Before Night Falls: A Memoir
 

Before Night Falls: A Memoir

by Reinaldo Arenas

This shocking personal and political memoir from one of the most visionary writers to emerge from Castro's Cuba recounts Arenas' stunning odyssey--from his poverty-stricken childhood through his suppression as a writer and imprisonment as a homosexual to his flight to America and subsequent life and death in New York. A New York Times Best Book of 1993. (read review)

Top tags: latinomemoirqueerbiographycuba (all tags)

 

Member Reviews

  • Will B
    • Rated 0 stars

    A gripping account of life behind Fidel's vaunted revolution; how artists and intellectuals and unwanted minorities bore the brunt of oppression. Written in a manner appealing the the writer and reader in me.

    Arenas was once a friend of Fidel Castro's, but the potent combination of his open and unashamed attraction to other men, as well as his courageous efforts to expose hypocrisies and injustices behind the well crafted sugar cane curtain that the Cuban Revolution became, gives ample evidence that, for those now in power, friendships are all too often regarded as expendable.

    He eventually flees using forged documents during the Mariel boat days; moved to the USA and New York, where he sadly finds that the Americans method of oppressing creative insightful souls may be less harsh on the surface, but cane be every bit as destructive as the Castro regime's foul treatments.

    Will B wrote this review Tuesday, April 1 2008. ( reply | permalink )
  • Vanessa S
    • Rated 2 stars

    I started reading this while at my friend's house, because I thought this guy was a fascinating figure. I remember it had something to do with him being a homosexual and living in an oppressive country. I don't think I finished the book, though...also there is a movie that closely follows, but I haven't seen that either...

    Vanessa S wrote this review Monday, March 24 2008. ( reply | permalink )
  • cmush
    • Rated 5 stars

    amazing. one of my favorites.

    cmush wrote this review Wednesday, November 14 2007. ( reply | permalink )
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