Anclado en tierra de nadie is the first book of the series of revelations and trilogies of the protagonist Pedro Juan Gutierrez who is a lost soul in his own land due to the Cuba's poor economic state. You may want to read this book first although I did not (I wish I did) in order to get a feel for Pedro Juan's style of narration which is quite bold, frank and at the same is a very unique form of prose that so far is unchallenged when I compare his literature to other contemporary Latinamerican authors that I have read. Pedro Juan G reveals his struggles and experiences post the fall of communism in the Soviet Union which had a direct impact on Cuba. Chapter by chapter each not correlating to one another Pedro's experiences are a reflection of his frustration. No job, no stable home, lack of food, lack of freedom, rum, endless encounters with women and desperation. Pedro Juan is a vagabond who aspires to be a writer, a journalist, a painter and many other professions but can't achieve either long term in a land where drinking, music, unlimited and uncommitted relationships with women is the order of the day. Many might be reluctant to accept this perception of Cuba but the streets of Havana have a lot of destitute people and Pedro Juan's life is just a microcosm of human suffering. I recommend reading this book and others in the series that relate specifically to his desperate situation and loss of self worth. They are Nada que hacer, Sabor a mi and Trilogia sucia de la Habana. This is a good book, easy to read but there is a notable slow down towards the end.
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