Product Description

This book offers a provocative interpretation of cultural discourse in Spanish America. Alonso argues that Spanish American cultural production constituted itself through commitment to what he calls the "narrative of futurity," that is, the uncompromising adoption of modernity. This commitment fueled a rhetorical crisis that followed the embracing of discourses regarded as "modern" in historical and economic circumstance that are themselves the negation of modernity. Through fresh readings of texts by Sarmiento, Mansilla, Quiroga, Vargos Llosa, Garcia Marquez, and others, Alonso tracks this textual dynamic in works from the nineteenth century to the present.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #207774 in Books
• Published on: 1998-10-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 240 pages

Review
"Alonso's acute inquiry into nineteenth- and twentieth-century texts leads to an illuminating reflection on Latin America's problematic relation to modernity. With its strong arguments and subtle readings, this insightful book challenges the reader to rethink Latin American literature and culture in provocative ways."--Sylvia Molloy, New York University