Customer Reviews

Latin Moon in Manhattan: A Novel (Stonewall Inn Editions)

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

"Latin Moon in Manhattan," by Jaime Manrique, is a wonderfully funny and moving novel. The protagonist, Sammy, is a gay, Colombian-born poet who lives in New York City (where the novel mainly takes place). The novel is full of colorful, engaging characters (such as a midget hooker named Hot Sauce and a parrot named Simon Bolivar). The novel follows Sammy as he spends time with his family, with the Colombian community in NYC, at his stressful job as an interpreter, and with his circle of friends and neighbors.

Manrique expertly blends comedy and tragedy, as well as realism and humorous absurdism, in this story. Although the novel is full of appealing silly moments, Manrique also deals with many serious topics, such as ethnic/national identity, literary politics, AIDS, and anti-gay prejudice. He treats his characters with insight and compassion. And throughout, the novel is enriched with the spicy tastes of Latin American food and the rhythms of Latin music. Also adding to the rich flavor of "Latin Moon" are the many cultural references (both pop culture and "high" culture) that are woven into the dialogue and narration.

"Latin Moon" is at times wildly outrageous. The first chapter, for example, ends with one of the most hilarious, explicit, taboo-busting sex scenes that I have ever encountered in literature. But such over-the-top elements are just part of a book with a tender heart and a keen intelligence. Also recommended: the same author's nonfiction prose work "Eminent Maricones," and his poetry collection "My Night With Federico Garcia Lorca."

Santiago Martinez is a Colombian poet struggling to live in New York City at a time when everyone seems to equate Colombians with the cocaine trade and crime. Santiago wants nothing more than to be able to pay his rent and to finish the epic poem he is writing about Christopher Columbus. He's a quiet guy, this Santiago, and he's gay. Interestingly enough, the fact that he is gay is not that important to the novel. That he is Colombian overrides his sexuality, and his desire to write rules his life. This is not our typical look at gay life in the late 80s, early 90s. It is more the story of a sensitive man born into a lively culture. Manrique's descriptions of Santiago's family and of Colombians living in New York in general, are vivid and convincing. He has managed to paint - in splendid oils - a portrait of a tropical people transported to the North and living the American dream . . . .or at least trying to. There are some incredibly funny scenes in LATIN MOON IN MANHATTAN, scenes that are funny and refreshing at the same time. One that comes to mind is Santiago's visit to a friend dying of AIDS. Unlike most gay novels dealing with this topic during this time period, Manrique has managed to come up with a wonderfully humorous moment between two friends. Death is turned into something other than dying. And by no means is Manrique irreverent, for Santiago sees everything for what it is and the reader is able to feel for him as he moves about the city, living among three cultures: the Colombian community, the gay world, and New York in general. The novel moves along, action-wise, much like a film, and it is easy to see how it could be made into an excellent one. Manrique must be commended on his quirky characters and, most of all, on his ability to make the reader relax and laugh, something that is rare in contemporary literature. LATIN MOON IN MANHATTAN is great - and well-written - FUN.

In my opinion this book is pretty much a waste of time, being a very rambling, often unlikely, quite amateurish (throw in lotsa description) series of pages. Knowing that the "hero"/author is a gay Colombian, one might expect some realistic expression of his situation; but essentially nothing . . . Save your "postage and handling" - - even the one cent for "used" doesn't warrant the delivery cost.

I bought this book from Amazon a while ago, and I loved it. I've reread it about two times since. It isn't just for gay Colombians, immigrants, or even New Yorkers; it welcomes anyone, and reads so well. I feel like it was over too fast. It's entertaining, but as often as I laughed at loud, I was also touched by the issues Manrique explores that are all too ignored. They were ignored when the book was published, and they continue to be ignored now, so you can relate to the frustration felt by characters who feel as though America must have better things to do than control a drug trade, control a deadly disease, control the prejudices that remains, even in a progressive New York. There isn't much to say without spoiling it; give this book a shot, it's worth it. My favorite work of Manrique's. In fact, one of my favorite books.

This book was fun and cheerful and delightful to read. It is filled with unbeleivable antics, and surprises. There is something naive and wonderful about this work. It is a great book to read purely for amusement, with its tale of drug smugglers, and midget prostitutes ect..(I'd say more but I dont wanna give away the story.) I loved this book and would recommend it to anyone. Great escapist work.

Because after the first chapter, it was so boring it was painful. I guess you have to be a gay Columbian in New York to appreciate this book. Save for the donkey beastiality in Chapter one, and his weird dance with incestuous voyeurism as a kid, I can't see how this book was ever published. The last chapter was rushed, the wrapping up of the plot holes were really predictible and 'too good to be true'. Throughout the book all the characters were not very developed, you have a feeling of superficial brushing off of them by the author. I was more interested in the Columbian foods that weren't explained very much. Two adjectives to describe this book, "weird" and "boring".