Cuban writer viciously oppressed in his native cuba for both his literary attacks on fidel castros revolution and his open homosexuality, reinaldo arenas became a literary star by smuggling his books overseas. Arenas, for some years one of cubas most important unofficial writers, was cast out finally in the mariel boat lift in 1980. Jul 30, 2000 to tell the story, arenas divides himself into three personae. In farwell to the sea, arenas continues his pentagonia series by departing from the hallucinatory violence presented in the first two books singing from the well and palace of the white skunks and entering the minds of a young married couple spending a week by the sea. The novel farewell to the sea a manuscript once confiscated by the cuban. A novel of cuba by reinaldo arenas, professor andrew hurley translator, thomas colchie introduction by online at alibris. Andrew hurley a young couple leaves the dreariness of havana and spends six days at a small seaside retreat, trying to recapture the desire and carefree spirit that once united them. Arenas, expelled from cuba in 1980, has written a splenetic indictment of totalitarianism in general and his native country in particular. This book, part of a multisegmented work, provides a sense of the outrage felt by serious cuban intellectuals especially those who also are homosexual, doubly pariahs, plus a taste of the still flourishing baroque tradition in cuban fiction personified by such masters. For sure the best of arenas books, this middle novel of his fivebook pentagonia series is brilliant and unwinding.
Reinaldo arenas biography childhood, life achievements. He escaped to the us in 1980 after two imprisonments in cuba, and committed suicide after his health declined due to aids. Reviewing the novel farewell to the sea in the new york times, jay cantor wrote. Singing from the well, farewell to the sea, palace of the white skunks, color of summer, and the. In this brilliant, apocalyptic vision of castros cuba, we meet a young couple who leave the dreariness of havana and spend six days at a small seaside retreat. This book, part of a multisegmented work, provides a sense of the outrage felt by serious cuban intellectuals especially those who also are homosexual, doubly pariahs, plus a taste of the still flourishing baroque tradition in cuban fiction personified by such. To tell the story, arenas divides himself into three personae. Farewell to the sea is a 1987 book and the third in cuban author reinaldo arenas pentagonia book series, which critics have often argued as his best. Reinaldo arenas, writers in exile, and the havana of 1987.
Farewell to the sea by reinaldo arenas paperback, 1987 for. In this brilliant, apocalyptic vision of castros cuba, we meet a young couple who leave the dreariness of havana and spend six days at a small seaside retreat, where they hope to recapture the desire and carefree spirit that once united them. The novels first part, an interior monologue, represents the memories and fantasies of a. The 47yearold author was suffering from aids, his literary agent, thomas colchie, said. Born and raised in the era of the cuban revolution, arenas joined castros revolutionary rebellion group as a teenager, but went against the regime after they began prosecuting homosexuals.
Farewell to the sea pentagonia, book 3 by reinaldo arenas. In this brilliant, apocalyptic vision of castros cuba, we meet a young couple who leave the. Reinaldo, the writer whose novel farewell to the sea is destroyed by. Before night falls reinaldo arenas ebok 9781847651693. Arenas settled in new york where he lived until his death from aids ten. Reinaldo arenas july 16, 1943 december 7, 1990 is a cuban poet, playwright, and novelist, perhaps best known for the novel farewell to the sea 1985 and the memoir before night falls 1993, later made into a movie. Born and raised in the era of the cuban revolution, arenas joined castros revolutionary rebellion group as a teenager, but went against the regime. Twice confiscated by cuban authorities and rewritten from memory, this litany of despairthe story of life in totalitarian cubais told through the voice of a wife who remains nameless, then through that of her husband, hector, a disenchanted revolutionary and poet. Farewell to the sea by reinaldo arenas paperback, 1987. The third volume, farewell to the sea, is arguably reinaldos finest novelistic achievement within the pentagonia.
In 1983, the cuban author reinaldo arenas spoke about his writing. Nov 29, 1985 my favorite novel is farewell to the sea by reinaldo arenas a cuban farm boy, the author, from whose memoir he describes himself as a primate wild child struggling and failed to communicate to his machismo father. Twice confiscated by cuban authorities and rewritten from memory, this litany of despairthe story of life in totalitarian cuba is told through the voice of a wife who remains nameless, then through that of her husband, hector, a disenchanted revolutionary and poet. Twenty years have passed since the publication of before night falls, reinaldo arenass tale of his years in cuba under the castro regime and his life in exile in the u. In 1980, he was one of 120,000 cubans who arrived in the united states on the mariel boatlift. One of the most talented and prolific writers to emerge during. It had to be written three times, the first in 1969, when it was destroyed by a friend who was supposed to be hiding it. It had to be written three times, the first in 1969, when it was destroyed by a friend who was supposed to be hiding it away, chapter by chapter, as reinaldo wrote it. Hector, his wife and baby vacation for six days at a small seaside cabin. Reinaldo arenas, writers in exile, and a visit to the havana of 1987. Reinaldo arenas, a novelist who spent several years in prison in cuba under fidel castro, committed suicide on friday in his apartment in manhattan, the police said. In this brilliant, apocalyptic vision of castros cuba, we meet.
My favorite novel is farewell to the sea by reinaldo arenas a cuban farm boy, the author, from whose memoir he describes himself as a primate wild child struggling and failed to communicate to his machismo father. Online shopping from a great selection at books store. Before night falls was named one of the times best books of 1993, and. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders.
A novel of cuba pentagonia new edition by arenas, reinaldo isbn. The third volume, farewell to the sea, is arguably reinaldo s finest novelistic achievement within the pentagonia. The first half is a prosaic stream of consciousness narrative of the troubled wife. Farewell to the sea places arenas in the company of faulkner and virginia woolf, but he still manages to forge a niche of his own that is remarkable, stunning and thoroughly rewarding.
Mar 04, 2014 reinaldo arenas, writers in exile, and a visit to the havana of 1987. Despite the hardships imposed during his imprisonment, arenas produced a significant body of work, including his pentagonia, a set of five novels written between the 1960s and 1980s that comprise a secret history of postrevolutionary cuba. Reinaldo arenas july 16, 1943 december 7, 1990 was a cuban poet, novelist, and playwright known as an early sympathizer, and later critic of fidel castro and the cuban revolution, and a rebel of the cuban government. The assault by reinaldo arenas, andrew hurley translator. The last time i saw reinaldo arenas, we sat together on the front stoop of his dilapidated brownstone on 46th street in new yorks hells kitchen. Arenas settled in new york where he lived until his death from aids ten years later. Published in 1987, farewell to the sea is the third book in reinaldo arenas pentagonia which critics have often argued as his best. Began at age six engraving lines of poetry into their lands tree and inadvertantly infuriating his fathers sensibility. But arenas became increasingly disenchanted with the revolutions. Farewell to the sea,quality paperback,fiction general,released 07071987. In this, the final volume in the series of five novels that constitute his secret history of cuba, reinaldo arenas paints a harrowing, and at times boldly entertaining, kafkaesque picture of a dehumanized people living in a world where homosexuali.
A novel of cuba by arenas, reinaldo and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Farewell to the sea is a 1987 book and the third in cuban author reinaldo arenas pentagonia book series, which critics have often argued as his best set on a cuban beach immediately following the revolution, a disenchanted poet mourns for the new suppression while his wife longs for the connectivity that she can no longer find. This is one of my favorite books of all time if you choose to read any arenas book i highly recommend this one. Rieffs psychologically revealing book analyzes the lingering.
Gabriel, the macho man who marries for his mothers sake. Reinaldo arenas, born july 16, 1943, holguin, oriente, cubadied dec. If theres a momentas in my novel farewell to the seawhere you want. Sea, arenas continues his pentagonia series by departing from the hallucinatory violence presented in the first two books singing from the well and palace of the white skunks and entering the minds of a young married couple spending a week by the sea. Four years later he escaped to the united states where he established himself as an important writer with his novels farewell to the sea 1987 and singing from the well 1987. Reinaldo arenas, a writer and poet, spent several years in prison during fidel castros regime in cuba. The assault by reinaldo arenas and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Reinaldo arenas project gutenberg selfpublishing ebooks. Twice confiscated by cuban authorities and rewritten from memory, this litany of despair the story of life in totalitarian cuba is told through the voice of a wife who remains nameless, then through that of her husband, hector, a disenchanted revolutionary and poet. Remembering reinaldo the exiled literary giant longed. If theres a momentas in my novel farewell to the seawhere you want to satirize all the uniforms, swords, and so. As a teenager arenas joined the revolution that brought fidel castro to power in 1959. His extraordinary novels, flush with magical realism and sensual detail, won several prestigious awards abroad. Arenas, for some years one of cuba s most important unofficial writers, was cast out finally in the mariel boat lift in 1980.
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