JUAN DE LA ROSA

by Nataniel Aguirre ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 1, 1998

Oxford's Library of Latin America now offers the first English translation of an 1885 bildungsroman by a prominent Bolivian statesman (1843-88). In a narrative frequently (but not ruinously) interrupted by discursive political theorizing, the growth of the eponymous hero (self-proclaimed, in old age, ""The Last Soldier of the Independence Movement"") to manhood is made parallel with his country's lengthy struggle for independence from Spanish rule. What gives this rather clotted story variety and force is its gallery of vivid supporting characters, including most notably Juan's saturnine wife Merceditas and his Pangloss-like mentor Brother Justo. An improbably, and refreshingly, good novel.

Pub Date: Oct. 1, 1998

ISBN: 1426483317

Page Count: 432

Publisher: Oxford Univ.

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 1998

Categories: FICTION