Latin American writers such as Jorge Luis Borges, Gabriel García Márquez, and many others are admired by educated readers around the world. But few know about the literary tradition from which these writers emerged. This Very Short Introduction remedies this situation, providing an overview of Latin American literature from the late eighteenth century to the present. Roberto González Echevarría covers a wide range of topics, highlighting how Latin American literature became conscious of its continental scope and international reach in moments of political crisis, such as independence from Spain, the Spanish-American War, and the Mexican and Cuban revolutions. Within this narrative, the author discusses major writers ranging from Andrés Bello and José María Heredia through Borges and García Márquez to Fernando Vallejo and Roberto Bolaño.
Oxford University Press | January 2012 | ISBN: 9780199754915