The shadow by the door /

Published in Spanish as La penumbra (1983), this novel develops a fictional story about guerrilla warfare attacks at a never-mentioned Latin American country. The plot is very simple, and to an extent unimaginative. A guerrilla, who abandoned his country, recalls his experiences that took him through cities, jungles, and military torture prisons. The protagonist's life has been one of emptiness and solitude, depicting the effects of war more on the individual than on the country. Although, technically speaking, not representative of modern Latin American fiction, this book contributes to the awakening of a national consciousness concerning the activities of radical leftist groups. The translation reads smoothly as the reader is forced to face the horrors of an underworld. At certain points this world becomes unreal as the author dwells on the horrors of war. Author Gerardo di Masso was forced to abandon Argentina during the years of political terror. Since the fall of the junta, his work is becoming available in his native land. Appropriate mainly for political science and lower-division undergraduate Spanish majors. Recommended especially for readers interested in political topics. R. Ocasio University of South Alabama