Animal Tropical

Centro Havana

by Pedro Juan Gutiérrez

Tropical Animal sees the return of the already infamous Pedro Juan, the protagonist at the heart of the first novel. Pursued by Gloria, a proud and sophisticated prostitute on a mission to curb his predatory instincts, Pedro Juan is holed-up in his crumbling Havana apartment, painting, with a growing sense of melancholy as he observes the lives of the hustlers, hipsters and hookers in the city below him. An invitation to Sweden, of all places - cold, unwelcoming, uptight: the very antithesis, you might say, of Pedro's Cuba - seems to offer him a way out, and the seductive phone manner of Agneta proves persuasive enough for him to leave for Europe. However he soons finds himself haunted by memories of Gloria and their wild sex together, and increasingly uninspired by his new environment. Does Pedro Juan, legendary sexual conquistador and imbiber of hard liquor and substances, finally have to admit that the game is over? Or do his hedonistic instincts have juice enough to keep him active yet?

Genres: Fiction, Latin American, Ebooks, Novels, Literature, Contemporary

316 pages

First published December 1, 2000

About the author

Pedro Juan Gutiérrez (Matanzas, Cuba, 1950) es reconocido internacionalmente como uno de los escritores más talentosos de la actual narrativa latinoamericana. Su Ciclo de Centro Habana ha sido publicado íntegramente por Anagrama, y ha aparecido en otros idiomas en más de veinte países: Trilogía sucia de La Habana (publicada también en títulos individuales: Anclado en tierra de nadie, Nada que hacer y Sabor a mí),El Rey de La Habana (que ha sido adaptada al cine por el prestigioso director Agustí Villaronga), Animal tropical (Premio Alfonso García-Ramos), El insaciable hombre araña y Carne de perro (Premio Narrativa Sur del Mundo). También en Anagrama ha publicado las novelas Nuestro G. G. en La Habana, El nido de la serpiente. Memorias del hijo del heladero, Fabián y el caos y Estoico y frugal. Vive en La Habana y se dedica exclusivamente a la literatura y a la pintura.

Reviews

[Eirini Proikaki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tropical animal λέγεται κανονικά αυτό το βιβλίο και αυτός ο τίτλος του ταιριάζει απόλυτα.Δεν ξέρω ποιος σκέφτηκε να βάλει έναν τόσο ρομαντικό τίτλο στην ελληνική έκδοση και γιατί.Είναι ένα βιβλίο σχεδόν πορνογραφικό σε ενα μέρος του,ένα βιβλίο γεμάτο σεξ,βρώμικο,σκληρό σεξ,με χυδαίο λεξιλόγιο,αηδιαστικές εικόνες,σιχαμερές μυρωδιές αλλα και με χιούμορ(βρώμικο κι αυτό ).Ανάμεσα στο ποοολύ σεξ(απορώ πως τη βγάζει αυτός ο τύπος με τόσο σεξ πια!κανονικά θα έπρεπε να σέρνεται στα πατώματα ),δίνει και μια γευση απο τη ζωή στην Κούβα και κάποιες όμορφες εικόνες απο τη Σουηδία.
Πλάκα είχε,μ'αρεσε.Οτι πρέπει για καλοκαίρι και χαλαρό διάβασμα ήταν.

[Christian Bistriceanu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dacă îți place Charles Bukowski îți va plăcea și Pedro Juan Gutiérrez. Comparația nu este deloc superficială. Pe cei doi îi leagă tema și stilul doar decorul e altul.
Pedro Juan Gutiérrez vorbește despre Cuba și în mod special despre Havana. Un oraș al mizeriei și al supraviețuirii. Un oraș în care scapă cine poate, cum poate. Un oraș în care totul e de vânzare, pe sub mână, și în care credințele creștine se amestecă cu cele africane. Unde există droguri, femei și sex. Unde dacă nu ai sentimentul că ai înșelat pe cineva, sigur te-au înșelat pe tine. În acest peisaj se mișcă personajul Pedro Juan, scriitor, pictor de 50 de ani care încearcă să își găsească inspirația pentru un nou roman în relația pe care o are cu Gloria și ulterior cu suedeza Agneta, în sejurul suedez de câteva luni pe care îl are. Uneori poți avea impresia că romanul pe care îl citești este romanul pe care personajul îl scrie.
Limbajul este unul al sincerității. Nici personajul, și nici autorul nu se tem de cuvinte. Nicio fantezie sau realitate nu este atât de crudă, dură sau violentă încât să merite să fie cenzurată sau cosmetizată, încât să nu merite să fie descrisă.În ceea ce-l privește pe personaj: nu exista vreo dezvoltare, dar nici nu cred că asta îl interesează pe autor/narator. Totul se desfășoară într-un ritm alert de la o partidă de sex la alta, de la ceartă la alta, dintr-o beție în alta.
Cred ca pentru Pedro Juan Gutiérrez toate lucrurile au un nume și ele trebuie spuse pe numele lor, așa cum sunt. Și asta face în "Animal tropical".

[Kaloyana · Rating 4 out of 5]

4,5 звезди. И то ги давам като съм спала само няколко часа, за да довърша книгата. Ами много хубаво пише Гутиерес. Аз обичам така - хаштаг no bullshit. Може да е много долен, да казва нещата до погнуса както са си, без да се съобразява за приличието и добрия маниер, но в същото време има сурови прозрения и от време на време - една красива меланхолия и носталгия. Интересният и безмилостен живот във вечно топлата Куба тук е съпоставен с този в подредената и студена Швеция. И всички пак е от първо лице единствено число като преживяване. Ако обичате Буковски, ще харесате и Гутиерес.

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ένα βιβλίο με δυνατή αφήγηση, αρκετά ωμή σε πολλά σημεία...Ένα σημείο ιδιαίτερα ενδιαφέρον η αντίθεση μεταξύ των κοινωνικοοικονομικών και πολιτισμικών στοιχείων Κούβας και Σουηδίας...

[Francisco Alcantar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Si el acto de leer no se convierte en un viaje para descubrir cosas, imagenes, mundos que generen placer, asombro; seguramente sera a la postre una acción condenada al olvido, recurso o artilugio para dormir más que para despertar.
Animal Tropical es una obra sorpredentemente amena y cálida, a la par que una postal de la realidad social cubana que al ser narrada con humor desfachatado, quizá para algunos pornógrafico; inspira ya no lástima sino confianza en que los terribles problemas que afronta la isla serán vencidos por ese mismo espiritu que de la adversidad puede producir cosas tan sublimes como esta novela.
Esta obra es alucinante, un carnaval de risas, una sobredosis de erotismo y por lo mismo: de esperanza.

[LW · Rating 4 out of 5]

Qué pingazo!

Subtìtulo:
Le storie di un gran figlio di Changò e di Ochun ,dall' ego sfrontatamente eretto...( quasi costantemente , :D pare !)

#muchocalor

[Nevena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Вулгарно писане със стил.

[Jelena · Rating 3 out of 5]

Zbog "nametnute neaktivnosti" u Stokholmu, glavni lik ima na raspolaganju dosta vremena za razmisljanje. Zanimljiva mi je bila ta antiteza: nacin zivljenja (da ne kazem prezivljavanja) na uzavreloj Kubi, a potom u hladnoj Svedskoj.
Stil je lascivan i sirov. "Rakovu obratnicu" nisam citala, Bukovskog jesam davno, i slicnost svakako postoji.

[Ana · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bukowski does it better.

[Cititoare Calatoare · Rating 1 out of 5]

Pedro Juan de 50 ani si iubirile lui, viata din Havana cu dragostea lor carnala, animalica, nu romantism si povesti de dragoste. Cam despre asta este vorba in carte.
Dar parca mult prea bruta aceasta expunere, aproape nimic ce sa imi atraga atentia in mod placut. Poate nu s-a nimerit sa fie chiar pe gustul meu sau poate ca nu am inteles-o eu cum trebuia avand in vedere ca este continuarea altei carti (cand m-am apucat de ea, nu am stiut si nici nu m-am interesat 🤦‍♀️).

[Eduardo Leite · Rating 1 out of 5]

Li na força do ódio.

[Kevin Tole · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read Dirty Havan and persevered with it thru the sub-porn to see if there was a writer lurking there underneath the trashy sensationalism.
I subsequently read The Insatiable Spiderwoman (which is considerably better and does indeed contain some decent writing)
This is a return to the trashy Havana sensationalism of Dirty Havana and is without any saving grace. The same strands are continued with an excursion to Sweden w Pedro Juan as an etranger.
I really am not sure why Gutierrez keeps up this trite porn drivel - probably because fools will buy it for the sensationalist porn.
If you want to read Cuban writers then go elsewhere and I would recommend starting with Lezama Lima and Marti.
This has few redeeming features and I say this as a much travelled Cuban admirer. It gives a gross overall flavour of Havana Central - of SOME people from Central. It is not as such about Cuba.

[Ignacio De Leon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Este es un libro especialmente divertido para caribenos que alguna vez vivieron en Europa. Narra la experiencia de una pasantia que Gutierrez tuvo en los paises nordicos, con amores y desencuentros comicos. Con respecto al resto de su obra, no es particularmente excepcional en su narrativa (que en el caso de Gutierrez, es apasionante!) pero es sumamente aleccionante: la vida desordenada de Gutierrez encuentra una pared de disciplina nordica. No pude sentirme mas identificado.

[Carlmaria · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Havana is a captivating tropical cocktail”. Nothing irritates me like this all-too familiar opening sentence of your typical guide. After reading Gutiérrez's Dirty Havana Trilogy, any Cuba travel brochure becomes revolting. Tropical Animal furthers the struggle; it is a dialectical novel which proceeds to first de-exoticize Havana, then counter-exoticize Europe, embodied by a protestant Nordic country. The vector of the dialectic is love; riveting in Havana, condescending in Stockholm. Gutiérrez's own Havana travel guide opens like this: “between shit and the clouds impossible to find a balance”. He insists that "nothing is political", just in case you'd be tempted to mistake him for a tropical Solzhenitsyn. Gutiérrez is not a tedious dissident. He's a poet in a rut, like Bukowski and Aragon. In Havana Central, his neighbors, mothers, eat when they sleep with the butcher and the baker, roll cigars, con tourists, and try to avoid overflowing sewers. Gutiérrez is an optimist: he "graces God that not everything is shit". A profound thought which describes a half-full world. In Cuba, like in the rest of God's world, not everything is shit. For example, the sea, beyond the beach litter, isn't shit. Gutiérrez, like Hugo in Guernsey, marvels at boats dancing through storms. Another profound paradox Gutiérrez poetically ponders is that the more food runs out, the more shit invades the world. Gutiérrez's dirty realism is as a matter of fact a powerful metaphysics of shit. Broken promises sully material and spiritual life; shit is the smell of fiasco, the evidence of the global mess, from each according to his ability, to each according to his needs. It is also the inspiration of the artist. “An artist transforms it into raw material. (...) He creates sculptures, paintings, songs, novels, poems, short stories, and all that reeks of fresh shit." Paradoxes make Tropical Animal highly readable despite its loose and detached narration. A fifty-year-old writer who says he needs quiet to write his novel, chooses to live between roaring Chinese engines mounted on chevrolets and howling Marc Anthony tapes on terraces where mamacitas hustle. Among them: his adored Gloria, who loves nothing more than scrubbing for him and making love to him, rubbing and rubbing herself. The novel stalls but the people of Cuba keep making love. Outside ron, sex is the only delight, a currency of which every ass is a central bank. And inflation ensues. Book II, the narrator tries making love in the land of salmons and suicides, but the silence of the birch forests of the suburbs of Stockholm terrifies him: he drinks too much, he botches up, brags about it, and tires me. I still love him.

[Yanper · Rating 2 out of 5]

Είναι ένα βιβλίο που αν το διαβάσει κανείς χωρίς να ξέρει τον συγγραφέα με άνεση το χαρακτηρίζει πορνογράφημα. Αν ο συγγραφέας είναι γνωστός τότε χαρακτηρίζεται πρωτοποριακό και συναρπαστικό δείγμα γραφής.
Ένα βιβλίο γεμάτο σκληρό και βρώμικο σεξ, μία άτυπη σύγκριση του κουβανικού σεξ με την πληθωρική μιγάδα Γκλόρια και του σουηδικού με την κάπως ψυχρή Ανιέτα.
Και κάπου εκεί μεταξύ των περιγραφών του σεξ, και κάποιες αναφορές στην κοινωνική και οικονομική κατάσταση της Κούβας, έτσι βρε αδελφέ, για να μπορούμε να πούμε ότι το βιβλίο είναι στα όρια της πορνογραφίας. Πάντως η γραφή του μου θύμισε και ολίγον από Μίλλερ και Μπουκόβσκι.

[Tilly · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5/5.

[Simão Pedro · Rating 1 out of 5]

Originalmente escrito em: http://contraculturaaplicada.blogspot...

A expressão “coçar a micose” foi a melhor forma que consegui encontrar para descrever a escrita e o livro deste escritor/pintor/jornalista cubano – um dos melhores da América Latina, rezava a crítica. Neste romance quase-auto-biográfico, temos uma personagem principal com o mesmo nome do autor que vive também ela em Havana, Cuba, e que gosta muito de sexo depravado e de amar muitas mulheres ao mesmo tempo.

Inovador, não é? E o que faz este escritor/pintor para passar o tempo? Aliás, como é o seu dia-a-dia? Pedro Juan, o don juán, passa a segunda-feira da mesma forma que o domingo: toma café, fuma, apanha a bebedeira, masturba-se e faz sexo com qualquer mulher que se cruze com ele… e de facto o homem é mesmo um Camões: nenhuma lhe diz que não. Todas elas ficam com tantos calores, que vão de imediato para a cama com ele. É assim o Pedro Juan.

E que mais há para contar sobre a narrativa? Bem, o espaço é Cuba e Suécia, e o tempo é o final dos anos 90. A nossa personagem tem namoradas em Estocolmo e em Havana, mas já “comeu” mulheres “belas” e com “grandes mamas” em todos os países que já visitou – não fosse ele um pinga-amor, lá está. A descrição e o detalhe dos acontecimentos e das mulheres é enorme, Pedro Juan Gutiérrez é tão minucioso que vai ao ponto de nos contar em detalhe o odor vaginal das suas amantes. Umas cheiram a peixe, outras a pêssego, outras a queijo. Só faltou mesmo indicar se era robalo, pescada, pêssego careca e queijo feta ou limiano. Pois.

Em termos de escrita, a cada duas linhas há uma erecção ou um elogio à sua enorme e jovial ferramenta. E é isto. Um livro a evitar a todo o custo – quero os meus 5€ de volta, por favor.

[Cornelia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book just takes you places and gives you a feeling like you are in a very hot, humid and luminescent room. Of course it has a lot of sexuality, but it so not about that. For me fiction has to be able to remove you from your reality; only a good book is able to immerse you into a different world and this reading did just that. It is not for bigots and puritans simply because this is real life screaming out at you.

[Ioannis Savvas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Η ωμή πραγματικότητα του Gutiérrez, ανάμεσα στην Κούβα και τη Σουηδία. Πολύ έντονες οι αντιθέσεις, τελείως διαφορετικοί κόσμοι, αλλά ο άνθρωπος είναι πάντα άνθρωπος. Δυνατή αφήγηση, αλλά σαφώς υποδεέστερη από τη βρόμικη τριλογία της Αβάνας.

[Eddie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty sexy, but ultimately unsatisfying (like me).

[Ellie-Joy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ευπώλητο τύπου Άρλεκιν με φιλοσοφημένα τσιτάτα στο ενδιάμεσο. Δε νομίζω να υπάρχει άλλο βιβλίο στο οποίο να έχω διαβάσει τις 2 "ακατάλληλες" λέξεις από "π" περισσότερες φορές.

[Konstantinos Mindcrimek · Rating 3 out of 5]

«Αγαπάς μια πόλη αν εκεί έζησες ευτυχισμένος κι έχεις υποφέρει…»

Ένας πενηντάχρονος κουβανός συγγραφέας ζει σε μια τρώγλη πίνοντας, καπνίζοντας και πηγαίνοντας συνεχώς με την ελευθέρων ηθών Γκλόρια ενώ σκέφτεται πως θα ολοκληρώσει το επόμενο μυθιστόρημά του. Θα βρεθεί για λίγους μήνες στη Σουηδία ερωτευμένος με την Σουηδέζα Ανιέτα (όπου σαν κλασικός φαλλοκράτης συνεχίζει την μποέμικη ζωή του σε ένα πιο κυριλέ περιβάλλον) χωρίς να ξεχνάει την Κουβανή Γκλόρια που έχει αφήσει πίσω.

«Το σημαντικότερο για τον άνθρωπο είναι η ελευθερία. Εσωτερική και εξωτερική. Να τολμάς να είσαι ο εαυτός σου υπό οποιεσδήποτε συνθήκες, όπου κι αν βρίσκεσαι…»

Ο Gutiérrez φέρνει σε αντιπαράθεση δυο διαφορετικές κουλτούρες μέσα από δυο εντελώς διαφορετικές γυναίκες. Το χάος, η ακαταστασία και η βρωμιά της Κούβας του χορού και της πορνείας απέναντι στην τακτοποιημένη και σχεδόν αποστειρωμένη ζωή της Σουηδίας που τα κάνει όλα τόσο εύκολα όσο το να πας απλά σε μια γέφυρα και να αυτοκτονήσεις. Το κορίτσι του δρόμου με την έντονη ζωή που δεν έχει φραγμούς απέναντι στο σεμνότυφο κορίτσι που κοκκινίζει και μόνο στο άκουσμα κάποιων πραγμάτων… «Είμαστε στη Σουηδία Πέδρο Χουάν, είμαστε στη Σουηδία, αχ…»

Αν και θεωρώ αστείες κριτικές τύπου «Ο κουβανός απόγονος του Τσαρλς Μπουκόβσκι» κάτι που λέγεται όλη την ώρα για όποιον έχει ως βασικό μοτίβο την αθυροστομία, η ωμότητα του Gutiérrez μοιάζει να λειτουργεί αφού ο ωμός ρεαλισμός ταυτίζεται με τον πρωταγωνιστή που λέει “Μερικές φορές είναι φρικτό. Η πρώτη ύλη του καλλιτέχνη είναι η ίδια του η ζωή…”

O ρομαντικός Ελληνικός τίτλος είναι λάθος βέβαια αφού ο ορίτζιναλ «Τροπικό Ζώο» περιγράφει πολύ καλύτερα το ίδιο το βιβλίο και τον εθισμένο με το σεξ πρωταγωνιστή αλλά και τη βρώμικες κυριολεκτικά αναφορές σε αφοδεύσεις και ότι άλλο δε θα έμπαινε ποτέ σε ένα ρομαντικό κείμενο. Από την άλλη η μετάφραση της Κλεοπάτρας Ελαιοτριβιάρη είναι εξαιρετική.

Για όσους δε γνωρίζουν τον Gutiérrez πρέπει να σημειωθεί ότι το ύφος του είναι συγκεκριμένο, αναλυτική περιγραφή των σεξουαλικών πράξεων με μια ωμότητα που δε διαφέρει πολύ από ένα κοινό πoρνoγράφημα. Αν δεις πέρα από αυτό όμως σε δεύτερο επίπεδο κυριαρχούν τα διαφορετικά πολιτισμικά περιβάλλοντα, οι διαφορετικές συνθήκες διαβίωσης και πολλά ακόμα που μοιάζουν να αμβλύνονται σε ένα βαθμό όταν μπαίνει στην εξίσωση αυτό που ενώνει τους πάντες και που όχι, δεν είναι το απλά το σεξ αλλά η πανανθρώπινη ανάγκη για αγάπη και συντροφικότητα.

«Η μοναξιά είναι πάντοτε παρούσα. Τη νιώθω, την αγγίζω, της μιλώ. Είναι μέρος της ζωής μου. Η μοναξιά είναι αναπόφευκτη…»

[Socrate · Rating 3 out of 5]

O universitate suedeză voia să mă invite la nişte seminarii de literatură pe care le organizează în fiecare primăvară. Nu mă interesează seminariile, şi cu atât mai puţin cele de literatură, dar puteam să profit de ocazie şi să vizitez Suedia gratis. Dintr-un anumit motiv, de care acum nu vreau să-mi amintesc - cred că democraţia suedeză nu era pe placul celor care trebuiau să- mi dea viza de călătorie - n-am putut să fac plimbarea scandinavă. Atunci eu şi Agneta, coordonatoarea acelor cursuri, am început să ne sunăm reciproc şi să ne scriem. Cu timpul relaţia devenea tot mai caldă. Un an întreg ne-am tot jucat în felul ăsta. I-am trimis câteva dintre poemele mele. Apoi a cumpărat prin poştă Trilogia murdară la Havana. I-au trimis-o tocmai de la Barcelona. Când a început să citească poveştile alea, mă suna în fiecare zi, răvăşită. Se bâlbâia la telefon. Iar din momentul acela totul a început să capete alt ton, unul mult mai intim.
Datorită unei conjuncturi favorabile, mi-am petrecut Crăciunul anului 1998 în Alpi. Am plecat cu o prietenă fotograf în creierii munţilor şi am stat într-o cabană de lemn, ceea ce poate părea o invenţie dulceagă de nuvelă romanţioasă. Dar nu, zău că nu exagerez. Chiar aşa a fost. O după-amiază înnorată, cenuşie şi cu mult vânt, am băut câteva pahare de whisky în timp ce prietena mea îmi făcea poze. Alcoolul mi s-a urcat la cap şi am început să mă dezbrac. Mereu mi se întâmplă: când cineva mă priveşte atunci când sunt în pielea goală, mi se scoală. Şi cu atât mai mult dacă sunt privit prin obiectivul unui aparat de fotografiat. Normal. Fotografiile au ieşit excelent: eu în zăpadă, complet gol, cu mădularul făcut băţ. Prietena mea le-a imprimat în sepia şi într-adevăr păream atât de tânăr şi cu „egoul” atât de erect şi atractiv, încât n-am rezistat şi i-am trimis una dintre acele fotografii lui Agneta, ca un cadou de Crăciun.

[Murilo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Não é nada absurdamente genial e inovador. Bukowski - que é o autor que normalmente comparam com Gutierrez - acho que fez coisa mais refinada mesmo dentro desse "realismo sujo".

Entretanto, Gutierrez conversa muito mais comigo que o velhote estadunidense, por diversos motivos: a construção do centro decadente e miserável de Havana se aproxima em muito à realidade das periferias dos grandes centros urbanos da América Latina - e falo isso pensando menos na estética/arquitetura (afinal, dificil encontrar preservado ou deteriorado mas habitado construções das décadas de 40 e 50 aqui no BR, por exemplo) e mais no ethos que engloba a Havana narrada pelo autor.

É justamente esse ethos, esse "animal tropical", que me gera certa identificação e torna o romance muito interessante para mim e me faz dar as três estrelas. Gosto desses exageros latinos na escrita, o amor desproporcional e doentio misturado com libertinagem. Um verdadeiro bolero.

Não dou mais porque é justamente esse aspecto positivo que usado a torto e a direita faz com que a história fique cansativa: é muito rum, muita punheta, muito "tô de pau duro" e isso cansa. Gosto de pensar que o autor é justamente o jinitero e ele tenta vender para seu público esse esteriótipo dos trópicos - em especial da ilha em questão, que chama muita atenção uma produção literária que fale da """""realidade""""" do socialismo de Cuba.

[Мартин Колев · Rating 5 out of 5]

Педро Хуан Гутиерес - Тропическо животно

Третата книга от трилогията "Сентро Хавана" ни разкрива объркания главен герой,който през цялата книга се кани и чуди как да напише една новела,посветена на кубинската му любовница,която е и проститутка,но си остава с каненето.
В първата част ,виждаме всъщност нищо ново - главния герой си е в същата сграда,в същия квартал и със същите желания - жени,пури и алкохол. Но и за трите са нужни пари, каквито той няма. Отчасти си ги получава от въпросната любовница,което го прави сводник,но в същото време тя настоява за дете от него,което окончателно да ги обвърже,което би било истински кошмар за него. Затова някак открива една шведка,която му е фен и която го урежда с пътуване до Стокхолм и престой за три месеца.
Във втората част ,главния ни герой вече е в Швеция,стои там, поддържа си авантюра с Агнета , образова я малко на сексуална тематика ,даже и чувства ѝ събужда,но и тук той вижда потенциален затвор за иначе свободната си душа и бързо-бързо се омита. В третата част виждаме развръзката - шведката идва в Куба,а Глория все по-настойчиво иска да свие гнездо. Коя ли ще избере клетника Педро Хуан...
Романът не е от най-елегантните ,но и Педро Хуан по своите думи,е един уличник в повече на тая земя.

[George Moody · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Gutiérrez’s Dirty Havana Trilogy, so I persevered with this to the end. The Havana Trilogy is raw and evocative, bringing the reality of the special period and its enervating psychological effect powerfully to life (or seeming to, I have no way of telling how accurate). Tropical Animal is like a crude facsimile of this. The same protagonist, themes and same semi-structure of a disjointed series of events with no real plot, but with the machismo and amateur pornography turned up to 11. The effect is of a dull trudge through Havana and Stockholm in the company of a not particularly pleasant or witty companion. Occasional flashes of what made the Havana Trilogy so good are not worth the tedium of much of the rest.

[Albena Georgieva · Rating 4 out of 5]

Книга която ме очарова, забавлявах се докато я четох и ми остави едно хубаво усещане.
Хареса ми историята: два различни свята - Куба и Швеция. Противоположни във всичко....Човек да не тръгва за Швеция, щото направо може да си тегли ножа там. За да не се мъчи, но трябва да го направи тихичко, защото съседите ще се оплачат от шума..
Цялата шведска подреденост, ред, тишина, сигурност, благоразумие, коректност /от всякакъв вид/ ми дойдоха в повече на фона на Куба
Хареса ми стила на автора - натуралистичен, но без вулгарност. А това си е изкуство.

"Това е хубавото на действителността: позволява си разкошотии, които са забранени на писателите. Действителността не е дължна да бъде убедителна", а Педро-Хуан Гутиерес е ужасно убедителен на всяка страница.

[Petri Volanen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kiitoksia siskolleni, joka omituisen kirjamakuni tuntien oli tämän suomenkielisenä versiona ("Etelän peto") jostain pelastanut. Toki suhtauduin tietynlaisella varauksella kun äijää tunnutaan vertaavan yleisesti Bukowskiin... mikä tuntuu yleisesti ottaen tarkoittavan ylettömiä ylilyöntejä Bukowskin realistisempaan meininkiin verrattuna.

Ja vähän sama tätäkin vaivaa. Perseeseen naidaan, kasvoille syljetään, kainaloita haistellaan ja niin edelleen, eli kyse on melkolailla aivan muusta kuin Bukowskin tyylistä (pois lukien juominen ja klassisen musiikin kuuntelu). Yllätyksenä välillä poistutaan Kuubasta pitkälle Ruotsin kierroksellekin.

Pitää kuitenkin todeta että yleisesti ottaen Bukowskiin verrattujen kirjailijoiden parempaa päätä, siinä ja siinä ettäkö 3 vaiko 4 tähteä.

[Michael Andersen-Andrade · Rating 3 out of 5]

I bought Animal Tropical at a book fair in Sancti Spiritus, Cuba for 15 Cuban pesos, a paperback edition, printed and published in Cuba on cheap paper that evokes the privations of a Havana solar. If I hadn't met a Cuban man a few days earlier in Centro Habana who spoke with the same vulgarity as the protagonist in the book, I might have thought such a character couldn't exist. The sex is repetitious and it took me quite a while to finish the book, but it does capture the visceral sensations of life in Centro Habana, and I'm familiar with the characters, having played the role of the foreign lover in Cuba myself.

[Carlos Díaz Reyes · Rating 5 out of 5]

En esta novela encontramos al personaje de Pedro Juan dividido entre dos mujeres: Gloria, una cubana fogosa, y Agneta, una sueca, también fogosa pero menos descarada, que se lleva al protagonista a vivir un tiempo a su país natal. La primera es el fuego que enciende la pasión de Pedro Juan por la suciedad y miseria de su país, y la segunda representa una posibilidad de escapar. Ambas lo estiran desde su deseo carnal, pero él, como siempre, se inclina hacia el caos. La historia es erotismo puro salpicado de reflexiones incisivas sobre la vida, la escritura y demás, con un montón de miniaventuras que la hacen una gozadera absoluta.