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Holy place

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Translated in 1972 for the English language this Fuentes novel finds the author creating a world of fantasy and metaphors that shift realitiies between the mythological past and contemporary myth. The story is about a son/man and his relationship with his mother Claudia who is a film acctress and is written in the first person from the sons perspective. The story takes place in Mexico .The son is a privileged sort and bit of a dandy while the mother has little time for anything but her image. Herein lies the premise of the story.The pursuit of a relationship with his mother only leads to bizarre scenarios as the son enshrines his mother in his Art Noveau Grotto while she in turn is enshrined in celluloid. The paradox of distant love is given the time-shift treatment by Fuentes as the son metaphorically is transformed into a dog and Claudia a goddess. As usual, the beauty of the book is the understanding and use Fuentes has of literature and mythology as the mythological past intersects with cosmopolitan reality to create a world of lyricism that is touched by the grace of Fuente's brilliance. This is a relatively short novel and not as difficult as some of his other books. Another in a long line of excellent books by one of the best writers of the twentieth century.