The Reader's Companion to Mexico (Paperback)

by Alan Ryan (Author) "In 1888 an American painter named F. Hopkinson Smith traveled through the major cities of Mexico..." (more)
Key Phrases: fifty centavos, serpent columns, tierra caliente, Mexico City, New York, United States (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Drawing on an impressively broad array of foreign writers who have made Mexico their subject, editor Ryan brings 26 pieces together for an ideal traveling companion. Poet Witter Brynner describes his visit to the bullfights with an alternately pouting and persnickety D.H. Lawrence; Langston Hughes?who shared a Mexico City apartment with Henri Cartier-Bresson?records the creative insults exchanged by artist Diego Rivera and his first wife and former model over alimony; Katherine Anne Porter details the feast of the Virgin of Guadalupe; English widow Rosa King (who opened a Cuernavaca tea shop to support her children) portrays her close experience of the Revolution; and of course, Graham Greene reveals his horror at post-Revolutionary anti-Catholic repression that made him call Mexico "this hating and hateful country." Ryan's lucid descriptions of the writers and what led them to Mexico, help the reader to more fully understand and relish the historical and literary importance of the works. While some writers revel in their own traveling adventures, others put the reader in the midst of history or offer a seductive peek into the remarkable artistic world of Mexico in the 1930s and '40s. For the tourist, there is the added pleasure that many of the places described are still there to be visited, quite unchanged. For armchair travelers, the writing is so good that they may well feel they've been there already.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
Not all travel writing is for the moment: the best of it is worth rediscovery. Collected, edited, and intelligently introduced, it has special value for serious travelers seeking historical perspective. Ryan, a New York journalist, knows the literature of Mexico well and has unearthed from it 26 nuggets from authors as familiar as D.H. Lawrence, John Steinbeck, Graham Greene, and Langston Hughes, as well as the less well known or long forgotten. Ryan's introductions are excellent, and they nicely complement his selections. Only the largest of libraries are likely to have all the works from which the selections are taken. This is a convenient compilation of some of the best travel writing on one of our favorite foreign destinations. It is a top choice for libraries serving those who travel to Mexico.?Harold M. Otness, Southern Oregon State Coll. Lib., Ashland
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Harvest Books; 1 edition (July 16, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0156760215
• ISBN-13: 978-0156760218
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,103,479 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars fascinating, January 10, 2001

By	Stephen McHenry (Olney, MD USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

A truly fascinating book. This is not a travel book one would get to learn about hotel rooms and restaurants and tourist sites, but what a wonderful insight into the fascinating culture of Mexico. And by really good writers! The material dates from 1888 to 1978, but time is not so much the issue as insight and perspective. Top notch armchair travel book, and a good book to read before going there for background on a different culture.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Hardly up to date, yet facinating reading, November 28, 2000

By	Richard W. Rhodes (Mundelein, IL USA) - See all my reviews

Finding an up-to-date travel guide is the never-ending search. So why bother?

The selections in this collection are VERY dated (from 1888 to 1987) commentaries by VERY dated but, in their time, VERY famous artists, musicians, scientists and writers. The editor's introductions to each piece do a great job of connecting the authors and times and setting the scenes.

From D H Lawrence and Katherine Anne Porter to Langston Hughes and Graham Greene to Paul Theroux and John Steinbeck, these portraits of their times in Mexico are valuable comments on the way things were. If you're going beyond the casual visits to Mexican resorts (been there ...) and are interested in the character of the country, this book is well worth reading AND owning.

1 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Mexican Slepping Pill, September 22, 2000

By	Michael R. Wenzel (Rochester, NH United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Save your money. I could barely stay awake while reading any of the stories.