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Costa Rica: A Traveler's Literary Companion
Journey into the Costa Rican imagination through twenty-six remarkable stories, selected and organized regionally for the curious traveler. Here, for the first time in English, the best of Costa Rica's writers conjure the country's allure and vitality, its coffee fields and palm groves, cicadas and songbirds, shrouded mountains and blazing savannas, while telling stories u...more
Paperback, 256 pages
Published
March 1st 1994
by Whereabouts Press
(first published January 1st 1993)
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I read this collection of short stories on my vacation in Costa Rica and I found it lent an interesting depth to my trip. Most of the stories are about hard lives of manual labor for the banana company, and grinding poverty. It's easy to overlook that part of the history while playing tourist because of the easygoing friendliness and warmth of the Ticos and the natural beauty of the country. So as travel reading, it's first rate. Speaking as a reader, many of the stories were good reading, but t...more
This enjoyable collection of short stories is a nice companion to any visit to Costa Rica. The stories are "literary" in nature...one shouldn't expect explorers crashing through rainforests chasing after "savages", nor anything related to 2012 doomsday prophecies or pyramid-top sacrifices.
The stories do, however, provide a nice bit of color and flavor to each of Costa Rica's different regions. Visitors to the northwest province of Guanacaste will be a bit disappointed by only one story focused o...more
The stories do, however, provide a nice bit of color and flavor to each of Costa Rica's different regions. Visitors to the northwest province of Guanacaste will be a bit disappointed by only one story focused o...more
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This book had a lot of interesting short folkloric stories about Costa Rica. Unfortunately, many were a bit dull and maybe even difficult for someone who is not familiar with the culture to understand.
A plus to having short stories is that if one is borning, you can move on to the next! Another perk is that the book has a map of the country so that the reader can familiarize themselves with the location of each story.
A plus to having short stories is that if one is borning, you can move on to the next! Another perk is that the book has a map of the country so that the reader can familiarize themselves with the location of each story.
I love the concept of this collection--to guide a reader through Costa Rica through literary works by its people. The stories reveal guidebook-type information about the sites and ways of life, but together they do so much more--they paint a portrait of an aesthetic sensibility tied to landscape, economics, and culture. I learned a bit of geography, details about labor on a banana plantation, and facts about the oropendola birds, strangler figs, and lithic spheres. I also noted some interesting...more
What better way to discover a country than by listening to the voices of the people who live there! My favorite stories were the ones about Fulminating Fib and the Pastor's Ten Little Old Men. The book's small size makes it perfect for packing in a suitcase.
Interested in finding out more about Costa Rica? Check out the mystery novel, See Before You Die: Costa Rica (www.jeleighnovels.com)
Interested in finding out more about Costa Rica? Check out the mystery novel, See Before You Die: Costa Rica (www.jeleighnovels.com)
I like this series - it's a great way to learn about a country, in this case, Costa Rica. Really enjoyed the short stories.
Only read it because I went to Costa Rica. All I can say is it's different.
A series of short stories written by Costa Rican authors. Like any collection of short stories or essays by different authors, some stories were better than others. However, the variety of stories and the fact that they were grouped by the geographic area in which the story was set, provided a really interesting and illuminating look into Costa Rica culture. Talking to various Costa Ricans on my trip echoed the themes I gleaned from the stories. A really nice way to learn about a country rather...more
OK
A perfect book to read while visiting.
Two or three of the stories in particular were rather haunting. Was published quite a while ago so nothing very modern though.
Around the World in 52 Books: Costa Rica
I love everything about Costa Rica and its people. Finding this book felt like the discovery of gold mine. I could not wait to read it!
Unfortunately, I soon realized that these stories had no connection at all to the feeling I have for Costa Rica. Not compelling, and not even interesting, I can't recommend even one of these short stories. What a disappointment.
I love everything about Costa Rica and its people. Finding this book felt like the discovery of gold mine. I could not wait to read it!
Unfortunately, I soon realized that these stories had no connection at all to the feeling I have for Costa Rica. Not compelling, and not even interesting, I can't recommend even one of these short stories. What a disappointment.
An eclectic and unique collection of short stories by Costa Rican authors. A quick and painless way to get the flavor of the country, if you are visiting, have visited, or dream of visiting there. Or returning!
You can skip this book.
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|---|---|---|---|---|
| Disappointment | 1 | 1 | May 03, 2012 06:03am |
