The Mirror of Lida Sal: Tales Based on Mayan Myths and Guatemalan Legends (Discoveries (Latin American Literary Review Pr)) (Paperback)

~ (Author), Gilbert Alter-Gilbert (Translator)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

The Nobel prize-winning Guatemalan writer, ethnologist, and diplomat Asturias (1899-1974) is known to English-language readers pirmarily for his brilliant political novel El se?or presidente (1946), translated as The President (LJ 2/1/64), and a subsequent novel, Hombres de maiz (Men of Maize, LJ 8/75). Yet this prolific surrealist writer, considered the progenitor of magical realism, clearly deserves more recognition. Thus, it is a pleasure to see this present collection of ten stories, which interweave Mayan and other early Guatemalan folk myths about confronting harsh reality into tales that transcend jungle and city, space and time, waking and sleeping. Alter-Gilbert's translation has captured the power of Asturias's complex language of hallucination and violence. Highly recommended for academic and larger public libraries.?Mary Margaret Benson, Linfield Coll. Lib., McMinnville, Ore.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

...the book challenges readers with frequent convolutions leading to destinations that are hard to pin down.... a surreal journey through a landscape charged with light ironies and weighty implications. -- The New York Times Book Review, James Polk

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Product Details

• Paperback: 126 pages
• Publisher: Latin American Literary Review Press (September 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0935480838
• ISBN-13: 978-0935480832
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,006,258 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A surreal journey into the soul of Guatemala, January 18, 2001

By	Michael J. Mazza (Pittsburgh, PA USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)

"The Mirror of Lida Sal," by Miguel Angel Asturias, is a noteworthy piece of 20th century fiction by a giant of Guatemalan literature. Subtitled "Tales Based on Mayan Myths and Guatemalan Legends," this volume has been translated into English by Gilbert Alter-Gilbert.

In this book, Asturias draws upon Central American history and culture to create several fascinating short pieces. His style (as I read it through Alter-Gilbert's translation) is psychedelic and florid; Asturias mixes realistic and fantastic elements throughout the book. The result is comparable to a prose version of the paintings of Spanish artist Salvador Dali.

I don't find all of the stories in "The Mirror of Lida Sal" to be equally effective. At times, Asturias' indulgence in ornate wordplay seems to overwhelm plot and characterization. But this is still a richly rewarding volume for the attentive reader. Some of the major themes of the book include magic, transformation, and cultural hybridization.

The best pieces in the book include the title story, which tells of a working class mulatta's attempt to ensnare the man of her desire; "Anteater Juan," a bizarre fantasy; and "Legend of the Silent Bell," a story of religious fanaticism and trans-Atlantic intrigue in colonial Central America. Miguel Angel Asturias is one of the most important figures in Latin American literature, and "The Mirror of Lida Sal" is definitely worth gazing into.