El Rey de la Habana is one of the many books that have become increasingly popular about the portrait of the "real Cuba" that most tourists and outsiders do not see nor hear about. This book is raw and spares no expense when it comes to describing the life of Rey, a young Cuban street boy who struggles to survive life on the streets by stealing, abusing his body and basically prostituting himself (for fun and natural desires only not for money) as he moves from town to town just hoping to beg for enough money for at least one day's meal. The Cuba portrayed here is representative of the urban street life of many young Cubans both male and female who are forced to adopt this life style at a young age when faced with numerous adversities. A Cuban himself wrote the book so the picture could not be more real. Prepare yourself for some harsh and vulgar language, drug abuse and unlimited female encounters. Out from his ability to clean up streets and women he is know as "El Rey de la Habana". This is a sad portrait but a very true one in country that has forced its citizens to live impoverished and destitute lives. This is a well written novel in my opinion because the author did write the book using the everyday speech of these "street people". I suggest reading the book in Spanish only and purchasing a dictionary of Cuban colloquialisms because there are plenty and the meaning can not be assumed. Otherwise it is a great read and I don't think a translated version can retain the rawness and crudeness of the language.
This is a quick-reading novel. It's full of very graphic sex about the lifes of the main character and those he encounters in his short life.
On the other hand, it gives those who have no idea what it's like inside this country a sense of the sordidness of their lives, the crumbling of a system purported to be the best in Latin America. These folks live on a day-to-day basis, scratching a living by their wits, while everything around them is in every sense falling apart.
Great book! The author, Pedro Juan Gutierrez, presents his main character living in modern Cuba. He is led to believe that he is the "King" of Havanna. However, as you read the book you will find that he has no "royal blood" at all.
The book is written in very clear spanish. His descriptions are vivid and full of sex. If you want to read about modern Cuba and its people, this book is for you. Rey, the main character, is probably not the typical cuban. However, it does provide with examples of the obstacles that these people face in their daily routine. It also makes you think, what has Castro accomplished in his forty-two years of power?
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