Carlos Fuentes

[Stewart]

Carlos Fuentes (born March 11,1928) is a Mexican writer and one of the best-known living novelists and essayists in the Spanish-speaking world. Fuentes has influenced contemporary Latin American literature, and his works have been widely translated into English and other languages.

Fuentes published his first novel, La regi?n mas transparente, at 28 years old, which became a classic contemporary novel. It was innovative not only for its prose, but also by having a metropolis, Mexico City as its main character. This novel provides an insight into the Mexican culture, which is made up of a mixture with the Spanish, the indigenous and the mestizo: all cohabiting in the same geographical area but with different cultures.

The Mexican author describes himself as a premodern writer, using only pens, ink and paper. He asks "Do words need anything else?" Fuentes mentioned that he detests those authors who from the beginning claim to have a recipe for success. In a speech on his writing process he mentioned that when he starts the writing process he begins by asking "Who am I writing for? "

He published Las Buenas Conciencias in 1959 which is probably his most accessible novel depicting the privileged middle classes of a medium sized town, probably modelled on Guanajuato.

His 1960s novels, Aura (1962) and La muerte de Artemio Cruz (1962) are well acclaimed for using experimental modern narrative styles (including the second person form) to discuss history, society and identity.

In 1967, during a meeting with Alejo Carpentier, Julio Cortazar and Miguel Otero Silva, Carlos Fuentes launched the project of a series of biographies depicting Latin American caudillos, which would be called Los Padres de la Patria. Although the project was never completed, it set the bases for Alejo Carpentier's Reasons of State (El recurso del m?todo, 1974) and various other Dictator Novels (novela del dictador).

His 1985 novel Gringo viejo, the first pie American bestseller written by a Mexican author, was filmed as Old Gringo (1989) starring Gregory Peck and Jane Fonda.

In 1994, he published Diana, The Goddess Who Hunts Alone, a fictionalized account of his alleged affair with American actress Jean Seberg. However, authenticity of this adulterous liaison has been brought up to question several times.

Fuentes regularly contributes essays on politics and culture to the Spanish newspaper El Pa?s and Reforma. He is a stern critic of what he sees as American cultural and economic situations typically hidden from mainstream Mexican society.

RELATED THREADS


The Eagle's Throne (http://www.worldliteratureforum.com/forum/americas-literature/5640-carlos-fuentes-eagles-throne.html)


RELATED LINKS

Carlos Fuentes on Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Fuentes)

[Settembrini]

Carlos Fuentes is a kind of a Thomas Mann for Latin America. Cesar Aira parodies him in El congreso de literatura.

[altai]

Just finished 'The Death of Artemio Cruz' and although I was about to drop it several times in the process, in the end I was really taken by the book.
It is a very intense travel through an agonizing mind, setting scores with life, traveling back in forth in memory, slowly coming to terms with himself, letting go of life. There is a lot of pain in the novel, meditation on death, on existence, on memory, on choices one makes through the life and how they affect one's life, on Mexican history. Some parts of the books really mind blew my mind with the intense beauty of powerful imagery. Sometimes the text just speeds up and flows like a river of ecstatic poetry. And it all happens against the backdrop of the various events of the Mexican history of the first part of the XXth century.

As a narrative, I found it uneven. In some parts I couldn't get who talks to whom and what about, and in other parts I had to google to see what happened in Mexico on the particular date to get the background, and several parts could be definitely edited out, but I'd always read to the point where the narrative would pick up and then I couldn't take my eyes off this exuberant, powerful flow of words.

[liehtzu]

Funny no one's mentioned Terra Amata. I'm pretty sure it's his longest book (quite the brick, in fact) and Milan Kundera, for one, thinks it's one of the century's greatest novels. I have it sitting snugly on the shelf, waiting to find out. Anyway, here's an interview:

Interviews (http://www.dalkeyarchive.com/book/?fa=customcontent&GCOI=15647100621780&extrasfile=A09F7A0A-B0D0-B086-B6A488FAA77C5224.html)

[Heteronym]

Surely you mean Terra Nostra; yes, that novel has been under my radar since Milan Kundera praised it in The Art of the Novel. Its lenght also intimidates me. But it seems so interesting, sooner or later I'll read it.

[liehtzu]

Yes, sometimes I get me Terras mixed up. Terra Amata being a JMG Le Clezio novel (that's not half bad, by the way)...

[Daniel del Real]

Just finished 'The Death of Artemio Cruz' and although I was about to drop it several times in the process, in the end I was really taken by the book.
It is a very intense travel through an agonizing mind, setting scores with life, traveling back in forth in memory, slowly coming to terms with himself, letting go of life. There is a lot of pain in the novel, meditation on death, on existence, on memory, on choices one makes through the life and how they affect one's life, on Mexican history. Some parts of the books really mind blew my mind with the intense beauty of powerful imagery. Sometimes the text just speeds up and flows like a river of ecstatic poetry. And it all happens against the backdrop of the various events of the Mexican history of the first part of the XXth century.

As a narrative, I found it uneven. In some parts I couldn't get who talks to whom and what about, and in other parts I had to google to see what happened in Mexico on the particular date to get the background, and several parts could be definitely edited out, but I'd always read to the point where the narrative would pick up and then I couldn't take my eyes off this exuberant, powerful flow of words.

I can think it was difficult to follow for you; it was also really hard for me and I'm Mexican and I kind of knew what was he talking about. However following the narrative line is very difficult since it is a ver poliphonic novel with multiple voices, thoughts and characters.
It's true, it's all worth it at the end, however I think that La Regi?n m?s Transparente is much better book that La Muerte de Artemio Cruz. Also very challenging but really worth it. So if you want to try out something more by Fuentes I recommend that one.
I've been really lazy for Terra Nostra but I've heard nothing but good reviews about it.

[Heteronym]

I finished Terra Nostra this week, and it's an amazing novel. Fuentes employs so many different tricks in its creation, making abundant use of flashbacks, second-person narrators, stories-within-stories, time-travelling, and chapters whose focus changes from character to character in a heartbeat. And sometimes he even has objects like mirrors and paintings narrating.

It's a work of huge erudition, trying to cover all the history of the relationship between Spain and the New World. His treatment of history reminds me a lot of Jos? Saramago, in the way it gives voice to the poor and weak history neglects. Myth, history and lots of imagination blend in a dizzying narrative that mixes historical figures and even literary characters like Don Quixote and Don Juan.

Great novel. Carlos Fuentes is a master.

[Amoxcalli]

Although I suppose it has little to do with Carlos Fuentes himself, I do wonder, Heteronym, do you read his work in Spanish/Mexican, or in Portuguese translation? I've heard many Portuguese people brag about how everyone who speaks Portuguese also speaks Spanish (but NOT vice versa, they quickly add) and I'm wondering if this is true or, indeed, just bragging.

[Daniel del Real]

I finished Terra Nostra this week, and it's an amazing novel. Fuentes employs so many different tricks in its creation, making abundant use of flashbacks, second-person narrators, stories-within-stories, time-travelling, and chapters whose focus changes from character to character in a heartbeat. And sometimes he even has objects like mirrors and paintings narrating.

It's a work of huge erudition, trying to cover all the history of the relationship between Spain and the New World. His treatment of history reminds me a lot of Jos? Saramago, in the way it gives voice to the poor and weak history neglects. Myth, history and lots of imagination blend in a dizzying narrative that mixes historical figures and even literary characters like Don Quixote and Don Juan.

Great novel. Carlos Fuentes is a master.

No wonder you you had disappear from the forum like two weeks. The book is so long that just a few people read it, even here in Mexico. Right now the novel is out of print; probable is not a great business for editors since there is no great demand for ir. This is a bad situations because I've heard it's an stunning novel, so rich and complex that some people consider it the peak of Fuentes works. If the novel is indeed better than La Regi?n m?s Transparente I can?t imagine what kind of terrible monster of marvelous fictions this is.

[Heteronym]

Yeah, Daniel, I used all my free time to read, read, read this novel.


Although I suppose it has little to do with Carlos Fuentes himself, I do wonder, Heteronym, do you read his work in Spanish/Mexican, or in Portuguese translation? I've heard many Portuguese people brag about how everyone who speaks Portuguese also speaks Spanish (but NOT vice versa, they quickly add) and I'm wondering if this is true or, indeed, just bragging.

It's bragging.

I barely understand a word a Spaniard says because of the speed they talk at. What the Portuguese do when they think they're speaking Spanish, is actually speak Portuguese with a Spanish accent. They seem to think that that makes it intelligible to nuestros hermanos.

It is relatively true, however, that reading Spanish is rather easy for a Portuguese. But since you ask, I actually read the novel in English. I don't have any practice at reading in Spanish, and a 770 page like this would have taken me like 6 months to finish at the poor speed I read in Spanish :D

[johnr60]

I found very helpful commentary here: Archival reflections: postmodern ... - Google Books (http://books.google.com/books?id=0L-pqpz96zEC&pg=PA108&lpg=PA108&dq=miguel+ben+sama&source=web&ots=legDEObv1J&sig=bdSp7YdPMA6JIN1lkz8KciMfiEE&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=1&ct=resulthttp://syracuse.craigslist.org/mat/834178608.html)

[DB Cooper]

Hmm. I just made a post but it said the moderator would have to approve it before it shows. Thats a first. Perhaps Ive been blacklisted.

[DB Cooper]

Fuentes has been on my radar lately. Ive never read any of his work but Ive become intrigued by Terra Nostra. I actually am acquainted with several people who have read it, most of them say its a massive achievement, something not to be missed. However, a few people say that it is pretty boring. Ive been reading a bit about the book and it seems like something I would enjoy. Im not afraid of long books, in fact I often prefer them. To borrow a bit from Bolano, where he speaks of witnessing the Masters do real battle, instead of the perfect small sparring exercises. Im sure Terra Nostra is a fine place to start, but is it considered Fuentes best work? What other books of his are worthy?

[JTolle]

To borrow a bit from Bolano, where he speaks of witnessing the Masters do real battle, instead of the perfect small sparring exercises.

Sorry, I gotta back that up with the full quote:

"Without turning, the pharmacist answered that he liked books like The Metamorphosis, Bartleby, A Simple Heart, A Christmas Carol. And then he said that he was reading Capote's Breakfast at Tiffany's. Leaving aside the fact that A Simple Heart and A Christmas Carol were stories, not books, there was something revelatory about the taste of this bookish young pharmacist, who ... clearly and inarguably preferred minor works to major ones. He chose The Metamorphosis over The Trial, he chose Bartleby over Moby Dick, he chose A Simple Heart over Bouvard and Pecouchet, and A Christmas Carol over A Tale of Two Cities or The Pickwick Papers. What a sad paradox, thought Amalfitano. Now even bookish pharmacists are afraid to take on the great, imperfect, torrential works, books that blaze a path into the unknown. They choose the perfect exercises of the great masters. Or what amounts to the same thing: they want to watch the great masters spar, but they have no interest in real combat, when the great masters struggle against that something, that something that terrifies us all, that something that cows us and spurs us on, amid blood and mortal wounds and stench."

That's one of my favorite passages from a book I feel like re-reading every single day.

[DB Cooper]

Not to derail the Fuentes discussion too far, but I bought 2666 the day it came out, and promptly devoured it. I managed to re-read The Savage Detectives several months ago, and a re-read of 2666 needs to happen soon. The problem is there are so many wonderful books I havent read, that I want to get to. Take Fuentes Terra Nostra for example. An 800 or so page book will likely take me close to a month to read, and during that time Ill find another half dozen books that Ill buy and want to read. Ive already decided to buy Terra Nostra, but Im only halfway through Against The Day, while also reading The Lost City of Z, and Rising Up and Rising Down as well. I usually devote 2-3 hours a day to reading, Ill have to step up the pace to make some headway.

[Bjorn]

Hmm. I just made a post but it said the moderator would have to approve it before it shows. Thats a first. Perhaps Ive been blacklisted.
Sorry about that. I have no idea why it does that. PM me or Stewart if it happens again.

And that's a great quote from a great book, JTolle. I'd forgotten that one.

[mesnalty]

Fuentes has been on my radar lately. Ive never read any of his work but Ive become intrigued by Terra Nostra. I actually am acquainted with several people who have read it, most of them say its a massive achievement, something not to be missed. However, a few people say that it is pretty boring. Ive been reading a bit about the book and it seems like something I would enjoy. Im not afraid of long books, in fact I often prefer them. To borrow a bit from Bolano, where he speaks of witnessing the Masters do real battle, instead of the perfect small sparring exercises. Im sure Terra Nostra is a fine place to start, but is it considered Fuentes best work? What other books of his are worthy?

Of the Fuentes novels I've read (The Death of Artemio Cruz, The Old Gringo, Aura, Terra Nostra), it's certainly the best. I think you can find Robert Coover's review of Terra Nostra on the Internet; it pretty much sums up my experience with the book. It's repetitive in parts, and sometimes a slog to get through, but you can't help but admire Fuentes' craftsmanship.

[Daniel del Real]

La Región más Transparente (Where the Air is Clear I guess it's the translation) it's also another excellent book to start with.

[Daniel del Real]

Carlos Fuentes died today at 83 years old. Probably a heart failure :(

[Diotima]

“Writing is a struggle against silence.” ― Carlos Fuentes

[Heteronym]

That's sad news. After Terra Nostra and A Change of Skin, I haven't had an opportunity to return to his work, but I recognized he was an amazing stylist. I will continue to read him.

[Daniel del Real]

That's sad news. After Terra Nostra and A Change of Skin, I haven't had an opportunity to return to his work, but I recognized he was an amazing stylist. I will continue to read him.

I'm still missing Terra Nostra. Guess it's the right time to tackle it.

[Threetrees]

Fuentes left many novels unfinished considering them to be imperfections and "wounds that make the book bleed". Fuentes always postponed writing about himself: "One puts off the biography like you put off death," he said. "To write an autobiography is to etch the words on your own gravestone." R.I.P., man.

[Stiffelio]

Carlos Fuentes died today at 83 years old. Probably a heart failure :(

This is shocking news. He was in Buenos Aires for the Book Fair just 10 days ago. He seemed to be in good health and looked quite youthful for his age; a locuacious speaker as usual and enthusiastic about his new projects. A great pity that he's gone.

[Liam]

locuaciousWatch your queues, :).

[kpjayan]

Fuentes always postponed writing about himself: "One puts off the biography like you put off death," he said. "To write an autobiography is to etch the words on your own gravestone." R.I.P., man.

However, his book "This I believe: A to Z of Life" has a lot of autobiographical writing ( about his son, wife, family) apart from various other topics.Another regular contenter for Nobel departs. May his soul rest in peace.

[Threetrees]

Yes, a Book with his profound meditations about life and its aspects and values, Kpjayan. There he reflected his "alpha-to-omega" views. He wrote there about Marx and Hitler, Marquis de Sade and François Mauriac, Delia Garcés and many others.


One night when I was in Buenos Aires I discovered—not without a mixture of modesty, poignancy, and shame—yet another dimension of the amorous gaze: its absence. Our friend Luisa Valenzuela had taken my wife and me to a tango bar on the endless Avenida Rivadavia. It was a genuine dance hall—no tourists, no light shows, no paralyzing strobe lights. A popular neighborhood haunt, with its orchestra of piano, violin, and accordion. Everyone sitting on chairs lined up around the perimeter of the wall, like at a family party. Couples of all ages and sizes. And a queen of the dance floor. A blind girl, in dark glasses and a flowered dress. The reincarnation of Delia Garcés, the fragile Argentine actress. She was the most sought after dancer in the place. Resting her white cane on her chair, she would get up to dance without seeing but being seen. She was a marvelous dancer. She evoked the tango exactly as Santos Discépolo defined it: "a sad thought that is danced." It was a lovely and strange kind of love that was danceable in both light and darkness. Half-darkness, yes.

[Daniel del Real]

Here's an article from el País with the reactions of intellectuals about the loss of Fuentes: Juan Goytisolo, Antonio Gamoneda, Nélida Piñón, Ricardo Piglia, Juan Gabriel Vásquez,etc. It's in Spanish, but hey, Google chrome can more less translate everything right?

http://cultura.elpais.com/cultura/2012/05/15/actualidad/1337110210_721532.html

T (http://cultura.elpais.com/cultura/2012/05/15/actualidad/1337110210_721532.html)oday, there will be a homage to Carlos Fuentes at the Palacio de Bellas Artes in México City. I'll try to post some pictures later today.

[Daniel del Real]

It is a terrible loss for the whole world, but it is more to Mexico, as we have lost not only our greatest living writer but a man with a thousand faces: the intellectual by definition, a fierce critic of our society, about politics. An essayist, always present with sharp columns at newspapers an magazines, an editor who was involved in defining many already established literary figures from Spain and Latin America. A man involved in projects so different from each other he seemed to be everywhere. He was one of the almost extinct figures that represented the Total writer, a man with a strong compromise to his age, always occupying himself in creating a better present to deliver a much better future to our nation. A man that gave his entire life to Spanish language and who was one of the believers of creating a single Spanish language for the countries speaking it. All of this with a solid speech and a great presence. always active, lucid until the last minute, a man of intentions and memory.
His books are there and can bring him back every time we read him; but his voice will surely be missed.

[Daniel del Real]

Mario Vargas Llosa about Fuentes death:


http://cultura.elpais.com/cultura/2012/05/15/actualidad/1337112475_256516.html

[Daniel del Real]

Only 24 hours of his decease, Fuentes' publishing group Alfaguara, announced publication of two unedited books that will come out this year.

Personas/People (to appear July 4th) it's a memoir/essay book where Fuentes portrays the figure of several key figures he met through his life and who in some way influenced in his life and works. Some of the names present in this book are Luis Buñuel, François Mitterrand, André Malraux, Jesús de Polanco, Pablo Neruda, Julio Cortázar, Arthur Miller, Simone Weil, Susan Sontag y María Zambrano.

The second one, to appear late this year, it's a novel called Federico en su Balcón/Federico in his balcony in which Fuentes bring us a dialogue between Friederich Nietzche and his main character.

[Liam]

Only 24 hours of his decease, Fuentes' publishing group Alfaguara, announced publication of two unedited books that will come out this year.Gosh, that was fast. The body is still warm, you fuckers. Talk about decency to the deceased. Like they couldn't wait until after the funeral?

[Daniel del Real]

Gosh, that was fast. The body is still warm, you fuckers. Talk about decency to the deceased. Like they couldn't wait until after the funeral?

I know, it was too fast, but apparently the novels were ready to be published at the same dates that announced. It's not that they're unfinished books or texts taken out from the bottom of his hard disk or his mattress. Still a very bad timing to announce it.

[Heteronym]

Personas/People (to appear July 4th) it's a memoir/essay book where Fuentes portrays the figure of several key figures he met through his life and who in some way influenced in his life and works. Some of the names present in this book are Luis Buñuel, François Mitterrand, André Malraux, Jesús de Polanco, Pablo Neruda, Julio Cortázar, Arthur Miller, Simone Weil, Susan Sontag y María Zambrano.

That's a lot of amazing people to have influenced his life and work.

[Daniel del Real]

That's a lot of amazing people to have influenced his life and work.

Yeah, I'm really interested in getting this book when it comes out.

[mommietiger]

Rest in peace

[Hemmo]

Must admit, I read La Region Mas Transparente a couple of years back - couldn't escape the sense I didn't know enough about Mexican history to get what he was driving at...

[Daniel del Real]

http://www.worldliteratureforum.com/forum/images/flags/mx.gif Carlos Fuentes, The Great Latin American Novel ****0+

If you want to have a very wide and deep perspective from the novel in Latin America since the beggining this is the place to start. Hope this book can get translated soon as this is a very deep and intelligent approach not only to the topic, but to a man who had an amazing perspective not only of his country but his continent and his language. His knowledge for young writers and his new novels talks about the greatness of Fuentes, who despite being a consummate writer he always pay attention to all the literary movements and figures that were ascending not only in Mexico but everywhere, specially in the Spanish language novel.
Masterfully written, brilliant a times, just taking half star out because I can't believe he only mentioned once Ernesto Sábato and not once Roberto Bolaño.

That is a mini-review I quoted from the recently finished books. After the initial analysis and the list of initial omissions in which Fuentes initially incurred (Bolaño, Cabrera Infante, Sábato, Pitol, Neuman, Puig) I got myself to the task of finding some more names he could have given some space but didn't. Besides being a lot of writers who in my personal opinion didn't deserved to be named (Angeles Mastretta, Eloy Urroz, Xavier Velasco, Pedro Ángel Palou etc) he also dedicated very long chapters to writers like Lezama Lima and Alejo Carpentier, who have all the right to be quoted as very influential characters for the Latin American novel, but that probably with 20 pages would have been enough, instead of 40.

Here's the list I think could have complimented the work:

Argentina: Ernesto Sábato, Juan José Saer, Alan Pauls, Rodrigo Fresán
Bolivia: Edmundo Paz Soldán
Chile: Roberto Bolaño, Alejandro Zambra
Colombia: Álvaro Mutis, Evelio Rosero, Fernando Vallejo, William Ospina
Cuba: Guillermo Cabrera Infante, Eliseo Alberto
El Salvador: Horacio Castellanos Moya
Guatemala: Miguel Ángel Asturias, Augusto Monterroso
México: Juan García Ponce, Jorge Ibargüengoitia, José Emilio Pacheco, José Revueltas, Juan José Arreola, Mario Bellatín, Sergio Pitol
Uruguay: Mario Benedetti