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9781137602619

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Niamh Thornton, Senior Lecturer in Latin American Studies, University of Liverpool, UK My immediate response to this piece is that I want to read more and, to ask, when could I begin to use it for class and research? This indicates that it is a timely and welcome addition, specifically to Latina/o and Chicana/o studies, as well as productive in terms of the study of a paratextual analysis of literature in a broader sense. I have read previous texts which have addressed the reader responses and epitexts, but not provided a theoretical frame which could be applied to other texts or contexts. This project builds on research carried out by McCracken previously, which means that she is drawing on established expertise in this field. Given the current debates in the publishing world and the evolving nature of consumption and readership, the study of literary cultures and the book market is a growing area of research. This book should both capture a snapshot moment in time, because it is highly relevant and deals with contemporary developments, and provide tools for further analysis. The clear articulation of the theoretical frame means that this book would be of use to those studying literature at undergraduate, post-graduate and for researchers. In a general sense, while this is clearly a text that draws on applied knowledge and careful research, this piece could do with more references. There are places where I felt these were missing and where it wasn't clear where I could pursue sources of information further. There are a few typos that need to be reviewed and I wasn't sure why the months were abbreviated in places. The introduction provides a good survey of the theoretical framework and an introduction to the two authors which are the focus of the text. It could give a brief summary of what is to follow. Chapter 1 opens with mention of Baca and Cisneros and then moves on to discussion of Diaz. Not sure that this opening works. However, the rest of the chapter's discussion of Diaz is productive and lucid: how he is identified and marketed as a writer; the book as object; the ereaders' features and functions and the advantages/disadvantages in relation to his experimental style (in particular the use of footnotes); and questions related to how texts are analysed and understood in terms of haptic experience and interaction with text and paratext. In this chapter there is mention of the audiobook and the talent of its reader that is brought up again in the epilogue. At least a mention of the name of the reader might be useful, here. Some reference to the sorts of theory that address quality of voice might also be constructive, even if it is not dealt with in detail. Chapter 2 considers footnotes as paratext; how the modes of consumption/ readership alters the experience; and how significant additions in the Spanish version alter the content. In addition, it considers how readers provide interpretive material for their peers in an open form and how Diaz opens up readings further and creates a more dynamic experience for the reader through his interventions on Poetry Genius. Some allusion to theories of Web 2.0 as a form of dynamic and vertical space for interpretation might be helpful in this chapter. Chapter 3 considers Cisneros' performative public self, her closed use of social media tools (Facebook and blogs), her use of a specific series of intertextual referents (music of Lara, actors of the Golden Age of Mexican and Hollywood film, allusive wardrobe), and her online reception through Amazon and Goodreads. These are contrasted with Diaz. Where Diaz allows for and encourages open-ended interpretations, Cisneros is more closed and totalising. This comparison could be drawn out more productively - perhaps in the epilogue or in the concluding section of the chapter? Chapter 4 continues with a a focus on Cisneros and compares her use of appendix, endnotes and epigraph as paratext, with similar techniques used by Diaz. It was with this chapter that I felt the ordering of the chapters came unstuck. I wasn't sure of the logical progression and felt that I could have done with some pointers/reminders/signalling to indicate why it came in this order. Could chapter 4 have come after chapter 2. Or, could they have been two halves of the same chapter? Perhaps, with better indications as to the order of things, it would have guided me better. Epilogue read too much like a wish list for a future project for the author or for another individual. It felt like it needed to be tied up a little more neatly and could have drawn together the key ideas. Some information in the epilogue seemed like it could have come earlier in the text. The texts are intelligently and usefully placed in relation to the U.S. context in which the authors publish and the Latin American literary, cultural and historic heritages they are drawing upon. In all, it is written in a lively and engaging style that is both scholarly and accessible. This would a useful text at undergraduate and post-graduate levels and for researchers. It could be used by Majors in literature depts across English, World, Comparative, Hispanic (Spanish) and Chicano/a Studies depts. It works as a very productive case study for Genette's theory of the paratext as well as an expansion on it that brings it right up to date with the developments in digital distribution, consumption and engagement with literature. I would highly recommend publication with some minor changes, as suggested above.

Paratexts and Performance in the Novels of Junot Diaz and Sandra Cisneros is a timely and welcome addition to both Latina/o and Chicana/o studies and the study of paratextual analysis of literature. - Niamh Thornton, Senior Lecturer in Latin American Studies, University of Liverpool, UK

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Ellen McCracken is Professor of Spanish and Portuguese at the University of California, Santa Barbara, USA, specializing in U.S. Latino and Latin American literature. Her books include: Decoding Women's Magazines, New Latina Narrative, and The Life and Writing of Fray Angélico Chávez, winner of a Southwest Book Award.

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