Cuban writer viciously oppressed in his native cuba for both his literary attacks on fidel castros revolution and his open homosexuality, reinaldo arenas became a literary star by smuggling his books overseas. The book won the prix medici in france for the best foreign novel of 1969 but was never reprinted in. The doorman, his first work set in the united states, breaks new ground with the extraordinary and tragic story of juan, a young cuban refugee who becomes a doorman at a luxury apartment building in manhattan. In the doorman arenas tells the story of juan, a cuban refugee who takes a job as a doorman in a new york city apartment building. Books by reinaldo arenas author of before night falls. The doorman, a 2005 film starring dominique vandenberg. I have seen the real doorman at least as portrayed by a handsome actor in the film before night falls, the story of reinaldo arenas. Open library is an initiative of the internet archive, a 501c3 nonprofit, building a digital library of internet sites and other cultural artifacts in digital form.
Reinaldo arenas biography childhood, life achievements. Cuban novelist arenass old rosa exquisitely wrought surreal fantasy is a sardonic swiftian parable on human cruelty and the impulse to flee from freedom. Click and collect from your local waterstones or get free uk delivery on orders over. Browse author series lists, sequels, pseudonyms, synopses, book covers, ratings and awards. A terrifying and beautiful novel, old rosa is composed of two stories that converge on a single charged point in the lives of a cuban mother and son. The book has been translated into english by dolores m. Reinaldo arenas project gutenberg selfpublishing ebooks.
Reinaldo arenas has 46 books on goodreads with 19437 ratings. Originally written for quentin longs anthro magazine. Oddly alienated from the tenants, he is seduced by their pets, who are determined to revolt against humans and human society. Reinaldo arenas is the most highly acclaimed writer of cubas postrevolutionary generation. Young juan, a refugee from cuba, is the doorman of a manhattan apartment.
May 08, 20 the doorman, by reinaldo arenas, is a marvelous novel by one of cubas literary greats. Discover book depositorys huge selection of arenas reinaldo books online. Reinaldo arenas, cubanborn writer of extraordinary and unconventional novels who fled persecution and immigrated to the united states. Mier denied even that the spaniards had brought christianity to the new world. Ever since i discovered you in an execrable history of spanish literature, described as the friar who had traveled over the whole of europe on foot having improbable adventures. Reinaldo arenass most popular book is before night falls. Arenas s first work set in the united states breaks new ground with the story of a young cuban refugee who becomes a doorman at a luxury apartment building. He left the biblioteca nacional and became an editor for the cuban book institute until. Mona and other tales covers reinaldo arenas s entire career. Cuban novelist arenas s old rosa exquisitely wrought surreal fantasy is a sardonic swiftian parable on human cruelty and the impulse to flee from freedom.
Reinaldo arenas july 16, 1943 december 7, 1990 was a cuban poet, novelist, and playwright known as an early sympathizer, and later critic of fidel castro and the cuban revolution, and a rebel of the cuban government. The paper focuses on the life and poetics of cuban writer reinaldo arenas, an important representative of cuban gay literature, who, due to his sexual orientation and eventual opposition to the. Reinaldo arenas biography, life, interesting facts. Reinaldo arenas was a young cuban novelist known for both novels of magical realism and a flamboyant homosexual life style. Reinaldo arenas has been widely praised for his prodigious, explosive talent. The paper focuses on the life and poetics of cuban writer reinaldo arenas. His influence within the latin american literacy world became immense after his fall out with the cuban administration. Publication date 1991 topics cubans new york state. Oddly alienated from the tenants, juan finds himself being seduced by their.
That old man with his womanizing delusions, our doorman thought, was a lonely soul and therefore in need of some guidance, p. Reinaldo arenas books list of books by author reinaldo arenas. Both satirize contemporary life by mixing symbols of daily existence with. The parallels to arenass own life are obvious, but this richly imagined story often. Reinaldo arenas books list of books by author reinaldo. Discover book depositorys huge selection of reinaldo arenas books online. As a teenager arenas joined the revolution that brought fidel castro to power in 1959. His extraordinary novels, flush with magical realism and sensual detail, won several prestigious awards abroad. Arenas was born in the countryside, in the northern part of the province of oriente, cuba, and later moved to the city of holguin. The doorman, a 2007 film directed by peter bogdanovich the doorman. Reinaldo arenas was a cuban poet, writer, and political activist. Young juan, a refugee from cuba, is the doorman of a manhattan apartment househome to a disappointed and eclectic group of men and women, and to their even more unhappy pets.
Reinaldo arenas was a young cuban novelist known for both novels of magical realism and a. Doorman comics, a marvel comics fictional superhero. Read this biography to learn more about his childhood, work, achievements, life and timeline. Arenas body was found in his manhattan apartment on friday afternoon by a nurse who had been taking care of him, said police spokesman sgt.
I was drawn into reinaldo arenas after reading his biography and discovering his relationship with the cuban government. Reinaldo arenas was a cuban writer and poet who rebelled against fidel castros cuban government and fled to the us. Arenass first work set in the united states breaks new ground with the story of a young cuban refugee who becomes a doorman at a luxury apartment building. This doorman doesnt hold doors news the harvard crimson. Reinaldo arenas july 16, 1943 december 7, 1990 was a cuban poet, novelist, and. Graveyard of the angels 1987 and the doorman 1991, reveal a. In old rosa, we meet rosa as a young woman, tall, proud, shrewd, always in control. The doorman, by reinaldo arenas, is a marvelous novel by one of cubas literary greats. Reinaldo arenas book, the doorman, bears some resemblance to the popular ray bradbury work the martian chronicles.
His protagonist, juan, is a cuban emigre who works as a doorman at a manhattan apartment. The doorman by reinaldo arenas and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. The book won the prix medici in france for the best foreign novel of 1969 but was never reprinted in his homeland because mr. He moved to havana in 1961 and became a researcher in the jose marti. Arenass first work set in the united states breaks new ground with the. Buy the doorman by reinaldo arenas from waterstones today. The doorman by reinaldo arenas goodreads share book. It was during the watching of this movie that i remembered i had in my library, unread, arenas last book and the only one set in the unted states. His absent father makes only one appearance in his book, but it is a memorable one. The only child of a mother whose lover deserted her, arenas was raised in his peasant grandparents home. Jul 22, 2019 the doorman by reinaldo arenas, 1994, grove press edition, in english 1st american ed. The doorman by reinaldo arenas, 1994, grove press edition, in english 1st american ed.
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