Spanish/Latin American Literature - What to read

[zeogo]

Hi all,

I need to choose two books from the realms of Spanish/Latin American Literature to write an essay on. At the moment my line of thinking is Gabriel Garcia-Marquez's classic - 100 Years of Solitude and .... something. Can anyone recommend either a work by Marquez or another Spanish language novel that I can compare and contrast with? I need to focus in on a theme, and my general interests in themes include history, gender roles, characterisation and reality, but not magical realis. Unfortunately, The General in His Labyrinth is not an option as I have studied it before. Hope this question is not out of bounds within this forum. Thanks in advance!

[islandclimber]

I'd look at novels by Mario Vargas Llosa, Roberto Bolano, and Julio Cortazar. The Time of the Hero by VL, or 2666 by Bolano would be good choices. Or Hopscotch by Cortazar. The last might be the best option alongside Marquez.

Isabel Allende is another option. And she is a writer quite similar stylistically to Marquez. I'd look at THe House of the Spirits or The Island Beneath the Sea.

[JCamilo]

Pedro Paramo by Juan Rulfo is a major influence for Marquez and all latin american literature, plus short enough to make up for the bigger size of 100 years.

[cafolini]

Pedro Paramo by Juan Rulfo is a major influence for Marquez and all latin american literature, plus short enough to make up for the bigger size of 100 years.
You made me laugh hard, Zeogo. You want to base it on Marquez without magical realism? LOL. And also not the history of Bolivar? Double LOL.
I would also recommend Pedro Paramo and Juan Rulfo. Forget Vargas Llosa. He's an obsolete Roman Catholic with a very elitist point of view and little future.

[grechzoo]

Terra Nostra by Carlos Fuentes, to add to Islandclimbers great recommendations of Hopscotch and 2666

[zeogo]

Thank you all for your recommendations.

[zeogo]

You made me laugh hard, Zeogo. You want to base it on Marquez without magical realism? LOL. And also not the history of Bolivar? Double LOL.

I didn't say I wouldn't look at the history of Bolivar! And the only reason I don't want to look at magical realism is because that is the single most explored aspect of the book, I wanted to look at something a little less defined.