The Fallen
Carlos Manuel Álvarez
(Author)
Description
A vibrant and meticulously constructed debut novel about familial and cultural breakdown
A powerful, unsettling portrait of family life in Cuba, Carlos Manuel Álvarez's first novel is a masterful portrayal of a society in free fall. Diego, the son, is disillusioned and bitter about the limited freedoms his country offers him as he endures compulsory military service. Mariana, the mother, is unwell, prone to mysterious seizures, and forced to relinquish control over the household to her daughter, Maria, who has left school and is working as a chambermaid in a state-owned tourist hotel. The father, Armando, is a committed revolutionary, a die-hard Fidelista who is sickened by the corruption he perceives all around him. As each member of the family narrates seemingly quotidian and overlapping events, they grow increasingly at odds for reasons that remain elusive to them--each of them holding and concealing their own secrets. In meticulously charting the disintegration of a single family, The Fallen offers a poignant reflection on contemporary Cuba and the clash of the ardent idealism of the old guard with the jaded pragmatism of the young. This is a startling and incisive debut by a radiant new voice in Latin American literature.Product Details
Price
$16.00
$14.88
Publisher
Graywolf Press
Publish Date
June 02, 2020
Pages
160
Dimensions
5.5 X 8.2 X 0.5 inches | 0.45 pounds
Language
English
Type
Paperback
EAN/UPC
9781644450253
BISAC Categories:
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Become an affiliateAbout the Author
Carlos Manuel Álvarez has contributed to The New York Times, El País, BBC World, and The Washington Post. In 2017 he was included in the Bogotá39 list of the best Latin American writers under forty. He divides his time between Havana and Mexico City.
Reviews
A searing work of literary excellence. . . . Álvarez unravels this story of an imploding family-in-crisis with symmetrical precision.--Booklist