Customer Reviews

Twilight at the Equator

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I must confess I bought this book because I truly enjoyed Latin Moon over Manhattan and I wasn't dissapointed. In the book Manrique leads us through a tumultuos Spain visit, a journey back to Colombia and the adventures of the main character. Manrique has a very good sense of humor and although he shows how corruption and power have spoiled some of his characters, he still brings out the warmth of the more real people that were a part of his childhood, giving us a clear glimpse at a life in Colombia that will not last forever. A very good book.

I felt compelled to write this review, because the last reviewer of this book made an imprecise statement about it. Jaime Manrique fashioned the novel from stories that his own family told him. He spent much of his time visiting El Banco and recording in his journal not only the personal stories of his family's past, but also keeping detailed descriptions of the place. Manrique has great vision and beautiful writing; don't allow another reader's misperceptions and parochial visions keep you from checking out this book if you are interested in the subject matter or the writer.

Not quite a novel, this collection of (surely) autobiographical stories shows it gay emigre narrator trying to make sense of a variegated family in Colombia and New York City, young love in Spain, and a studentof his who films his own starvation. There is plenty of black comedy along with something close to despair about the culture of violence in Colombia. The range of family members is considerable--as full as the oeuvre of García Marquez, the most famous of Colombian writers. It is as powerful (albeit more loosely structured) than Latin Moon in Manhattan, which is to say very powerful and moving -- not to neglect often hilarious.

I have been to Colombia several times and know Barranquilla andthe area around Santa Marta quite well so I bought this book on saleat Daedalus Books hoping that it would further enlighten me as to thelanguage and customs of that area of Colombia. It was a greatdisappointment... It that is what you like, buy it. If it isn't,DON'T!