Adam in Eden

by Carlos Fuentes, Alejandro Branger (Translator), Ethan Shaskan Bumas (Translator)

In this comic novel of political intrigue, Adam Gorozpe, a respected businessman in Mexico, has a life so perfect that he might as well be his namesake in the Garden of Eden—but there are snakes in this Eden too. For one thing, Adam’s wife Priscila has fallen in love with the brash director of national security—also named Adam—who uses violence against token victims to hide the fact that he’s letting drug runners, murderers, and kidnappers go free. Another unlikely snake is the little Boy-God who’s started preaching in the street wearing a white tunic and stick-on wings, inspiring Adam’s brother-in-law to give up his job writing soap operas to follow this junior deity and implore Adam to do the same. Even Elle, Adam’s mistress, thinks the boy is important to their salvation—especially now that it seems the other Adam has put out a contract on Adam Gorozpe. To save his relationship, his marriage, his life, and the soul of his country, perhaps Adam will indeed have to call upon the wrath of the angels to expel all these snakes from his Mexican Eden.

Genres: Fiction, Latin American Literature, Contemporary, Spanish Literature, Novels, Roman

220 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Carlos Fuentes Macías was a Mexican writer and one of the best-known novelists and essayists of the 20th century in the Spanish-speaking world. Fuentes influenced contemporary Latin American literature, and his works have been widely translated into English and other languages.

Fuentes was born in Panama City, Panama; his parents were Mexican. Due to his father being a diplomat, during his childhood he lived in Montevideo, Rio de Janeiro, Washington, Santiago, and Buenos Aires. In his adolescence, he returned to Mexico, where he lived until 1965. He was married to film star Rita Macedo from 1959 till 1973, although he was an habitual philanderer and allegedly, his affairs - which he claimed include film actresses such as Jeanne Moreau and Jean Seberg - brought her to despair. The couple ended their relationship amid scandal when Fuentes eloped with a very pregnant and then-unknown journalist named Silvia Lemus. They were eventually married.

Following in the footsteps of his parents, he also became a diplomat in 1965 and served in London, Paris (as ambassador), and other capitals. In 1978 he resigned as ambassador to France in protest over the appointment of Gustavo Diaz Ordaz, former president of Mexico, as ambassador to Spain. He also taught courses at Brown, Princeton, Harvard, Penn, George Mason, Columbia and Cambridge.

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کارلوس فوئنتس در ۱۱ نوامبر ۱۹۲۸ در پاناماسیتی به دنیا آمد. مادرش برتا ماسیاس ریواس و پدرش رافائل فوئنتس بوئه‌تیگر است. پدر وی از دیپلمات‌های مشهور مکزیک است. وی سفیر مکزیک در هلند، پاناما، پرتغال و ایتالیا بود.

دوران کودکی‌اش در واشنتگتن دی.سی. و سانتیاگوی شیلی گذشت. فوئنتس در دانشگاه مکزیک و ژنو در رشتهٔ حقوق تحصیل کرد. او به زبان‌های انگلیسی و فرانسه تسلط کامل دارد.

آثار
* مرگ آرتمیوکروز، ۱۹۶۲
* آئورا، ۱۹۶۲
* زمین ما،‌ ۱۹۷۵
* گرینگوی پیر، ۱۹۸۵
* ملکهٔ عروسک‌ها
* آسوده خاصر، ترجمهٔ محمدامین لاهیجی.
* مرگ آرتمیو کروز، ترجمهٔ مهدی سحابی.
* آئورا، ترجمهٔ عبدالله کوثری.
* سرهیدا.
* خودم با دیگران (به تازگی با نام از چشم فوئنتس) ترجمهٔ عبدالله کوثری.


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Carlos Fuentes Macías fue un escritor mexicano y uno de los novelistas y ensayistas más conocidos en el mundo de habla española. Fuentes influyó en la literatura contemporánea de América Latina, y sus obras han sido ampliamente traducidas al inglés y otros idiomas.

Fuentes nació en la ciudad de Panamá, Panamá, sus padres eran mexicanos. Debido a su padre era un diplomático, durante su infancia vivió en Montevideo, Río de Janeiro, Washington, Santiago y Buenos Aires. En su adolescencia regresó a México, donde vivió hasta 1965. Estuvo casado con la estrella de cine Rita Macedo de 1959 hasta 1973, aunque era un mujeriego habitual y, al parecer, sus asuntos - que se ha cobrado incluyen actrices como Jeanne Moreau y Jean Seberg, su llevados a la desesperación. La pareja terminó su relación en medio del escándalo, cuando Fuentes se fugó con un periodista muy embarazada y entonces desconocido de nombre Silvia Lemus. Se casaron finalmente.

Siguiendo los pasos de sus padres, también se convirtió en un diplomático en 1965 y sirvió en Londres, París (como embajador), y otras capitales. En 1978 renunció al cargo de embajador en Francia en protesta por el nombramiento de Gustavo Díaz Ordaz, ex presidente de México, como embajador en España.

Reviews

[Fabian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unlike Alexander Trocchi's "Young Adam" in which there are zero Adams (as not even the protagonist is named Adam) in the book, this one has a surplus of them and keeping two of them apart in "Adam in Eden" is perhaps the one main jolt in this vibrant novella, and it occurs in the first half. The Fuentes poetics soon begin to emerge.

Here is satire in the vein of Don De Lillo or J. G. Ballard. There is a prophetic paranoia here that is exquisite. This stuff needs to be more widely read! In "Adam in Eden", we find out that Fuentes is the male (and Mexican) counterpart to another ruthless titan, Dame Iris Murdoch.

[Tony · Rating 3 out of 5]

Who doesn’t love a good fart joke?*

(*I ask this because, if you don’t, then this would be a good time to leave the review.)

But first the set-up. This is my first read of Carlos Fuentes, so I didn’t know quite what to expect. Modernism? Post-Modernism? Magic Realism? Kafkaesque? Bolano-ish? Mexican Murakami? It is the story of Adam Gorozpe, a lawyer and respected businessman in Mexico. I was picturing him as Demian Bichir or Javier Bardem. He married into money, a point his father-in-law likes to remind him of daily. His wife Priscila slaps the maid, just because she can, and has taken to pouting. Adam is very recognizable so he has to be careful when he goes to see his mistress (‘L’). This ‘perfect’ life goes along swimmingly until Adam’s staff show up at a meeting all wearing sunglasses. And they won’t take them off. Something is wrong in Adam’s Garden of Eden. Where, oh where is this novel going?

And then this happens:

For whatever reason, at a seated dinner of twelve people, I reacted impulsively when Priscila, always inappropriate, took advantage of an angel’s passing—an awkward silence at the table—to disturb the peace with a wind of her own.

That release of intestinal exhaust was a single wind in three distinct movements. Priscila first let out a thunderous fart, as if to attract attention, followed by the sound of a succession of bubbles, ending with a—silent but deadly—gas that reached every nose and spoiled the red snapper that we had just been served. Priscila’s odors were stronger than those of the capers, onions, tomatoes, and fish.

I broke the awkward silence that followed the fart attack by repeating aloud a secular mantra:

“Shut up, Priscila. You don’t know what you’re talking about.”


That quickly, Demian or Javier turned into Will Ferrell for me.


And so, as my reading year comes to a close, I post the above as a Holiday present to all of you who continued past the second line of this review, and as a reminder to me, not to take myself seriously.

Now, with toddies in hand, and in unison please:

Shut up, Tony. You don’t know what you’re talking about!

[Vit Babenco · Rating 3 out of 5]

“In any case, he went on, mimicry is inevitable in literature and, after all, to choose one’s mentors well is a sign of talent.”
Adam in Eden is a social satire, an attempt to make something postmodernistic… While there are some brilliant passages but on the whole the novel is too fragmentary and too much of a caricature.
The Adam of the story is a successful lawyer:
“A surgeon cannot make a mistake: if he operates for appendicitis on a man with a toothache, his license is revoked. A lawyer, on the other hand, can lie in the sense that he knows his arguments are based on a fallacy that is useful to win a case, to deceive a fool, or to confuse an enemy.”
And this is a civilized society he operates in:
“Now it is not the revolutionaries who are coming. The ones who are coming are the criminals, the drug traffickers, the whores who accompany them, the bodyguards, and as usual, the government officials with Swiss bank accounts of unknown origin.”
So far, so good but to my great chagrin the ending is simply foolish.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Me gusto mucho esto libro!

This is a novel about a man called Adan Gorospe who has it all. He married into a rich family (his father in-law, nicknamed the "King of Sponge Cakes", owns a bread monopoly ....hmmm Bimbo breads?), has a rather plump wife of 21 years, Priscila who favors Maserati's and young men who flirt with her (she is nickname the "Queen of Spring" and the "Princess of the Carnaval" among other names) and his brother in-law Abelardo dabbles with literature and produces telenovelas (Mexican soap operas). Our rich hero, Adan runs various businesses but also has a lover named Ele on the side. Quite the "Eden" for Adan.

Enter another Adan, Adan Gongora who is the Minister of National Security. He has his eyes on power but also on Adan's wife. Gongora begins to threaten Adan and very quickly his life begins to unwind. Eden crashes to the ground. How he resolves this I won't give away but the story becomes "crazier by the page".

This book written late in Fuentes' life (2009 - he died in May 2012) show his remarkable reflection on present day Mexico (even though is set slightly in the future). His wit remains high and there are many funny scenes or puns that he plays upon. You can see that the Mexico he loves is constantly changing (and not for the better).

This proves he had still much to offer and sadly there will be only a few books left to publish

[Pedro · Rating 2 out of 5]

Adán, cruel actor del neoliberalismo, observa, como si fuera El gatopardo moderno, al nuevo México del narco-terrorismo, y a la represión, aun mas brutal e irracional.

¿Para quién hacemos? ¿A quien le contamos? ¿Quien es nuestro testigo?

Después del desconcierto, Adán decide asumir un protagonismo, atroz, el de ser el primero de la nueva especie.

Una idea buena, aunque la novela es floja.

[Ellie Nava · Rating 5 out of 5]

Una crítica cruda del México actual. Sorprendente es que sin importar el año, el libro se ajusta a todo gobierno, derecha, izquierda o intermedia.

[Catherine (The Gilmore Guide to Books) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Adam Gorozpe is a very put upon man. Like the first Adam he stepped into a Garden of Eden by marrying his wife Priscila, daughter of the wealthiest and most powerful man in Mexico City, and a festival queen in her own right. In doing so, he creates his own success and takes over his father-in-law’s place, while still placating the man by living in his home. Now his paradise is plagued with employees who refuse to remove their sunglasses in meetings and a vile man who also goes by the name Adam but whose sole purpose as Director of Security, seems to be Gorozpe’s downfall.

Read the rest of this review at The Gilmore Guide to Books: http://gilmoreguidetobooks.com/2013/0...

[Dale · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well, this is the third or fourth Carlos Fuentes book I've attempted to read. I don't know what it is with Fuentes, but his stories and writing is somewhat frustrating to read (at least for me).
This story is about a Mexican lawyer who appears to be a little paranoid about what his subordinates at work think of him, how far he should go with his relationship with his mistress, about his wife's perceived affair with a high ranking Mexican official and about living in his father-in-laws home.
My it's just me, but I read about half of the book (a little more than what I've read on past Fuentes novels) and then decided to stop and return the book to the library.
I've come to a conclusion that Fuentes does not write novels that are appealing to me and that are too difficult to read and understand. I'll leave them to others who enjoy his work.

[Kathleen (itpdx) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a wonderfully different novel. I listened to an audio version read by Robert Fass, which is a great way to experience this book which is written in first person. Adam comes across, at first, as a macho Mexican. He is in charge. He has arranged his life the way he wants it. But he is honest. He is where he is partly because he has married the daughter of a nouveau riche man, the king of bakeries. But we find that Adam can be compassionate. The story is set among many of the travails of modern Mexico.
Adam's world starts to come apart on many levels and he carefully examines the problems and his own responses to these challenges.
His solution is surprising.

I think this would make a wonderful movie. I am not sure how, but the plot, the characters, the action and the humor seem that they could be made visual.

[Rodrigo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Una de las últimas obras de Fuentes, y no la mejor. Es interesante porque con Fuentes uno siempre puede contar con una historia muy bien contada, un manejo del lenguaje impresionante y, sobre todo en sus últimos tiempos, formatos y quiebres estructurales muy interesantes. En "Adán en Edén" Fuentes nos presenta una visión bastante cruda de lo que es el México actual: corrupción, pérdida de valores, búsqueda (inútil, al parecer) de un sentido, incluso el amor, ya medio podrido como concepto al mezclarlo con intereses políticos y económicos. La desesperanza de un país, la inoculación de poderes como el narco y la delincuencia... Y todo al estilo de Fuentes, a veces claro, a veces crudo y a veces -demasiadas- críptico. Eso sí, personajes maravillosos: Priscila, los dos Adanes, el Niño de las Alas, Abelardo. Incluso en sus momentos malos, Fuentes es muy bueno.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beginning as an amorphous cloud, and ending on a pretty solid note. An interesting title that will be unsettling me for awhile. How to create a new world in a Mexico swallowed by the side effects of neoliberalism, corruption, crime and violence - how about a deus ex machina that isn't, a cynical ploy that contains the best intentions?

[Juan Laboy Maldonado · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this book, Fuentes narrates a story that is full of intrigue. Adan Gorozpe, successful as he is, faces the threats of Adan Gongora, whose corruption attempts not only to destroy the life that Gorozpe has forged but a country that struggles to keep itself afloat in the midst of increasing criminal activity. Gorozpe's love affair is jeopardized and he must act soon. The resolution of this story is ingenious. A book that I highly recommend to those who love Latin American Literature.

[Natty S]

A quirky tale of neoliberal Mexico.

[Ricardo Munguia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Novela corta que combina un poco de complot político con una crítica bastante fuerte a la burguesía mexicana, con sutiles referencias a la Biblia y la vida religiosa del México actual así como su tradición musical y la violencia que desafortunadamente se ha convertido en cotidianidad. La narración es fresca y fragmentaria, navegando entre distintos planos desde el narrador omnisciente que reconoce estar narrando una novela, hasta pequeñas notas de prensa que tratan de dar contexto a la historia. Esta novela tiene todo para ser una gran novela, pero a mí gusto no lo fue. No es que sea mala, solo que quedo corta a la hora de plasmar todo lo que el autor quería abordar en sus páginas. Como dice el dicho, "El que mucho abarca, poco aprieta".

La historia se centra en Adán Gorozpe, abogado y hombre de negocios quien adquiere una fortuna producto de su matrimonio (por conveniencia), con Priscila, mujer agraciada en su juventud, pero de trato grosero y apariencia deplorable. Tiene una amante, Ele, con quién puede desahogarse y un cuñado, Abelardo quien es un escritor frustrado que no lo bajan de holgazán en su familia. Un día en una reunión social conoce a Adán Góngora, oficial del gobierno y ponen en marcha un complot para sacarlo como candidato a la presidencia de la República. Este planteamiento suena bastante sólido, aunque me de la impresión de que es un cliché que ya está visto (o leído) antes. La ambientación, en la ciudad de México actual es buena aunque poco detallada y las reflexiones de los personajes los hacen creíbles, aunque un poco despreciables desde mi punto de vista (como cualquier gente que por su propio interés está dispuesto a sacrificar a los demás).

Mi problema con el libro es que desarrolla muy poco todo lo que plantea, los conflictos se dan y se resuelven sin pena ni gloria, no hay emoción, no hay clímax (quizá esa sea la intención, dada la banalidad y lo vacío que resultan los personajes, pensados así como sátira a las clases altas de la sociedad mexicana), y en base a eso mucho de este libro se vuelve innecesario (aunque no deja de ser interesante) y se transforma en "algo para solo pasar el rato" (de nuevo, tal vez esa es la intención). Pero a mí en lo particular me deja la sensación de leer algo inacabado, que pretendía mucho y nos entrega poco y no es que hubiera tenido expectativas del libro, pero es que todo se da y se resuelve de una manera tan efímera que parece sacado de la manga.

No es que no lo disfrutara, me hizo pasar un buen rato, solo que resulta tan vacío que me sorprende que haya salido de la pluma de Fuentes, quien criticaba los libros flojos y banales como este. No es malo, no es lo mejor, simplemente no fue nada, una nada bien ejecutada. Recomendado si quieres una lectura ligera y pasajera, con una crítica al poder y con referencias populares a la religión y a la música mexicana.

[Hojaplateada · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tal vez demasiado mejicana? Supongo que para un mejicano puede llegar a ser un 4/5, pero bueh, para este argentino es un 3/5

[Zeynep · Rating 3 out of 5]

Daha önce okuduğum yine bir başka Carlos Fuentes kitabı olan Kartal Koltuğu ile karşılaştırmadan edemedim. Konular benzer: İktidara giden yol ve bu yoldaki her türlü pislik. Cennetteki Adem, KK'ye göre daha karikatürize edilmiş karakterler barındırıyor. Ama KK'ye göre baya sönük kalmış bir olay örgüsü var.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Didn’t live up to the beauty that was Fuentes’ “Chac Mool”, but then there were a few really bomb passages that pushed my rating up to four stars.

[Karli Sherwinter · Rating 3 out of 5]

I decided to read this because the author’s name came up when I looked for famous Mexican novelists, and this book was available at my library. I’m not sure if it gave me any special insight into modern Mexican literature, but it was a fairly entertaining story. It actually seemed like a lot of cultural stereotypes are reinforced in this novel. A macho, power-hungry man who marries a woman for her money, and is unfaithful to her in order to find meaning (which he later realizes is actually meaningless)…who ends up destroying his perfect paradise by having his perceived rival murdered. Fairly biblical, I suppose.

[aden · Rating 3 out of 5]

broke the third wall a few times. short chapters made it a quick read. a critique of current mexican social issues that didn’t seem to have an answer. why was his wife always slapping the maid? couldn’t tell if that was literal or figurative bc i’m not mexican. my dad was in mexico for an earthquake, but not that one

[Juan Herrera · Rating 3 out of 5]

Un libro muy ligero que se termina en un par de días. Carlos Fuentes muy simpáticamente realiza una radiografía de la sociedad mexicana -latinoamericana- resaltando sus contradicciones y vergüenzas. Muy entretenida, en su mayoría. Sería 3.5 estrellas pero no se puede.

[Antonio Galicia · Rating 3 out of 5]

De lo último de fuentes. Se nota la bella pluma del autor y por momentos la historia se vuelve cautivadora sin embargo tiene un final precipitadamente apresurado. Cuando la trama estaba por estallar la novela termina. Buena lectura para echarsela en una sentada

[Israel Chacón · Rating 3 out of 5]

Las primeras 100 y algo páginas se alargan (aunque entiendo que es la subida lenta y eterna antes de dejarte caer en la montaña rusa), un tanto aburridas y dispersas, más de lo que me gustaría.

Las bromas sobre la digestión Priscila están muy de más.

3..5 estrellas

[Roman Eduardo Santana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Es una novela muy bien escrita. Sin embargo, no terminó de atraparme. Por momentos me resultó pesada aunque solo tiene 200 páginas.

[Tunç Kurt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yazar olmaya çalışan karakter dışında romanda beni çeken en ufak şey olmadı.

[Zandt McCue · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am not interested in fart humor. That was the highlight of this book.

[Aynur Aslanova · Rating 4 out of 5]

Karışık bir kitap, her sayfa baska bir alem. Reading slump'ta kafa binbir türlü yerlere uğradığı için faydalı oldu. Ne hikmetse bir de kitap okutuyor.

[Joulhine]

DNF

[Nieves · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tan actual como cuando la escribió,. ¿Cambiará México algún día?

[Sophie · Rating 3 out of 5]

carlos fuentes, you are not a serious person!

(there's a fourth wall break in this book that reminded me of unamuno hahha)

[Tsuna Molina · Rating 3 out of 5]

No es malo pero tampoco buenísimo.