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From Publishers Weekly
The streetwise gutsiness of Bukowski and Miller pervades Cuban poet Guti rrez's raunchy, symbolic, semi-autobiographical debut novel of life in 1990s Havana. Although the title suggests a triptych, the work more closely resembles a mosaic of short stories bursting with vivid images of exhilaration, depravity, desire and isolation. Narrator Pedro Juan, middle-aged and fed up, has rejected his career as a journalist because "I always had to write as if stupid people were reading me." Resisting the mass exodus from Cuba of August 1994, Pedro Juan now wanders the streets of Havana like a footloose Bacchus, indulging himself with women, marijuana and rum. He survives through a series of menial jobs. His rooftop apartment in central Havana has a spectacular Caribbean view but is, like all dwellings in the decaying economy, frequently without water. Pedro Juan is imprisoned more than once for minor crimes; after one lengthy sentence, he returns home to discover that his lover has replaced him with another man. He eventually drifts back into the urban maelstrom. Prolific, explicit sex scenes reinforce the plight of the artist, and thus a society, limited to physical pleasures where life offers no intellectual or creative rewards. "It's been years since I expected anything, anything at all, of women, or of friends, or even of myself, of anyone." Guti rrez's talent lies in creating a macho, self-abusive protagonist who remains engagingly sympathetic. This searing, no-holds-barred portrait of modern Cuba, expertly translated by Wimmer into prose strong in the rhythms and vulgar beauty of the city, comes complete with a sexy jacket photo. It will attract readers who like their fiction down, dirty and literate. (Jan.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Review
"Grotesquely compelling...Pedro Juan Gutierrez appears destined to become a cult writer.' TLS 'A tale of human ingenuity and hidden hopefulness overcoming near-insuperable odds.' Guardian 'One of the sexiest books I have read in a long time.' David Profumo, Literary Review
--This text refers to an alternate
Paperback
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Inside This Book
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First Sentence
Early that morning, there was a pink postcard sticking out of my mailbox, from Mark Pawson in London. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
Early that morning, there was a pink postcard sticking out of my mailbox, from Mark Pawson in London. Read the first page
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Concordance
Browse Sample PagesConcordance
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Most helpful customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
More than sex in Havana,
By Jose M. Lopez-Marron (Plymouth Meeting, PA United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Dirty Havana Trilogy (Hardcover)
Mr. Gutierrez's book is more than just the story of promiscuous sex and survival in the Havana of 1994-5, when the economic crisis in Cuba was worse than ever. His style sometimes reminds me of Hemingways's: concise, clear, strong, makes you feel that you are there: touching chairs, feeling the breeze from the Malecon, having an encounter with a beautiful mulatta. His main character's alienation and desperation reminds one of one of those French existential characters who happens to have Di Chirico's and Hopper's paintings or posters on his wall. As bad as things were in Havana at that time, there is a certain excitement in his description that makes the reader want to get rid of many of the trappings of our consumerist society in order to experience the lightness of existing as a self. In a surrealistic manner,bbhe destroys traditional morality in order to arrive at a more honest view of what is really moral in a world where the most important thing is individual survival
5.0 out of 5 stars
My Favorite book of all time,
By
This review is from: Dirty Havana Trilogy: A Novel in Stories (Paperback)
Having first heard of this book in of all places "Vibe" magazine , I thought it would be just another book about Castro, Che, and such. Much to my delight it was the final step in my living my life long dream of visiting Havana, Cuba. Having now gone to Havana twice I can see how the stories in this book can be or rather must be true. It showcases a man's struggle to find food, not only for the body but also for his soul, although the methods are at times not the greatest,nor always the right thing. Having talked to many people in my two trips to the island of Cuba, about the "Special Period" I find that Pedro's tales are just the tip of a shocking real life story.
5.0 out of 5 stars
A True Novel,
By A Customer
This review is from: Dirty Havana Trilogy: A Novel in Stories (Paperback)
No way Pedro could have made up all of these stories! I feel that this book has been deemed a novel simply because the identities of the Cuban involved have been protected.I barely put this book down. I am surprised that Pedro still lives in Cuba after revealing so much about the troubled country. Even though the author turned many readers off with his sloppy sex scenes, racist comments, and general ragamuffin attitude, I was riveted. I can only hope that after writing the book and making some money, Pedro will no longer live off a staple of cigars and rum. I am about to order a copy to send to my buddy who is stationed in Guantanamo Bay. I refuse to give up my copy. I am sure that I will read it again. Too bad it doesn't come with a map.
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