Synopsis Reinaldo Arenas' account of his life as a writer and a homosexual. Acknowledged as one of the great 20th-century Cuban writers, he was born in 1943 into a poor, rural Cuban family. At the age of 15 he joined Castro's guerrillas against Batista's right-wing regime, only to discover that repression under Castro would be on a monumental scale. He spent 20 years of his life trying to survive his "re-education", to safeguard his manuscripts and to maintain his sanity when he was imprisoned in El Morro prison in Havana. But, despite everything that had happened to him, including betrayal by his aunt and some of his closest "friends", Arenas triumphed, finally leaving Cuba during the Mariel exodus in 1980. But America could never replace his beloved Cuba, and his anti-Castro stance made him unsympathetic to many American intellectuals. "Before Night Falls" was begun before Arenas left Cuba and was completed in the last stage of his battle with AIDS, which dominated the last years of his life until he committed suicide on 7 December 1990 at the age of 47. It is a compelling and moving account of the hell Arenas experienced in Cuba and the purgatory he endured in the United States.
W**N
areinas' life and his reflections on life
A very powerful autobiography, the story of Reinaldo Areinas' life together with his reflections on life.Areinas is born to a single mother in a large but not entirely fulfilled extended family, lives initially under Batista, plays some small part in the revolution, lives under Cuba, explores his sexuality, expresses his artistic drive - against the grain of the society in which he lives, is arrested and serves time in various prisons, is released (the story palls just a little at this point), leaves Cuba (the most dramatic episode of the book), lives in the US and dies of AIDS.Areinas' life is remarkable: it is entirely self-created, not the product of family, society (Cuban or Western - he is as accurate a critic of Western values and lifestyles as he is of Cuba, while remaining clear where both rank in scheme of values) or any form of political creed. His character too is remarkable - though he attempts suicide a couple of times, it's with good reason. He retains optimism and belief in a better world and maintains some remarkable personal friendships across time.Strongly recommended!
P**S
Five Stars
Great read thanks!
A**R
A must for the bookshelf.
A really good read.
E**E
Book in fantastic condition. An incredible read
Quick dispatch and delivery.Book in fantastic condition.An incredible read. Really, truly, wonderful.Makes you laugh and cry.
R**F
Four Stars
enjoyed this a lot
S**S
A true and moving reflection.
A moving true reflection of Cuba in the 50's. Life before and after the dictator took power.
G**J
Fantastic!
Easy to read and a very real description of life in Cuba under the regime of Castro.Definitely worth reading!
P**A
The information on Cuba is very interesting and sad. However there was rather too much detail about ...
The information on Cuba is very interesting and sad. However there was rather too much detail about his sex life.
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