Faces and Masks (Memory of Fire Trilogy) [Paperback]

Eduardo Galeano (Author), Cedric Belfrage (Translator)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0393318060 | ISBN-13: 978-0393318067 | Publication Date: June 17, 1998

"From pre-Columbian creation myths and the first European voyages of discovery and conquest to the Age of Reagan, here is 'nothing less than a unified history of the Western Hemisphere... recounted in vivid prose.'"--The New Yorker

A unique and epic history, Eduardo Galeano's Memory of Fire trilogy is an outstanding Latin American eye view of the making of the New World. From its first English language publication in 1985 it has been recognized as a classic of political engagement, original research, and literary form.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Galeano, a Uruguayan journalist and novelist, continues his imaginative history of the Americas. In this second volume of his Memory of Fire trilogy, he gives us crucial moments of the 18th and 19th centuries: the clash between European and native cultures, the tribulations of slavery and the struggle for freedom, and the rise of the United States. His kaleidoscopic history, blending fact and fiction in short, telling narratives, recounts the actions of explorers, pirates, clergy and monarchs as they play out their fates in the New World. The author's distinctly Latin view, and his insistence on seeing the Americas whole, make this a fresh, jolting, edifying work for readers unfamiliar with the Latin American past.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

Memory of Fire is devastating, triumphant... sure to scorch the sensibility of English-language readers. (New York Times )

An epic work of literary creation... there could be no greater vindication of the wonders of the lands and people of Latin America than Memory of Fire. (Washington Post )

[Memory of Fire] will reveal to you the meaning of the New World as it was, and of the world as we have it now. (Boston Globe )

A book as fascinating as the history it relates.... Galeano is a satirist, realist, and historian, and... deserves mention alongside John Dos Passos, Bernard DeVoto, and Gabriel Garcia Marquez. (Los Angeles Times )

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Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company (June 17, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0393318060
• ISBN-13: 978-0393318067
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #876,829 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Epic of the Americas Continues and Absorbs...., May 15, 2000

By 

Michael Mcgrath "troppo67" (macondo) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Faces and Masks (Memory of Fire Trilogy) (Paperback)

This second volume leaves off where Galeano's "Genesis" left off...it continues in the same style with history breathing just as fresh as today's headlines...the struggle and minglings of many worlds come together clashing for better or for worse in the Americas, producing something entirely new...countries are born, with bloodshed and lust... I recommend this book on Latino history because it tells history passionately driven by the authors own views which he does not even pretend to hide...the writing itself is beautiful...the prose becomes poetic...and he weaves from many sources...I will definitely read this work again!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Second book in a landmark 3-volume experiment, August 22, 2006

By 

Brian A. Oard (Midwestern USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Faces and Masks (Memory of Fire Trilogy) (Paperback)

While it lacks the originality of the first volume and the emotional intensity of the third, this second volume in Galeano's "Memory of Fire" trilogy is still extraordinary, essential reading for anyone who wishes to better understand the Western Hemisphere. (That should be everyone, right?)

5.0 out of 5 stars Thought provoking, October 27, 2010

By 

joe (Naples, New York) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Faces and Masks (Memory of Fire Trilogy) (Paperback)

This well documented 2nd volume of history of Latin America (I have read Part 1)picks up where the first story ends. Powerful and compelling. Each short section fits together with the whole to tell the story of contact in precise detail. I was not aware of the long-term, never ending stuggle by the underclass which continues to today. (Currently reading part 3). Highly recommend for anyone interested in Latin America.