This book is a recount of Juan Pedro Gutierrez' personal experiences as a Cuban who was the victim of the crisis of 90's after the collapse of the Soviet Union, Cuba's strongest ally and economic tie. This book may offend those who are fond of the Cuba that is portrayed as a paradise to many around the world but unfortunately the lifestyle of Cubans is not at all what the tourists enjoy. Also, some may be offended by the way the author portrayed is own life as an average poor Cuban male, who survived the best way he could by living a vagabond life with the company of the rum bottle, sexual encounters and salsa music. What else could a poor destitute Cuban do in a communist country whose government provides its people with the bear minimum and even less at times.
I think book just tells it like it is without any polishing which I think gives the reader a clear portrait and reveals another aspect of Cuba with respect to survival especially during the peak crisis of the 90's when the shortage of everything was notable. The basic staple needs like soap, toilet paper, food etc. could not be met and the situation is still quite comparable today in 2003. The book brings the Cuban experience to life via the language that the author uses which is at times very vulgar, raw, inappropriate and downright Cuban however, the language and the style is what brings his recounts to life and helps to situate the reader in that time frame and to identify with the author's experiences. Also, there are some interesting references to the Gods of Santeria a religion that is still practiced by many Cubans today.
Overall the book presents and aspect about Cuba that is real, hard to believe and depressing but at the same time is an eye opener and a reality check about a country who has its citizens living in poverty and in some cases below human standards.
I read the Spanish version. I believe a book like this should always be read in its original form. The language here I don't think can be carried over successfully in a translation.
Well worth reading, not only for the libidinous content, told artfully and with humor, but also for its stark, mostly squalid, picture of mid-1990s communist Cuba. A genuine treat.
kr
Great read, I wouldn't know how to start describing it, I just know that I liked it. His prose is full of sex, misery, rum, hunger and dirt, with the constant presence of women and the ocean. A desperate cry into the hopelessness of those who lived in Cuba during the early "Special Period" of the nineties.
The story of a renegade cuban journalist, and an insight into his own hell and that of those around him; a hell caused by the starvation and misery that followed the breakdown of the Soviet Block in Cuba. Sex, drugs and cheap rum provided the only distraction available at the time. A narrative where the hunger never leaves, and where the only thing that is for sure is that things will not be better tomorrow.
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