Customer Reviews

The Essays (Chicana and Chicano Visions of the Americas series)

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While I admit to being a huge fan of Anaya's early fiction (and there is no denying how much he paved the way for two, going on three, generations of Chicano writers), essays are simply not his strong suit, as proven by this collection. There are many intriguing elements to his life that he lays bare, and I recommend the book on this alone for diehard Anaya fans. However, little is said that you wouldn't expect, especially in regard to identity, censorship, immigration, and other issues. He toes the line precisely as expected, which is to say he says what I, as a student of Chicano/Latino literature, knew he would say. He plays it safe, expressing outrage where all well-educated Chicanos who are blessed enough to have a public voice (as Anaya certainly does) express their outrage. He doesn't want to bite the hand that feeds him, but he also has an obligation as a forebear of the literary torch.

The real moments of emotion are in his fury at the "book burnings" that occurred shortly after Bless Me Ultima was released. To be sure, I would be enraged if I had written a book as beautiful as that and it was met with cries of witchcraft, etc. It must be said that his moments of strength (as always) are in his depictions of the llano and other Southwest environs. It's good reading, but his fiction is far superior. Still, a nice peek into the mind of a literary icon, in his own words.