Description
Ten Million
Book Summary
In Ten Million, Carlos Celdrán offers a stark and deeply personal account of Cuba in the seventies and eighties. Through the eyes of a young man searching for his identity amidst his parents' clashing ideals, the work explores the impact of collective history on intimate life. With a structure that combines narration, dialogue, and monologues, this fiction becomes a mirror of the Cuban reality of the last half-century, inviting the reader to reflect on memory, politics, and the quest for freedom.
What is it about?
The novel is set in Cuba during the seventies and eighties, a period marked by political tension and economic crisis. The protagonist, a young man coming of age, is torn between the influence of his mother, who is faithful to communist ideals, and his father, who opposes the regime. This family conflict is intertwined with his own desire to flee the island, in a context where the 1970 sugar harvest, proclaimed by Fidel Castro, symbolizes the unfulfilled promise of improving the country's situation. Through a tapestry of voices and perspectives, the work delves into personal and collective memory, offering an uncompromising look at Cuban life during that era. The volume is completed by Acceptance Speech, a continuation that reflects on lockdown during the pandemic, politics, and the passage of time.
Main themes
- Generational and ideological conflict within the family.
- The search for identity in a context of political and social crisis.
- Historical memory and the impact of the Castro regime on daily life.
- The desire for freedom and emigration as a response to oppression.
- Revisiting the past as a tool for understanding the present.
Who is it recommended for?
This book is aimed at readers interested in contemporary Latin American narrative, especially literature that addresses the recent history of Cuba. It will also be of great interest to those looking for works that combine personal introspection with political and social analysis, as well as those who appreciate innovative narrative structures and the use of multiple voices.
What this book offers
- An intimate and stark perspective on Cuba in the seventies and eighties, far removed from official rhetoric.
- A profound reflection on memory, identity, and freedom in contexts of repression.
- A complex narrative structure that enriches the reading experience, combining different genres and formats.
- A literary testimony of high historical and emotional value, signed by an author awarded the National Prize for Literature in Cuba.
Technical specifications
- Author: Carlos Celdrán
- Publisher: EDICIONES LA UÑA ROTA
- Language: Spanish
- Topic: PLAYS, THEATRICAL TEXTS, MODERN AND CONTEMPORARY FICTION
- Collection: LIBROS ROBADOS
- Binding: Paperback
- Edition date: October 2024
- Number of pages: 120
- Weight: 143 g
Editorial assessment
Ten Million is a work that stands out for its honesty and its ability to fuse the personal with the political. Carlos Celdrán manages to construct a narrative that, starting from his own experience, becomes a mirror of the complex Cuban reality. Its fragmented structure and direct language make it an intense and revealing read, ideal for those seeking a narrative that defies conventions and offers a critical look at the island's recent history.