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More copies of this ISBNThis title in other editionsFarewell to the Sea: A Novel of Cubaby Reinaldo Arenas
Synopses & ReviewsPublisher Comments:In this brilliant, apocalyptic vision of Castro's Cuba, we meet a young couple who leave the dreariness of Havana and spend six days at a small seaside retreat, where they hope to recapture the desire and carefree spirit that once united them. In a stunning juxtaposition of narrative voices, the wife recounts the grim reality of her marriage, the demands of motherhood, and her loss of freedom, innocence, and hope; while her husband, a disillusioned poet and disenchanted revolutionary, recalls his political struggles and laments the artistic and homosexual freedom that has been denied him. Rich in hallucination, myth and fantasy, Farewell to the Sea is a fierce and unforgettable work that speaks for the entire human condition. Review:"This is a book Cuban author Reinaldo Arenas once must have feared would never be published. Two earlier drafts were confiscated by Cuban authorities, but Arenas managed to rewrite this version from memory and have it smuggled out of the country. The story centers on the deteriorating relationship of a young Cuban couple who have taken a vacation to the sea in hopes of saving their marriage. The first half of the novel is related by the wife in a series of
dreams and hallucinations, intermittently broken by periods of dull reality. Hers is the frustrating tale of a woman who succumbs to the fact that she will never be able to fathom the tortured psyche of her spouse. The husband's story follows in a dramatic meshing of poetry and prose, as the reader learns that the roots of his alienation and despondency lie in the failure of the revolution. Brilliantly conceived and executed, this is a major psychological novel about two human beings caught in the web of everyday life in Castro's Cuba." Reviewed by Daniel Weiss, Virginia Quarterly Review (Copyright 2006 Virginia Quarterly Review) About the AuthorReinaldo Arenas was born in Cuba in 1943. In 1980, he was one of 120,000 Cubans who arrived in the United States on the Mariel boatlift. Arenas settled in New York where he lived until his death from AIDS ten years later. Andrew Hurley is a translator of numerous works of literature, criticism, history, and memoir. He is professor emeritus at the University of Puerto Rico. Thomas Colchie is an acclaimed translator, editor, and literary agent for international authors. He is the editor of A Hammock Beneath the Mangoes. He has written for the Village Voice and The Washington Post. His translations include Manuel Puig's Kiss of the Spider Woman and (with Elizabeth Bishop, Gregory Rabassa, and Mark Strand) Carlos Drummond de Andrade's Travelling in the Family. What Our Readers Are SayingBe the first to add a comment for a chance to win!Product Details
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