A New Time for Mexico

by Carlos Fuentes

Fuentes's bold and timely study discusses the origins and nature of the tumultuous events that have recently transformed Mexican politics and society. The rebellion in Chiapas, a rash of assassinations, the break between Presidents Salinas and Zedillo, the continual struggle for democratic self-rule: These and other developments are addressed by one of Mexico's wisest, most influential commentators.

Genres: Latin American, Nonfiction, History, Essays

216 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1994

About the author

Carlos Fuentes Macías was a Mexican writer and one of the best-known novelists and essayists of the 20th century in the Spanish-speaking world. Fuentes influenced contemporary Latin American literature, and his works have been widely translated into English and other languages.

Fuentes was born in Panama City, Panama; his parents were Mexican. Due to his father being a diplomat, during his childhood he lived in Montevideo, Rio de Janeiro, Washington, Santiago, and Buenos Aires. In his adolescence, he returned to Mexico, where he lived until 1965. He was married to film star Rita Macedo from 1959 till 1973, although he was an habitual philanderer and allegedly, his affairs - which he claimed include film actresses such as Jeanne Moreau and Jean Seberg - brought her to despair. The couple ended their relationship amid scandal when Fuentes eloped with a very pregnant and then-unknown journalist named Silvia Lemus. They were eventually married.

Following in the footsteps of his parents, he also became a diplomat in 1965 and served in London, Paris (as ambassador), and other capitals. In 1978 he resigned as ambassador to France in protest over the appointment of Gustavo Diaz Ordaz, former president of Mexico, as ambassador to Spain. He also taught courses at Brown, Princeton, Harvard, Penn, George Mason, Columbia and Cambridge.

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کارلوس فوئنتس در ۱۱ نوامبر ۱۹۲۸ در پاناماسیتی به دنیا آمد. مادرش برتا ماسیاس ریواس و پدرش رافائل فوئنتس بوئه‌تیگر است. پدر وی از دیپلمات‌های مشهور مکزیک است. وی سفیر مکزیک در هلند، پاناما، پرتغال و ایتالیا بود.

دوران کودکی‌اش در واشنتگتن دی.سی. و سانتیاگوی شیلی گذشت. فوئنتس در دانشگاه مکزیک و ژنو در رشتهٔ حقوق تحصیل کرد. او به زبان‌های انگلیسی و فرانسه تسلط کامل دارد.

آثار
* مرگ آرتمیوکروز، ۱۹۶۲
* آئورا، ۱۹۶۲
* زمین ما،‌ ۱۹۷۵
* گرینگوی پیر، ۱۹۸۵
* ملکهٔ عروسک‌ها
* آسوده خاصر، ترجمهٔ محمدامین لاهیجی.
* مرگ آرتمیو کروز، ترجمهٔ مهدی سحابی.
* آئورا، ترجمهٔ عبدالله کوثری.
* سرهیدا.
* خودم با دیگران (به تازگی با نام از چشم فوئنتس) ترجمهٔ عبدالله کوثری.


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Carlos Fuentes Macías fue un escritor mexicano y uno de los novelistas y ensayistas más conocidos en el mundo de habla española. Fuentes influyó en la literatura contemporánea de América Latina, y sus obras han sido ampliamente traducidas al inglés y otros idiomas.

Fuentes nació en la ciudad de Panamá, Panamá, sus padres eran mexicanos. Debido a su padre era un diplomático, durante su infancia vivió en Montevideo, Río de Janeiro, Washington, Santiago y Buenos Aires. En su adolescencia regresó a México, donde vivió hasta 1965. Estuvo casado con la estrella de cine Rita Macedo de 1959 hasta 1973, aunque era un mujeriego habitual y, al parecer, sus asuntos - que se ha cobrado incluyen actrices como Jeanne Moreau y Jean Seberg, su llevados a la desesperación. La pareja terminó su relación en medio del escándalo, cuando Fuentes se fugó con un periodista muy embarazada y entonces desconocido de nombre Silvia Lemus. Se casaron finalmente.

Siguiendo los pasos de sus padres, también se convirtió en un diplomático en 1965 y sirvió en Londres, París (como embajador), y otras capitales. En 1978 renunció al cargo de embajador en Francia en protesta por el nombramiento de Gustavo Díaz Ordaz, ex presidente de México, como embajador en España.

Reviews

[Hung-ya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Before I found this book in a closing-down bookshop last month, I have never heard of Carlos Fuentes. I blame it on the fact that I have never really paid any attention to any Latin America writers since my childhood. But I am really glad that I did know of this intellectual writer now and have bought two more books of his a few weeks ago.

With my recent obsession with everything about Mexico the county, I find this book very interesting and inspiring and enlightening in every chapter, especially in those involving his critics on Mexican politics. One can also see that Carlos Fuentes is a patriot, a romantic poet and a rational thinker. His words telling old Mexican tales are intoxicating. And the time he wrote this book was almost a score of time ago, one finds it rather ironic that somehow not much have changed since then in terms of diplomatic relationship with the US, the internal political issues, such as freedom of press, drug cartels, wealth gap, education, democracy in general, etc. Instead, these problems mentioned seem to get worse for the past decade.

It has offered so much food for thought for me and I would really love to continue to keep track of anything about Mexico.

[BuzzLR · Rating 4 out of 5]

The air smelled of orange blossoms in Xalapa; the stench of blood was heavy in Xochicalco. A childhood home has its woven wicker furniture entwined with memory; there are snakes woven into the skirt of a goddess. A New Time for Mexico is a loving, complicated tribute to a loving and complicated country. It is history, memoir, and political treatise.

“Mexico is a nation made by its wounds” writes Fuentes. That sense of loss pervades the book like a phantom pain. In 1962, agrarian labour leader Reubén Jaramillo was murdered with his family by exactly the sort of people you’d expect. In 1994, Luis Donaldo Colosio, reformist candidate for president and decent man, was assassinated for advocating change. This is a country that has been besieged by the United States and plagued by a seemingly immortal narcostructure, where foreign oil companies have hired mercenaries to attack striking workers. Again and again, we read of strong, kind people who are cut down by interest groups. At the end, Fuentes turns to his family, giving us touching portraits of his uncle and father, who both died believing in the people of Mexico.

A New Time For Mexico is not the masterpiece that is Where the Air is Clear—it doesn’t reach the same heights of feeling, frustration, hope, or sheer power in its imagery. It doesn’t have the advantage of fiction. But its remembrances of days past and people lost are where it shines. Its political prescriptions are smart but read almost naive today, particularly Fuentes’ abiding faith in institutions, law, and dialogue. We know that these things can fail, and that they fail often. We watch their failures every year like stale stage plays: the same disappointing story, different actors only if we’re lucky.

What good is a constitution if it is ignored? What use are limits if the executive acts despite them? Checks and balances are not enough. It is not enough to write justice down on paper and hope that people will read it. Justice is an action. And checks and balances require people with the courage to use them.

[Ricardo Munguia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pequeña recopilación de ensayos de corte político y social. Escritos en 1994, año fundamental en la historia política del México actual por la multitud de sucesos que ocurrieron en el país, la muerte de Colosio, el levantamiento armado de los zapatistas en Chiapas, la firma del Tratado de Libre Comercio con E.U. y Canadá y la gran devaluación del peso.

Cuesta mucho imaginar que un año significativo en la historia ocurrió en nuestra vida, los que se acuerdan de ello tienden a minimizar su importancia con el paso de los años, y aquellos como yo que éramos muy jóvenes para recordar algo quedamos perdonados por la amnesia juvenil por la que todos pasamos. Tal vez por eso me gusta leer estos libros de ensayos viejos, para recordar o aprender lo que pasaba en épocas de las cuales era muy joven para entender, o para conocer que fue lo que pasó en la época en la que se formaron mis padres.

Sin ser parte fundamental de la obra del autor, los ensayos me parecieron buenos, de los menos pretenciosos que e leído de el. Si te interesa la historia política del país creo que pueden ayudarte de algo pues la reflexión de Fuentes, no solo de sus ensayos si no de si obra en general, sigue vigente. La modernidad del país,nuestro tiempo, es producto y consecuencia del pasado y del presente, que tiene raíces más antiguas que México mismo. Entender e entregar estás raíces a nuestra forma de pensar es el camino hacia nuestra propia modernidad, muy a la mexicana y poco convencional, pero que no deja a nadie atrás.

[Ellen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked a lot of what this book referenced, even though it was published a long time ago. Sadly, I was distracted by multiple editing errors in my copy, which took away from my experience a bit. As is usually the case with non-fic and myself, I feel I may be too stupid to have gotten everything that this book had to offer, so I have to give it a solid 3. Good material, poor absorption of said material on my part.

[Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am finding this book challenging, as there are a great many things and persons referred to that I am unfamiliar with, but Fuentes' philosophical musings and and lyrical prose are enjoyable and illuminating. Although the book is now dated (in my copy it was last updated in 1999), I picked it up before going to Mexico to supplement my meager knowledge of this place. I am glad I did...more as I work through it.

[Terry · Rating 3 out of 5]

This enlightening book tells of Mexico's long history and the problems it is facing. I learned that much of Mexico is indigenous, not totally wiped out by the Spanish. It has a difficult history with the US because we both plague it and support it. Mexico needs a strong democracy, something that has evidence of happening only recently. Fuentes is an intellectual writer.

[Dee wise · Rating 4 out of 5]

I finished it a while ago...it was challenging but interesting. I can see going back to read it again in a year or two. Lots of information!

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fuentes is the true living scholar of Mexico and this book is a work of history as well as art. he doesn't miss much and anyone wqnting to understand Mexico needs to read this book.

[Arturo Bandini · Rating 4 out of 5]

buena continuación a su anterior "el espejo enterrado".
superado un principio coñazo luego se centra y es una lectura muy recomendable!

[Christian · Rating 3 out of 5]

I learned some things.