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Sun, Stone, and Shadows: 20 Great Mexican Short Stories
Literature is perhaps Mexico's best landscape, encompassing both past and present, revealing the multiple colors of its geographic expanse and the shapes of its imagination and memory. The Short story provides our best and quickest view - or our most faithful mirror- of all things Mexican. This anthology presents a collection of twenty stories of extraordinary quality, written by the finest Mexican authors born during the first half of the twentieth century. Through these pages, readers will tour the real and the unreal, the faithfully rendered and the fantastic, as well as the tangible past of Mexican history. They will also travel between urban reflections on everyday life and intimate inventions that set Mexico apart from others landscapes, other cultures, and other literatures.
The Big Read is the largest literature program in the history of the U.S. government. Created by the National Endowment for the Arts, in partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library Services and in cooperation with Arts Midwest, the Big Read is designed to revitalize the role of reading in American Culture and promote the transformative power of literature. Sun, Stone and Shadows: 20 Great Mexican Short Stories has the distinction of being the first book published expressly for The Big Read Program. Its stories, selected with U.S. readers in mind, represent a remarkable array of Mexico's rich and vibrant literary history. Sun, Stone and Shadows is a catalyst for cultural understanding and conversation between the people of Mexico and the United States.
The Big Read is the largest literature program in the history of the U.S. government. Created by the National Endowment for the Arts, in partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library Services and in cooperation with Arts Midwest, the Big Read is designed to revitalize the role of reading in American Culture and promote the transformative power of literature. Sun, Stone and Shadows: 20 Great Mexican Short Stories has the distinction of being the first book published expressly for The Big Read Program. Its stories, selected with U.S. readers in mind, represent a remarkable array of Mexico's rich and vibrant literary history. Sun, Stone and Shadows is a catalyst for cultural understanding and conversation between the people of Mexico and the United States.
248 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2008
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267 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
October 12, 2012
This unusual anthology of translated Mexican short stories has nothing to do with launching or advancing a career since each of the authors is already renowned (many worldwide). According to the editor, this book bares Mexico’s soul. In particular, he has narrowed the twenty pieces to authors born just before, during or immediately following the Mexican Revolution, “the best Mexican literature published during the first half of the twentieth century.”
Divided into five sections, the pieces illustrate a wide range of theme and style. The sections include The Fantastic Unreal, Scenes from Mexican Reality, The Tangible Past, The Unexpected in Everyday Urban Life and Intimate Imagination. The anthology incorporates literary work by Nobel laureate Octavio Paz, acclaimed writers Carlos Fuentes, Salvador Elizondo, Alfonso Reyes, Martin Luis Guzman, Juan Rulfo and Jose Emilio Pacheco as well as other Mexican writers not as well known in the English-speaking world. For the novice, this is a great primer, for the aficionado a treat like juicy tacos al pastor followed by steaming café de olla.
The first selection and probably the most famous is titled “My Life with the Wave.” This is a surreal piece written before the term Magic Realism had been coined, about a man on a coastal vacation who literally takes a wave home with him to the city. The train ride home becomes nightmarish once he empties a water cooler to hide his lusty female wave. He is forced to ward off thirsty passengers in an unairconditioned train as it creeps through jungle. This creates suspicion. Someone takes a drink and complains about “salty water” which leads to accusations that he has poisoned the same water cooler children drink from. He is arrested, jailed. Upon completion of his brief sentence, he returns home to his Mexico City apartment where, at the door, he hears laughter and singing. The wave greets him with a wet smack in the chest. She explains that someone on the train poured her on the engine which transformed her into steam. “It was a rough trip,” she says. “I lost many drops.” This begins a torrid love affair between the immortal and the mortal. As the seasons and temperatures change, so does the lovers’ dispositions. Since she is lonely, he buys her a school of fish which leads to his own jealousy as he watches them swim inside of her, smiling. When he attacks the fish, she nearly drowns him. He leaves for a month to return during winter and finds her frozen stiff. Taking advantage of her immobility, he sells her to a waiter friend who chips her into pieces to cool his client’s drinks. Throughout the piece, the author explores passion and forces of nature. The wave, the sea, is the beginning of all life but not human and not a companion. Yet, their passion becomes a force in itself.
“The Night of Margaret Rose,” written by Francisco Tario, was called “one of the best short stories of the twentieth century” by Nobel laureate Gabriel Garcia Marquez. It deals with ghosts and reality.
“Chaac-Mool” by Carlos Fuentes is an exploration of Indian beliefs in the modern world. What happens to the gods when they are forgotten? A young man infatuated with the archeological past acquires a statue of a long ago revered rain god who becomes flesh and blood in his basement, reeking havoc and subjugating the naïve young man, for this is no toy. Told as a story within a story, a friend of the young man unravels the mystery of his death by drowning via a diary left behind.
Juan Rulfo was once described as the godfather of modern Latin American literature. His short story “Tell Them Not to Kill Me!” is a good example of his gritty, sparse realism. In this piece, he chronicles the death of Juvencio Nava, executed for a murder he committed forty years earlier. Through a recounting of his life on the run, the reader gets an idea about rural Mexican life.
Only one of the twenty distinguished contributors actually earned much money from writing. Nineteen worked for a living as diplomats, teachers, professional athletes, librarians, editors and even a photographer. In the United States where success is measured solely by income and practicality, the writer (and the intellectual) is often held in contempt whereas south of the frontera, they are revered. This is a great selection from Mexico’s saintly class.
Lawrence F. Lihosit is the author of ten books, including Whispering Campaign; Stories from Mesoamerica, called “a rich mix” by RPCV and author Allen W. Fletcher.
Divided into five sections, the pieces illustrate a wide range of theme and style. The sections include The Fantastic Unreal, Scenes from Mexican Reality, The Tangible Past, The Unexpected in Everyday Urban Life and Intimate Imagination. The anthology incorporates literary work by Nobel laureate Octavio Paz, acclaimed writers Carlos Fuentes, Salvador Elizondo, Alfonso Reyes, Martin Luis Guzman, Juan Rulfo and Jose Emilio Pacheco as well as other Mexican writers not as well known in the English-speaking world. For the novice, this is a great primer, for the aficionado a treat like juicy tacos al pastor followed by steaming café de olla.
The first selection and probably the most famous is titled “My Life with the Wave.” This is a surreal piece written before the term Magic Realism had been coined, about a man on a coastal vacation who literally takes a wave home with him to the city. The train ride home becomes nightmarish once he empties a water cooler to hide his lusty female wave. He is forced to ward off thirsty passengers in an unairconditioned train as it creeps through jungle. This creates suspicion. Someone takes a drink and complains about “salty water” which leads to accusations that he has poisoned the same water cooler children drink from. He is arrested, jailed. Upon completion of his brief sentence, he returns home to his Mexico City apartment where, at the door, he hears laughter and singing. The wave greets him with a wet smack in the chest. She explains that someone on the train poured her on the engine which transformed her into steam. “It was a rough trip,” she says. “I lost many drops.” This begins a torrid love affair between the immortal and the mortal. As the seasons and temperatures change, so does the lovers’ dispositions. Since she is lonely, he buys her a school of fish which leads to his own jealousy as he watches them swim inside of her, smiling. When he attacks the fish, she nearly drowns him. He leaves for a month to return during winter and finds her frozen stiff. Taking advantage of her immobility, he sells her to a waiter friend who chips her into pieces to cool his client’s drinks. Throughout the piece, the author explores passion and forces of nature. The wave, the sea, is the beginning of all life but not human and not a companion. Yet, their passion becomes a force in itself.
“The Night of Margaret Rose,” written by Francisco Tario, was called “one of the best short stories of the twentieth century” by Nobel laureate Gabriel Garcia Marquez. It deals with ghosts and reality.
“Chaac-Mool” by Carlos Fuentes is an exploration of Indian beliefs in the modern world. What happens to the gods when they are forgotten? A young man infatuated with the archeological past acquires a statue of a long ago revered rain god who becomes flesh and blood in his basement, reeking havoc and subjugating the naïve young man, for this is no toy. Told as a story within a story, a friend of the young man unravels the mystery of his death by drowning via a diary left behind.
Juan Rulfo was once described as the godfather of modern Latin American literature. His short story “Tell Them Not to Kill Me!” is a good example of his gritty, sparse realism. In this piece, he chronicles the death of Juvencio Nava, executed for a murder he committed forty years earlier. Through a recounting of his life on the run, the reader gets an idea about rural Mexican life.
Only one of the twenty distinguished contributors actually earned much money from writing. Nineteen worked for a living as diplomats, teachers, professional athletes, librarians, editors and even a photographer. In the United States where success is measured solely by income and practicality, the writer (and the intellectual) is often held in contempt whereas south of the frontera, they are revered. This is a great selection from Mexico’s saintly class.
Lawrence F. Lihosit is the author of ten books, including Whispering Campaign; Stories from Mesoamerica, called “a rich mix” by RPCV and author Allen W. Fletcher.
April 23, 2010
What an unusual book. Most of the stories were hard to get my head around . . . I'd finish reading and think "huh?" I have the feeling that I missed a lot, that the stories are deep and meaningful and I just didn't get it. This book would be good to explore in class, with an instructor who's familiar with Mexican literature and the surrealist movement.
March 1, 2018
Me encantó este libro, si bien no todas las historias me atraparon, algunas son simplemente grandiosas, volvería a leerlo sin duda
gave-up
July 20, 2017While I was weeding stuff from the garage, I came across The Big Read booklet for the 2010 CU Big Read which was this book. I decided to put it to use since I have had it all these years now. The date for the big read was April 1st - May 5th 2010 but we were too busy getting married, and packing to leave.
Serves as a book of Latin American history or literature for my 2017 looking all around challenge.
20 July 2017. I failed. I made it through the intro and three stories. Just not for me and I fail to see how these stories inform the history the editor talks about in the intro.
No rating as not my thing, which is no judgement on it as literature.
Serves as a book of Latin American history or literature for my 2017 looking all around challenge.
20 July 2017. I failed. I made it through the intro and three stories. Just not for me and I fail to see how these stories inform the history the editor talks about in the intro.
No rating as not my thing, which is no judgement on it as literature.
May 5, 2010
Holy Guacamole! What a disappointment. But I'll give these stories the benefit of the doubt and assume that they simply suffered in translation.
The book opens with a bang but then fizzles. The first story My Life with the Wave by Octavio Paz is a real jewel. Perhaps that was the problem, it is so good that the other stories pale by comparison. Maybe I would have liked them better had the first story been placed elsewhere in the collection. It is worth picking up this book for this story alone. It's amazing stuff.
I liked the creepy Chac-Mool by Carlos Fuentes...it reminded me of a Twilight Zone episode. The sheer cruel, rawness of The Carnival of the Bullets by Martin Luis Guzman struck a nerve. The Medicine Man by Francisco Rojas Gonzalez is the only I've ever encountered the Lacandon in literature. In 1988 I traveled to Chiapas and actually was lucky enough to see some Lancandon and even purchase beads from them. I was pleased to see the Lacandon in a story but I thought the story was just so-so.
One of the biggest flaws in this collection is the lack of female voices. Out of 20 stories only 3 were written by women. That made Rosario Castellanos' feminist story Cooking Lesson all the more poignant.
Worth the time for the Paz story but otherwise not one I would suggest rushing out to read.
The book opens with a bang but then fizzles. The first story My Life with the Wave by Octavio Paz is a real jewel. Perhaps that was the problem, it is so good that the other stories pale by comparison. Maybe I would have liked them better had the first story been placed elsewhere in the collection. It is worth picking up this book for this story alone. It's amazing stuff.
I liked the creepy Chac-Mool by Carlos Fuentes...it reminded me of a Twilight Zone episode. The sheer cruel, rawness of The Carnival of the Bullets by Martin Luis Guzman struck a nerve. The Medicine Man by Francisco Rojas Gonzalez is the only I've ever encountered the Lacandon in literature. In 1988 I traveled to Chiapas and actually was lucky enough to see some Lancandon and even purchase beads from them. I was pleased to see the Lacandon in a story but I thought the story was just so-so.
One of the biggest flaws in this collection is the lack of female voices. Out of 20 stories only 3 were written by women. That made Rosario Castellanos' feminist story Cooking Lesson all the more poignant.
Worth the time for the Paz story but otherwise not one I would suggest rushing out to read.
February 28, 2012
el libro contiene veinte cuentos cortos de escritores mexicanos. unos mejores que otros para mi gusto pero que cubren diferentes temas. una buena coleccion para cualquier persona que le interesa la literatura mexicana.
November 19, 2018
I tend not to care much for short stories, but this collection actually had a lot of good ones in it, so I would consider it one of the better collections I've read.
June 19, 2021
Intriguing collection, curated with only authors born between 1887 to 1939. Indeed, trying to anthologize a representative collection of a nation's literature is no small feat, and the stories do range in regard to length, subject, and Mexican topics of interest (magic realism; political history, particularly of the Revolution; love, etc.). They range from gritty to poetic, and I personally appreciated the brevity, having read this the week I gave birth to my daughter and needed narratives I could complete in 3am nursing sessions. Vivid, eloquent detail!
July 16, 2023
This collection of short stories features some of the real classics of Mexican literature. i had already read seven of them in other collections or on their own. The authors are all excellent, some of the stories spooky and others brutal depictions of the Revolution.
Esta colección de cuentos presenta algunos de los verdaderos clásicos de la literatura mexicana. ya había leído siete de ellos en otras colecciones o por su cuenta. Los autores son todos excelentes, algunas de las historias espeluznantes y otras brutales representaciones de la Revolución.
Esta colección de cuentos presenta algunos de los verdaderos clásicos de la literatura mexicana. ya había leído siete de ellos en otras colecciones o por su cuenta. Los autores son todos excelentes, algunas de las historias espeluznantes y otras brutales representaciones de la Revolución.
July 26, 2024
(This collection is also available in English!)
Una colaboración entre la Embajada Mexicana en Estados Unidos y el National Endowment for the Arts con el Institute of Museum and Library Services, este libro recolecta 20 joyas de la literatura mexicana. Es un tur genial de nombres reconocidos, mostrando su inmenso talento de manera súper accesible. Ya conocí algunos de estos autores, a otros solo por nombre, pero con mucha confianza ahora puedo decir que todos merezcan el fama que tienen. Excelente colección, súper recomendable para quien quiera conocer a México.
Una colaboración entre la Embajada Mexicana en Estados Unidos y el National Endowment for the Arts con el Institute of Museum and Library Services, este libro recolecta 20 joyas de la literatura mexicana. Es un tur genial de nombres reconocidos, mostrando su inmenso talento de manera súper accesible. Ya conocí algunos de estos autores, a otros solo por nombre, pero con mucha confianza ahora puedo decir que todos merezcan el fama que tienen. Excelente colección, súper recomendable para quien quiera conocer a México.
March 27, 2023
This is a very good anthology for anyone wanting a historical review of Mexican literature. There are stories from writers well-known to those outside of Mexico, such as Carlos Fuentes, Octavio Paz, and Juan Rulfo. But, there are also works from less internationally famous writers who have had a significant impact on the literature of Mexicans writing today, such as Fernanda Melchor and Yuri Herrera, as well as those with Mexican heritage, like Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Dagoberto Gilb, and Luis Alberto Urrea.
September 22, 2020
This book is really good but it definitely isn’t for me the short stories have Mexican style writing to them. The writing itself is beautiful but this book wasn’t for me.
February 28, 2021
Mesmerizing, thought invoking, lucrative and whimsical stories.
January 14, 2016
Sun, Stone, and Shadows: 20 Great Mexican Short Stories, edited by Jorge F. Hernández, is this year’s Big Read title for the Galesburg Public Library (Illinois). We will be focusing on a few of the stories in discussions that will take place in April 2016.
Like most story anthologies, Sun, Stone, and Shadows contained stories I admired, stories I didn’t necessarily enjoy but that I’m still thinking about, stories I thought were lame, and stories I just did not get.
The stories are grouped into five sections. My favorite section overall was “The Fantastic Unreal,” and my favorite story in the collection was Permission Granted by Edmundo Valadés.
The most famous author represented in the collection is arguably Octavio Paz, and I found his story My Life with the Wave to be disturbing and mind bending but also thought provoking. The language is very provocative, and the story is filled with nice imagery. Three other stories are grouped with it in “The Fantastic Unreal.” Chac-Mool by Carlos Fuentes could have been an episode on the TV show The X-Files. History According to Pao Cheng by Salvador Elizondo had a nice twist at the end, and Francisco Tario’s The Night of the Margaret Rose was also very evocative and made me feel as I were in the story with the narrator.
The second section is “Scenes from Mexican Reality,” and they are mostly sad or melancholy tales. I especially liked the touching The Mist by Juan de la Cabada. The third section is “The Tangible Past.” The Carnival of the Bullets by Martín Luis Guzmán has a strong and terrible narrative that is hard to forget. Permission Granted by Edmundo Valadés is very good, the most entertaining story in the collection, with an excellent ending.
The fourth section (the weakest, in my opinion) is “The Unexpected in Everyday, Urban Life.” I found Inés Arredondo’s The Shunammite predictable and thought the ending of Cooking Lesson by Rosario Castellanos fell flat. The fifth section is “Intimate Imagination.” The Switchman by Juan José Arreola is about trains, so a good choice for Galesburg, and The Square by Juan García Ponce is full of lovely descriptions that gave me a real sense of place.
I really enjoyed this selection of works intended to acquaint me with Mexican literature and recommend it to anyone interested in Mexican culture and to everyone in the Galesburg area.
Like most story anthologies, Sun, Stone, and Shadows contained stories I admired, stories I didn’t necessarily enjoy but that I’m still thinking about, stories I thought were lame, and stories I just did not get.
The stories are grouped into five sections. My favorite section overall was “The Fantastic Unreal,” and my favorite story in the collection was Permission Granted by Edmundo Valadés.
The most famous author represented in the collection is arguably Octavio Paz, and I found his story My Life with the Wave to be disturbing and mind bending but also thought provoking. The language is very provocative, and the story is filled with nice imagery. Three other stories are grouped with it in “The Fantastic Unreal.” Chac-Mool by Carlos Fuentes could have been an episode on the TV show The X-Files. History According to Pao Cheng by Salvador Elizondo had a nice twist at the end, and Francisco Tario’s The Night of the Margaret Rose was also very evocative and made me feel as I were in the story with the narrator.
The second section is “Scenes from Mexican Reality,” and they are mostly sad or melancholy tales. I especially liked the touching The Mist by Juan de la Cabada. The third section is “The Tangible Past.” The Carnival of the Bullets by Martín Luis Guzmán has a strong and terrible narrative that is hard to forget. Permission Granted by Edmundo Valadés is very good, the most entertaining story in the collection, with an excellent ending.
The fourth section (the weakest, in my opinion) is “The Unexpected in Everyday, Urban Life.” I found Inés Arredondo’s The Shunammite predictable and thought the ending of Cooking Lesson by Rosario Castellanos fell flat. The fifth section is “Intimate Imagination.” The Switchman by Juan José Arreola is about trains, so a good choice for Galesburg, and The Square by Juan García Ponce is full of lovely descriptions that gave me a real sense of place.
I really enjoyed this selection of works intended to acquaint me with Mexican literature and recommend it to anyone interested in Mexican culture and to everyone in the Galesburg area.
July 14, 2016
As the cover suggests this collection is made up of twenty short stories, which have been chosen using the following criteria; Born in Mexico and before 1939 and published in the first half of the twentieth century. As per most translated fiction it is, yet again, disappointing that the female representation is low, with only three stories of the twenty being written by women, this collection even falls below the 30% average for women in translation!!! On the positive side, however, is the fact that promotion of translated fiction is happening via such a large program. Of course this may result in a homogeneous collection, something that has all the “name” players, and stories chosen to meet a teaching curriculum not representative of a national literature canon. Although bottom line is awareness of a nation’s literature, written in a different language, has to be a step in the right direction.
For my full review go to http://messybooker.blogspot.com.au/20...
For my full review go to http://messybooker.blogspot.com.au/20...
April 17, 2014
Una antología que sin duda reúne escritores muy emblemáticos de nuestro país. Es difícil juzgar la calidad dela antología como conjunto sin sesgar la opinión de uno mismo con nombres tan apabullantes como Carlos Fuentes, Elena Garro, Juan Rulfo, Octavio Paz (me detengo aquí porque tendría que mencionar a la mayoría de los escritores antologados que conocía de antemano). Es por esto que me limito a decir que cada relato tiene en cierto nivel, plasmada la esencia de nuestra cultura. Aunque no podemos sintetizar una idea que resuma la experiencia mexicana de la vida diaria, sí podemos usar dispositivos literarios para sentir esa familiaridad cuando los leemos. Y a pesar también, de que no todos los relatos fueron de mi agrado personal, creo (como en otras ocasiones lo he señalado) que la calidad es innegable al momento de reflexionar el texto en turno.
February 1, 2016
This is Galesburg Public Library's Big Read selection for 2016. As with a number of Big Read selections we've done in the past, I would never have picked this book up on my own but I'm really glad I read it. There were stories I really liked -- "The Switchman" made me laugh out loud, and I was drawn in to "The Night of Margaret Rose," "The Medicine Man," and The Dinner." There were also a couple that I couldn't stand, both of them in "The Unexpected in Everyday Urban Life" section. In particular, the story featuring the delightful line "I got up and tried to rape her, but I couldn't" is one I would like to un-read. All in all, I'm looking forward to discussing these stories with other readers this spring.
October 7, 2009
I also read this one in the original Spanish. These two books are part of the Big Read program, a national level NEA sponsored reading program which chose a book by Mexican writers and made available both anthologies in English and Spanish. Nice selection, but only 3 women. Both books published by the Fondo de Cultura Económica. I was part of this program in Austin, where I did a bilingual reading with Cristina García, then visited classes at ACC and at the Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders. In Spanish: Sol, piedra y sombras.
October 3, 2009
The Big Read choice for Boundless Readers (formerly Rochelle Lee fund) in partnership with Chicago Public Schools and National-Louis University, at first I wished for Edgar Allan Poe instead. And yet after reading, and in some cases rereading these 20 stories by Mexican authors born after the Revolution, I have come to appreciate their cultural authenticity, and am glad I've read outside my comfort zone.
June 10, 2010
Wonderful collection of mexican short stories including some from my favorite authors such as Juan Rulfo y José Emilio Pacheco. Be ready for some Magic Realism y some irrealidad fantástica, some stories are a bit obscure, others take you into the heart of Mexico, especially the country y la vida cotidiana. At the end you will find some brief info about each author and the story presented.
January 23, 2014
What I took away from this book was that Mexican writers are really into magic and the supernatural and having weird shit happen in their stories. Even the stories that weren't supposed to be supernatural had supernatural elements.
I wouldn't say I particularly enjoyed any of these stories, but I'm glad I read them. I feel like a now have a tiny understanding of Mexican fiction.
I wouldn't say I particularly enjoyed any of these stories, but I'm glad I read them. I feel like a now have a tiny understanding of Mexican fiction.
April 22, 2010
I read this collection of short stories by Mexican authors for our local Big Read. There's something for everyone here, from stories filled with magical realism, to those a bit more straightforward. My library had support materials that I wish had been included in the text.
unfinished-but-might-restart-later
February 5, 2013Read two stories from this collection in my sophomore year of high school, "My Life with the Wave" by Octavio Paz and "The Night of Margaret Rose" by Francisco Tario, which were so good that I now want to read all the Mexican fiction I can get my hands on.
April 25, 2012
I read this as part of the NEA's Big Read, and am hosting a neighborhood discussion of it. It was good to read something I wouldn't otherwise have picked up. The dearth of female authors, though, was appalling.
December 29, 2015
Galesburg Public Library will be reading this book for its 2016 Big Read. This book was a mixed bag for me. I enjoyed some of the stories and others completely bewildered me. I will post a more detailed review after The Big Read.
January 10, 2010
The short stories really make you think!
November 18, 2009
Not really done with it, just with what we've had to read in school :P
November 21, 2009
I haven't read all of it: we are reading it at school.
Want to read
March 10, 2010triton college (IL)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews