Fuentes, A New Time for Mexico, The Death of Artemio Cruz, The Old Gringo, Constancia
Calderon, de la Barca, Frances, Life in Mexico. An amazing book. An amazing woman.
Paz, Octavio Labyrinth of Solitude, Sor Juana.
Rulfo, Juan. Pedro Paramo
Azuela, Mariano, The Underdogs (Los de Abajo)
Taibo II, Paco Ignacio, Four Hands
History, etc.
Collis, Maurice, Cortes and Montezuma
Lewis, Oscar, Various. Dated no doubt but valuable.
The Z’s. Dated also no doubt but valuable.
The two anthropology texts are valuable in that they focus on aspects of Mexican life that is not found in history books and that I haven’t found, although it must be there, I should look harder, in its literature. Aside from personal experience, I’ve had to rely on telenovelas. I should find out if such a thing exists as a Mexican novel of manners. A readable one. Artemio Cruz was I think too political. The other Fuentes? I read only in Spanish. The one about his home town. Pink walls.
Riding, Distant Neighbors. Good reference for how things work.
Guillermoprieto, Alma. Various Essays
Weismann, Art and Time in Mexico
Johnson, Heroic Mexico. Memorable especially for description of scene of battle of Monterrey, how the Mexicans defended the city street by street. Should get confirmation from other sources. Drove home for me though how racially brainwashed I was, still am, as a white Texan. I’ve perhaps swayed too far the other way, not seeing faults, but it nevertheless fascinates, and worries, me that I find it extraordinary whenever I read an account of Mexican courage and determination. How do you ever overcome those repeated scenes of the Alamo, all those little brown bodies in their fancy uniforms getting picked off by the droves by big, proud, scrappy, etc. defenders? It was presented to us like a computer game.
Diaz, Conquest of New Spain. Read this on Calvin Hamblin. Totally charmed and fascinated.
Bedford, A Visit to Don Otavio. This started my Bedford jag. She was probably just the sort of well-read pretentious brat I would have fallen in love with when I was a teenager, and I was disappointed when I finally figured out her sexual preference.
Lawrence, Mornings in Mexico
Plumed Serpent. Hard to get through.
No comments:
Post a Comment