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Juan Soriano nino de mil anos
Octavio Paz lo llamó "niño de mil años" y Elena Poniatowska retomó aquella definición puntual y cariñosa del poeta para dibujar con palabras a Juan Soriano y ofrecernos una deliciosa biografía, una especie de autorretrato a partir de un diálogo ininterrumpido durante 45 años que dio origen a Juan Soriano, niño de mil años (Plaza & Janés), un libro considerado ''el mejor" de todos los que la periodista ha hecho de entrevistas, porque es ''el más fresco, descarado y genuino", donde el personaje se presenta de cuerpo entero, con sus miedos, sus fragilidades y su sabiduría.
296 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1998
4 people are currently reading
33 people want to read
About the author
Elena Poniatowska
177 books836 followersHélène Elizabeth Louise Amélie Paula Dolores Poniatowska Amor was born on May 19, 1933, in Paris, France. Her father was French of Polish ancestry and her mother a Mexican who was raised in France. When she was nine Poniatowska's family moved to México City. She grew up speaking French and learned English in a private British school. However, her knowledge of Spanish came from talking with the maids, so her written Spanish was largely colloquial. Poniatowska developed ties with the Mexican lower class in her youth and thus gained a sense of belonging to and an understanding of the Mexican culture. She felt and thought of herself as completely Mexican and of Spanish as her native language. Her works include characters who belong to the underprivileged classes, and she often gave voice to the powerless of her country.
She started writing as a journalist in 1954 and interviewed many famous Mexican and international writers. Many of these interviews can be found in her Palabras Cruzadas (1961; Crossed Words) and later in her Todo México (1990; All of Mexico). Besides her famous interviews, she also wrote several novels, short stories, chronicles, plays, and poems.
Among her novels are Hasta no verte, Jesús mío (1969; Until I see You, My Jesus), which earned her the Mazatlan Prize; Querido Diego, te abraza Quiela (1978; Dear Diego, love Quiela); La "Flor de Lis" (1988; The "Flower of the Lily"); and Tinísima (1992; Tinisima). Other narratives include Lilus Kikus (1954; Lilus Kikus; later an expanded edition appeared as Los cuentos [The Accounts] de Lilus Kikus in 1967); De noche vienes (1979; You Come at Night); Ay vida no me mereces (1985; Life, You Don't Deserve Me); Domingo 7 (1982; Seventh Sunday); Gaby Brimmer (1979; Gaby Brimmer); Todo empezó el domingo (1963; Everything Started on Sunday); and El último guajolote (1982; The Last Turkey).
Her chronicle La noche de Tlatelolco (1971; Massacre in Mexico) earned her the Javier Villarrutia Prize. She refused to accept it because she did not want to identify herself with then-President Echeverría's political establishment. Other chronicles include Fuerte es el silencio (1980; Silence Is Strong), and Nada, nadie: las voces del temblor (1988; Nothing, Nobody: The Voices of the Earthquake).
In theater, her play Melés y Teleo (1956; Melés and Teleo) uses a word game in the title, meaning "you read to me and I read to you." Finally, her poetry can be found in the Spanish publications Rojo de vida y negro de muerte, Estaciones, and Abside.
Ponistowska's skill as a novelist was her ability to combine fact with fiction. She lent her voice to the voiceless, but at the same time she took a step back and let the victims come forward to express their needs and pain, letting the Mexican people speak through her. Her settings were mostly in Mexico, and her characters were either Mexicans or people such as Angelina Beloff (Querido Diego, te abraza Quiela) or Tina Modotti (Tinísima) who lived important passages of their lives in Mexico. Many of her female characters are at the mercy of men. Their lives are ruled by a world made up of double standards. They try to do the right thing, but in the end they lose the men they loved and for whom they sacrificed. It is clear then that these women are never really appreciated.
Poniatowska had a great affinity with women and liked to write about them. But she also was interested in the poor, the weak, the street children, and the powerless. Interviewing the common people of Mexico became her trademark. After her first publication (Lilus Kikus, 1954), her writings became more and more political. For example, in Querido Diego (1978) Quiela's story is completely personal. It focuses upon her and her lover, the famous painter Diego Rivera. By comparison, in Tinísima (1992) Poniatowska reveals not just Modotti's emotional life but also her professional and political life as a communist.
However, Poniatowska's style often made it difficult fo
She started writing as a journalist in 1954 and interviewed many famous Mexican and international writers. Many of these interviews can be found in her Palabras Cruzadas (1961; Crossed Words) and later in her Todo México (1990; All of Mexico). Besides her famous interviews, she also wrote several novels, short stories, chronicles, plays, and poems.
Among her novels are Hasta no verte, Jesús mío (1969; Until I see You, My Jesus), which earned her the Mazatlan Prize; Querido Diego, te abraza Quiela (1978; Dear Diego, love Quiela); La "Flor de Lis" (1988; The "Flower of the Lily"); and Tinísima (1992; Tinisima). Other narratives include Lilus Kikus (1954; Lilus Kikus; later an expanded edition appeared as Los cuentos [The Accounts] de Lilus Kikus in 1967); De noche vienes (1979; You Come at Night); Ay vida no me mereces (1985; Life, You Don't Deserve Me); Domingo 7 (1982; Seventh Sunday); Gaby Brimmer (1979; Gaby Brimmer); Todo empezó el domingo (1963; Everything Started on Sunday); and El último guajolote (1982; The Last Turkey).
Her chronicle La noche de Tlatelolco (1971; Massacre in Mexico) earned her the Javier Villarrutia Prize. She refused to accept it because she did not want to identify herself with then-President Echeverría's political establishment. Other chronicles include Fuerte es el silencio (1980; Silence Is Strong), and Nada, nadie: las voces del temblor (1988; Nothing, Nobody: The Voices of the Earthquake).
In theater, her play Melés y Teleo (1956; Melés and Teleo) uses a word game in the title, meaning "you read to me and I read to you." Finally, her poetry can be found in the Spanish publications Rojo de vida y negro de muerte, Estaciones, and Abside.
Ponistowska's skill as a novelist was her ability to combine fact with fiction. She lent her voice to the voiceless, but at the same time she took a step back and let the victims come forward to express their needs and pain, letting the Mexican people speak through her. Her settings were mostly in Mexico, and her characters were either Mexicans or people such as Angelina Beloff (Querido Diego, te abraza Quiela) or Tina Modotti (Tinísima) who lived important passages of their lives in Mexico. Many of her female characters are at the mercy of men. Their lives are ruled by a world made up of double standards. They try to do the right thing, but in the end they lose the men they loved and for whom they sacrificed. It is clear then that these women are never really appreciated.
Poniatowska had a great affinity with women and liked to write about them. But she also was interested in the poor, the weak, the street children, and the powerless. Interviewing the common people of Mexico became her trademark. After her first publication (Lilus Kikus, 1954), her writings became more and more political. For example, in Querido Diego (1978) Quiela's story is completely personal. It focuses upon her and her lover, the famous painter Diego Rivera. By comparison, in Tinísima (1992) Poniatowska reveals not just Modotti's emotional life but also her professional and political life as a communist.
However, Poniatowska's style often made it difficult fo
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
January 28, 2026
Mexican artist Juan Soriano made a debut in the art world with his eclectic style of portraits. Mexican journalist and writer Elena Poniatowska paints a portrait of this famous artist and friend. Uniquely choosing to tell the artist’s story in first person, it comes across like two friends, one of whom tells his story as he remembers it. Time seems inconsequential at times, as Soriano talks about the past, jumps to the present, recent past then falls back into the storyline. It isn’t easy but it makes for an interesting if not unique life story.
To complete the book, add in his numerous line drawings, which are very dreamlike, beautiful, disturbing, and surreal. Let’s populate with photographs of his life and his esrly paintings. Then sprinkle with numerous articles from the Mexican literary world such as Carlos Monsiváis, Octavio Paz, Juan Garcia Ponce, and Sergio Pitol. The final chapter includes interviews that Poniatowska did in 1966, 1976, 1978, 1979 and 1990.
In short, a rather full book for a man, or rather, a child of a thousand years.
Tags: Art, Mexico, Read in Spanish
To complete the book, add in his numerous line drawings, which are very dreamlike, beautiful, disturbing, and surreal. Let’s populate with photographs of his life and his esrly paintings. Then sprinkle with numerous articles from the Mexican literary world such as Carlos Monsiváis, Octavio Paz, Juan Garcia Ponce, and Sergio Pitol. The final chapter includes interviews that Poniatowska did in 1966, 1976, 1978, 1979 and 1990.
In short, a rather full book for a man, or rather, a child of a thousand years.
Tags: Art, Mexico, Read in Spanish
June 12, 2021
Este libro es muy especial. Soriano es un hombre que posee una historia fascinante y un talento excepcional. El retrato de la autora, sin duda, hipnotiza al lector. Una lectura que se disfruta.
July 10, 2021
Me tomo bastante tiempo leer el libro por constantes interrupciones y tal vez por eso no le agarre nunca bien el hilo. El libro está compuesto por una narración de su vida en donde nos cuentan la fuente de su inspiración y su concepción y evolución bde forma de pensar, por lo menos a lo que su obra se refiere, también hay como una especie de "epilogos" de cada capítulo que son pequeños artículos de opinión previamente publicados. Al final del libro se encuentran una serie de entrevistas y el libro está plagado de dibujos y fotografías de Soriano. En ese sentido más que una novela o narración parece una compilación de distintos textos.
Sin duda Soriano tuvo una vida interesante, convivio con los grandes y tiene un estilo muy marcado e increíblemente bien concebido desde el punto de vista conceptual. Su orientacion sexual se aborda un poco en el libro, el se definía como homosexual, pero me da la impresión de que más que encasillarse en esa orientación a él se le definiría como algo más fluido, por qué menciona reiteradas veces que en realidad el deseo sexual es algo que no experimento, y que sentía más que por las personas, afinidad por las ideas. La verdad es que el libro es muy interesante en todo sentido, muy completo pero tiene un ritmo un poco cortado y medio tedioso, creo que lo ideal sería no leerlo de corrido si no tal vez secciones por momentos. Si te interesa la vida de Soriano, creo que está bien, pero en realidad no logro inspirarme para profundizar más en su obra que es la métrica que yo uso para calificar si los libros de este tipo me gustan o no, pero sin duda esta bastante completo.
Sin duda Soriano tuvo una vida interesante, convivio con los grandes y tiene un estilo muy marcado e increíblemente bien concebido desde el punto de vista conceptual. Su orientacion sexual se aborda un poco en el libro, el se definía como homosexual, pero me da la impresión de que más que encasillarse en esa orientación a él se le definiría como algo más fluido, por qué menciona reiteradas veces que en realidad el deseo sexual es algo que no experimento, y que sentía más que por las personas, afinidad por las ideas. La verdad es que el libro es muy interesante en todo sentido, muy completo pero tiene un ritmo un poco cortado y medio tedioso, creo que lo ideal sería no leerlo de corrido si no tal vez secciones por momentos. Si te interesa la vida de Soriano, creo que está bien, pero en realidad no logro inspirarme para profundizar más en su obra que es la métrica que yo uso para calificar si los libros de este tipo me gustan o no, pero sin duda esta bastante completo.
April 19, 2019
No me terminó de enganchar nunca, la narración me parecía plana y nunca empaticé con el tipo ese Soriano, sentí que era pretencioso pues en varias ocasiones del texto decía "me juntaba con tal y tal" (con los grandes nombres de esa mafia que es la élite cultural mexicana), racista en tanto que de plano consideraba a los pueblos indígenas como entes muertos; además de que descalificaba a los movimientos Lgbt y feminista, mientras se iba a comer con los directores de Teidiotiza.
Estuve cerca de terminarlo pero no aguanté y lo dejé.
Por otra parte, que bueno alcanzó a morir antes del crecimiento de ese patíbulo digital que son las redes
Estuve cerca de terminarlo pero no aguanté y lo dejé.
Por otra parte, que bueno alcanzó a morir antes del crecimiento de ese patíbulo digital que son las redes
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 6, 2023
Deliciosamente escrito. Un recorrido fantástico por diferentes lugares, con gente variada. El mundo intelectual y artístico bien reflejado
September 28, 2015
La compleja personalidad de Soriano resplandece en este libro que, además de ofrecer señas biográficas del pintor, explora los diferentes círculos que frecuentaba; permitiendo así una visión integral de la vida de un hombre que trascendió la esfera de su disciplina artística.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews