Overview

This work traces how Gothic imagination from the literature and culture of eighteenth- and nineteenth-century Europe and twentieth-century US and European film has impacted Latin American literature and film culture. Serrano argues that the Gothic has provided Latin American authors with a way to critique a number of issues, including colonization, authoritarianism, feudalism, and patriarchy. The book includes a literary history of the European Gothic to demonstrate how Latin American authors have incorporated its characteristics but also how they have broken away or inverted some elements, such as traditional plot lines, to suit their work and address a unique set of issues. The book examines both the modernistas of the nineteenth century and the avant-garde writers of the twentieth century, including Huidobro, Bombal, Rulfo, Roa Bastos, and Fuentes. Looking at the Gothic in Latin American literature and film, this book is a groundbreaking study that brings a fresh perspective to Latin American creative culture.

Full Product Details

9780826360441

Table of Contents

Reviews

""In this groundbreaking study, Serrano . . . rereads canonical Latin American texts through a Gothic lens to elucidate how authors incorporated, adapted, and subverted elements of this aesthetic style as a way of communicating the social and political realities of their particular times. . . . Highly recommended."" --Choice ""Ultimately, the monograph becomes an indispensable addition to existing criticism. Its success lies in its effective elucidation of significant aspects of Latin American texts that had been overshadowed (or willingly disregarded) by magical-realist and fantastic readings. Thus, Serrano's arguments attest to the ability of the Gothic mode to deepen and enhance academic approaches to international fictions and, particularly, Latin American literature and film.""--Inés Ordiz, Brumal: Revista de Investigación sobre lo Fantástico / Research Journal on the Fantastic ""An essential study in the evaluation of the Gothic in the region and at different historical junctures.""--Jonathan Risner, Hispanófila

In this groundbreaking study, Serrano . . . rereads canonical Latin American texts through a Gothic lens to elucidate how authors incorporated, adapted, and subverted elements of this aesthetic style as a way of communicating the social and political realities of their particular times. . . . Highly recommended. --Choice

In this groundbreaking study, Serrano . . . rereads canonical Latin American texts through a Gothic lens to elucidate how authors incorporated, adapted, and subverted elements of this aesthetic style as a way of communicating the social and political realities of their particular times. . . . Highly recommended. --Choice Ultimately, the monograph becomes an indispensable addition to existing criticism. Its success lies in its effective elucidation of significant aspects of Latin American texts that had been overshadowed (or willingly disregarded) by magical-realist and fantastic readings. Thus, Serrano's arguments attest to the ability of the Gothic mode to deepen and enhance academic approaches to international fictions and, particularly, Latin American literature and film.--Ines Ordiz, Brumal: Revista de Investigacion sobre lo Fantastico / Research Journal on the Fantastic An essential study in the evaluation of the Gothic in the region and at different historical junctures.--Jonathan Risner, Hispanofila

In this groundbreaking study, Serrano . . . rereads canonical Latin American texts through a Gothic lens to elucidate how authors incorporated, adapted, and subverted elements of this aesthetic style as a way of communicating the social and political realities of their particular times. . . . Highly recommended. Choice

Author Information

Carmen A. Serrano is an assistant professor in the Department of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures at the University at Albany-SUNY.

Tab Content 6

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

Countries Available