The Heart That Bleeds: Latin America Now [Paperback]

Alma Guillermoprieto (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 28, 1995

An extraordinarily vivid, unflinching series of portraits of South America today, written from the inside out, by the award-winning New Yorker journalist and widely admired author of Samba.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

First published in the New Yorker, Guillermoprieto's 13 essays reveal the fragile political life and culture in Latin America.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Here are a varied and interesting assortment of profiles detailing the daily struggles of citizens and institutions in nine Latin American countries as told by an insightful and articulate journalist writing for The New Yorker from 1989 to 1993. As a native of Mexico and a resident of New York, Guillermoprieto has an excellent vantage point from which to view the successes and failures of Third World countries experiencing the growing pains and culture shock of political, social, and economic evolution and transformation from the customs and values of the old order to the modern, industrialized state of the future. The clash between the new and the old, as these countries strive to become more "Western" and seek to imitate U.S. democratic and capitalistic institutions and practices, sometimes leaves behind a cultural vacuum as well as ethical and logical contradictions, which the author dutifully explicates. Especially useful for academic libraries.
- Philip Y. Blue, Dowling Coll. Lib., Oakdale,
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Vintage (March 28, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0679757953
• ISBN-13: 978-0679757955
• Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 0.8 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #303,116 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Dispatches of honesty and knowledge, December 22, 2002

By 

"martinaluise7" (Hawaii) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Heart That Bleeds: Latin America Now (Paperback)

One usually hears about Latin America if there has been an unforeseen coup, a currency crisis, a new Nobel laureate or an impromptu celebrity wedding. This collection is trying to change that and the author, living alternately in New York and Mexico City, is wonderfully equipped to bring light to that region that is steeped in suspicion and mystery. Her travels take her from revolutions to political candidacies, from true believers in every corner of the political spectrum to the disenchanted masses tired of the cant and the sermons from the big brother up north. She shows the mad psychology of warfare, the impossible human dignity that blooms in every sort of adversity. Her writing is powerful because it isn't ornate but informed, distinguished and very scrupulous. Miss Guillermoprieto is a throwback to the kind of reporting that has died on the vine;she is interested in particulars, researches well and doesn't seem to be the least interested in trying to score a showcase piece that has a message but no content. She just writes down what she sees and it's mesmerizing.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Journalism at its finest, July 28, 2001

By 

Eric G (Northeast US) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Heart That Bleeds: Latin America Now (Paperback)

In an era of media consolidation, dying newspapers and the death of international coverage, "The Heart that Bleeds" is a welcome breath of fresh air. Alma Guillermoprieto, a journalist at The New Yorker rips the cover off Latin America, introducing us to the people and institutions that dominate life in the region. Even if you're not interested in Latin American culture and politics, check out this book. It is one of the finest examples of true journalism in recent years. It revels in what is fast becoming a lost art form.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful, breathtaking, brutal, June 14, 2001

By 

Andrew D. Selee (Washington, DC United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Heart That Bleeds: Latin America Now (Paperback)

Alma Guillermoprieto presents a stark yet beautiful portrait of everyday changes going on in Latin America, from the life of Colombian youth involved in local gang violence to gender relationships in Mexico. The book is both insightful and poetic.