Old Rosa: A Novel in Two Stories

Rating:
Summary: A powerful evocation of 20th century Cuba
Review: "Old Rosa: A Novel in Two Stories" is a compelling work of fiction by Reinaldo Arenas, one of Cuba's most important writers. As the book's subtitle indicates, this work consists of two shorter pieces. The first, "Old Rosa," has been translated into English by Ann Tashi Slater; the second, "The Brightest Star," has been translated into English by Andrew Hurley.

The first story tells of the family of Old Rosa, a Cuban landowner whose life begins to fall apart under Castro's revolution. As Arenas explores her family and community relationships, he illuminates such issues as racial prejudice, homophobia, and economic conflict. This is a powerful story which skillfully blends elements of hard-core realism with hallucinatory supernatural touches.

The second story, "The Brightest Star," follows the experiences of Old Rosa's son Arturo in a Cuban forced-labor camp. This is a harrowing tale which deals in part with the redemptive power of writing and fantasy.

This book is an important piece of 20th century Latin American literature. The only drawback I found as a reader was the fact that each story unfolds as a single unbroken paragraph; this format, although impressive from a technical aspect, gets somewhat tiring after a while. But I still recommend "Old Rosa." And I also suggest that those who are impressed with Arenas' gifts as a fiction writer also read his remarkable autobiography, "Before Night Falls" (which has been made into a compelling film).

Rating:
Summary: Add this to your favorites list - absolutely incredible writ
Review: Old Rosa's world falls apart - a son joining the rebels made a crack - discovering her favored son is homosexual completes the destruction. The final five pages are incredible writing - Rosa's anger turns towards God, towards an angel, and turns destructive as she refuses to face the disgrace.

Yes, the two related stories in this slim volume stand as excellent writing in themselves - but the fire scene transforms the book into "incredible".