Writing

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Leyendes de Guatemala

Leyendes de Guatemala or Legends of Guatemala, which is Miguel Asturias’ first major work, depicts the Mayan civilization before the Spanish conquered the land. This novel brought him significant praises in France and Guatemala as well. Asturias used the elements of magical realism to tell several stories in the novel. Moreover, he applied both lyrical […]

Popularity: 55% [?]

12Jun2008 | vdr | 0 comments | Continued
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The Banana Trilogy

 
Another masterpiece of Miguel Asturias is an epic trilogy about the abuse and exploitation of the native Indians on banana plantations. The trilogy, which is composed of the novels The Cyclone (1950), The Green Pope (1954), and lastly, The Eyes of the Interred (1960) – all translated in English, depicts a fictional story explaining the […]

Popularity: 69% [?]

29May2008 | vdr | 0 comments | Continued
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Men of Maize

Hombres de Maiz (Men of Maize, 1949) is usually mentioned to be Asturias’ masterpiece. Written in six parts, the novel explores the difference of traditional Indian culture with that of the modern society. Asturias had always been passionate and educated about the mysterious world of native communities. The plot revolves around an Indian community whose […]

Popularity: 72% [?]

24May2008 | vdr | 0 comments | Continued
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Hats Off to Men of Maize

‘Men of Maize’ is another novel written by the Nobel Prize Award recipient Miguel Angel Asturias. It is an incredible account of the lives of the indigenous Indian people of Latin America in the early 20th century. Miguel Angel Asturias had brilliantly interwoven the three timelines to illustrate the saga as a legend.  
The Plot
The […]

Popularity: 86% [?]

21May2008 | vdr | 0 comments | Continued
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El Presidente

I have just finished reading the English version of Miguel Angel Asturias’ masterpiece, El Presidente. An integration of romance, politics, human nature, and comedy gives it a satirical tone. The story was really interesting and I appreciate the manner the author depicted the characters. It builds excitement to the reader and the way he played […]

Popularity: 87% [?]

12May2008 | vdr | 1 comment | Continued
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Unsung Angel

English translations of masterpieces by Latin American writers seem to overflow in book shops recently. Various works have landed the best sellers list but what is so surprising is that Miguel Angel Asturias’ name still seems to be unheard of. I could not help but question how come a Nobel Prize award recipient appears to […]

Popularity: 100% [?]

6May2008 | vdr | 1 comment | Continued
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Looking for Angels

I’ve been around my father’s library while growing up and he had somehow influenced my love for reading. I started being hooked to books at an early age enjoying all those detective mystery novels then moving on to teeny bopper paperbacks. Now my taste has somehow changed adapting to a different genre. I would say […]

Popularity: 60% [?]

4May2008 | vdr | 1 comment | Continued