novel, "Inez". It deftly weaves together two simple tales: one a tempestuous love affair spanning decades between Mexican diva Inez Rosenzweig and the famous European conductor Gabriel Atlan-Ferrara, that briefly mirrors the political chaos of the last half of the 20th Century; the other, the love affair of two Paleolithic Europeans somewhere along the coast of Ice Age Europe, tens of thousands of years ago. This terse tale is among the finest examples of recently published literary prose that I've come across.

Very entertaining, with lots of unexpected endings to interesting and vivid stories. Perfect for somone who doesn't have a lot of time to read.

Excellent vission of the mind of Cristobal Colón and the spanish Kings and Spain about the Americas

"Passions and Impressions" brings together more than 100 short prose writings by the great Chilean poet Pablo Neruda. The collection has been edited by Matilde Neruda and Miguel Otero Silva. The pieces have been translated from Spanish into a wonderfully inviting English by Margaret Sayers Peden.

These essays and prose poems cover many topics: Chilean politics, history, and geography; the work of other creative minds, such as poet Walt Whitman, sculptor Alberto Sanchez, and painter Nemesio Antunez; and the art of poetry itself. Many of the selections are important historical documents of Neruda's own political struggles in Chile. Also included is his 1971 Nobel address, "Poetry Shall Not Have Sung in Vain."

I was particularly interested in Neruda's words of praise for other Latin American writers, such as Gabriela Mistral, the "magical" Julio Cortazar, and the "extraordinary" Mario Vargas Llosa. I was moved by his reflection on the death of Martin Luther King, Jr. And I was delighted by such personal memories as a feast of onion dishes on the island of Capri, or an emotional poetry reading in Temuco. There are also moments of humor, such as a priceless anecdote about Federico Garcia Lorca (in the essay "Latorre, Prado, and My Own Shadow").

In the essay "It Is Worthwhile to Have Lived, Because I Have Love" (included in this volume), Neruda declares, "Poetry will water the fields and give bread to the hungry." The writings of Pablo Neruda, both poetry and prose, have been both bread and water to the souls of people all over the world. His expansive vision truly embraced what he called the "universal struggle" of all women and men. He is an enduring poet/prophet, and "Passions and Impressions" is a magnificent testament.

this one is a good choice. I particularly like his ode to my suit.

Juan Pablo Castel is a tormented and insane painter who falls for Maria, a woman he meets at an art exhibition. She is married to a blind man -the subject of Sabato and Saramago's obsession- and has a house in the countryside. She is also the mistress of her own cousin. Castel discovers this and goes mad with jealousy. We have no way to know the truth, because everything in the novel happens inside Castel's mind.

When I first read the novel, in 1989, I thought it was a great psychological thriller, a true gem of existentialism. My praise for it has diminished, though, as I have come to dislike the guy. On a superficial level, it's just about the mad obsession of a lonely and depressive loser who is unable to cope with his passion and that leads him to commit a crime. If you find it profound and revealing, then enjoy it.

juan pablo castel is the mind of men who strive to find a meaning to their existence. juan pablo's mind is a world of fanatasies that puts him on the verge of reality. here we have to examine the labyrinth of his mind and find that all he was searching for is merely the return to his infancy. we shouldnt be surprised that every men with an extraordinary intelligence, finds himself trapped in this purposeless universe. when men discover that they're left alone responsible for their actions, they seek nourishment from an idealized concept. in this case, this concept is maria iribarne. knowing that god doesn't exist (at least in the way we wish to beleive) juan pablo travels backwards in time to the origin with the hope of understanding his chaotic existence. this is where juan pablo becomes an existentialistic individual who simply wishes to be non-existential. the tunnel here refers simply to his mind. castel finds himself in the middle of nowhere, with no purpose at all. the paint refers to the door that will open his mind to maria that represents an illogical mind. though from the surface, we might think that it is castel's mind that's twisted, unpredictable and perhaps deviant, i must say that there exist order, pattern, and lucidity. it is maria's mind that is illogical with a lack of sense of the world that surrounds her. castel is the only victim of a cruel and insensible game that leads him to the deepest state of mind that could be nearly impossible to recover from.

Ernesto Sabato is best known for the second of his three novels, ''On Heroes and Tombs,'' a massive, intricate chronicle of murder and passion set in the Argentina of the 1950's. In his 1948 debut novel, ''The Tunnel,'' these themes are already on display, but in a simplified, almost fabulistic form. Mr. Sabato's narrator introduces himself, his crime and the object of his passion in the very first sentence: ''It should be sufficient to say that I am Juan Pablo Castel, the painter who killed Maria Iribarne.'' He then launches into an account of his affair with Maria, a married woman who first draws his attention at an art exhibit. Once their affair begins, however, her elusiveness provokes his jealousy, plunging him into a ''personal hell of analyzing and imagining.'' Does she see other men? Does she actually love her frail, blind husband? Does she love Castel himself? His attempts to answer these questions grow increasingly contorted and obsessive; finally, his crazed solipsism displaces romantic passion as the real subject of the novel. While Castel crouches, knife in hand, in the shrubbery outside Maria's weekend retreat, he makes his condition explicit: ''After all there was only one tunnel, dark and solitary: mine, the tunnel in which I had spent my childhood, my youth, my entire life.'' When it was first published in Spanish, ''The Tunnel'' won the applause of Thomas Mann and Albert Camus and was described as an existentialist classic. Still, in this fine new translation by Margaret Sayers Peden, Mr. Sabato's novel retains a chilling, memorable power.

"The Decapitated Chicken & Other Stories," by Horacio Quiroga, is a remarkable collection of short stories. Quiroga (1878-1937) was born in Uruguay and ended his life in Argentina. The stories have been translated into English by Margaret Sayers Peden.

These are stories of death, violence, horror, adventure, talking animals, and magical transformation. There are a number of grotesque flourishes, especially in the disturbing title story. As a storyteller, Quiroga is comparable to Edgar Allan Poe of the U.S., although I believe his nearest Latin American soulmate is Virgilio Pinera of Cuba.

Some of the best tales in this collection include with the already mentioned title story; "Juan Darien," a magical story which begins "Herein is the tale of a tiger who was raised and educated among men. . ."; and "The Incense Tree Roof," an ironic tale about a beleaguered civil servant. Essential reading for those with a serious interest in Latin American fiction.

Belatedly acknowledged as a masterful storyteller, Horacio Quiroga lived a life not a whit less tragical and colorful than those of his characters. From the beginning, his life was punctuated by tragedy and death, culminating in his suicide (he took cyanide). When still a teenager, he accidentally shot his best friend while showing him how to clean a gun. As an adult, he settled in the Misiones jungle, where he built a house with his own hands and tried to wring a living out of a farm. The life of hardship he endured there is masterfully reflected in some of his short stories, as are his lifelong obsessions, death and frustrated love. Quiroga was an admirer of Poe, and some of his early stories try to emulate the writer from Baltimore, but eventually he developed his own style, which is, I believe, even more accomplished than Poe's. In Quiroga's case, as has happened with many other writers, the life has obscured the works. Whenever he is mentioned, most people will tell you "ah, yes, poor guy - everybody in his family killed themselves". But his short stories, with the exception of a few very famous ones that are taught in high school, are not so widely read. As you will find when reading this collection, he has an unique way of creating oppressive scenarios, charged with fear, tension, and the unseen presence of evil, which eventually leads to unexpected and fearsome climaxes. Yes, he is macabre, and yes, there is a very nasty streak running through some of these stories - but he is also a highly intelligent, resourceful and accomplished writer, and one you shouldn't miss for the world.

The Great German poet Hersonlog Breich said of this work, "One of the most stunning arts of expression in modern times". Of course he was writing in 1941, but the statement still stands the test of time...

Catalina Guzmán, the heroine of this novel, is based on the wife of powerful Mexican General Maximino Ávila Camacho, who is named "Andres Ascencio" in the book. This man was a ruthless political boss of Puebla, whose brother, Manuel, was Mexico's President from 1940 to 1946. Maximino was an exploitator, a corrupt and violent man and a womanizer. But he was very rich and powerful, and so everybody feared and hated him. Even his Presidential brother couldn't cope with him.

This hilarious but sensitive novel is narrated in the first person, like the memoirs of the character, a beautiful and brave woman who married the General, despite his being 20 years older. Mastretta has done a fine job at describing this excellent female character. Living in an extremely "machistic" society, where women's role was utterly limited to household and silence, Catalina never lets her husband overwhelm her. She is a truly free spirit, fighting her way with dignity and malice. Her story develops amidst political turmoil and violence, but she manages to survive, have her little revenges, and come up alive and kicking. Even though the subsequent production of Mastretta has a very inferior quality, this book deserves to be read, and not just by women, but by whoever enjoys a good story well told. Its sense of humor is very good, it has really hilarious moments, and the depiction of Mexican society in the 30's and 40's is superb.

I loved this book! Anyone who has preconceived notions of the female in Mexican society should read this book. The protagonist is gorgeous, lusty, feisty, sympathetic and a survivor. Interestingly, the brutal, egomaniacal general is not one-dimensional and has moments of pathos. Fabulous and often hilarious read. Can't wait to read Mastretta's earlier work, Lovesick.

Those who have read The Death of Artemio Cruz should take a close look at Mastretta's Tear This Heart Out. Cruz's wife, Catalina, becomes Catalina Guzman, protagonist of Mastretta's novel. The similarities and differences are fascinating. Mastretta's novel makes an excellent choice to follow a classroom discussion of Fuentes' great novel.