Redefining Latin American historical fiction : the impact of feminism and postcolonialism /

This collection examines the ways in which feminism and postcolonialism have influenced the creation of the Latin American historical novel in the late 20th and 21st centuries. In her useful introduction, Weldt-Basson (Michigan State Univ.) provides background on theories regarding historical fiction, feminism, and postcolonialism, and outlines four major categories of the historical novel as developed in Latin America: those that investigate national identity; those that mix history and myth (including magical realism); those that employ intertextuality; and those that are considered symbolic historical novels (she provides examples of each). Weldt-Basson grounds her work in the theories of Homi Bhabha, Seymour Menton, and Edward Said. The essays treat a wide variety of works: of particular interest are Weldt-Basson's interesting analysis of Mario Vargas Llosa's El sueno del celta; Patricia Vara's examination of Claribel Alegria's Cenizas de Itzalco as an example of women's strategies for opening up the realm of history and historiography to what had been marginalized; and Fernando Burgos's discussion of Reinaldo Arenas's El mundo alucinante and Cristina Peri Rossi's El nave de los locos and their refutation of history. As Weldt-Basson argues, the contemporary Latin American novel is both influenced by and influences postmodern theories of postcolonialism and feminism. Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-division undergraduates and above. A. A. Edwards Mercyhurst College