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...

"Ocasio has found a mid-point between the vision of Costumbrista writing as a source of the Afro-Cuban historical and literary experience and criticizing it for its biases and shortfalls regarding early depictions of blacks. An interesting interdisciplinary blend of literature through a sociological historical optic."--Dawn Duke, author of Literary Passion, Ideological Commitment: Toward a Legacy of Afro-Cuban and Afro-Brazilian Women Writers

"Pays detailed attention to the nuances of representation, satire, and irony, as well as the significance of silence--what cannot be...

Ocasio has found a mid-point between the vision of Costumbrista writing as a source of the Afro-Cuban historical and literary experience and criticizing it for its biases and shortfalls regarding early depictions of blacks. An interesting interdisciplinary blend of literature through a sociological historical optic. Dawn Duke, author ofLiterary Passion, Ideological Commitment: Toward a Legacy of Afro-Cuban and Afro-Brazilian Women Writers

Pays detailed attention to the nuances of representation, satire, and irony, as well as the significance of silence what cannot be said in...