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Many times, when I read a book with lots of post-modern "tricks", the writing method becomes the main focus and the story becomes secondary. Kiss of the Spider Woman is successful because this did not happen, despite Manuel Puig's experimental approach. The novel is a combination of dialogue similar to a play, official government documents, psychological footnotes on homosexuality, and drug-induced dreams. There is not central narrative voice which ties these different parts together, yet the bo
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Sharing a prison cell in Argentina are homosexual or transsexual Molina (in for corrupting a minor) and political prisoner and revolutionary Valentin. To pass the time at night, Molina tells Valentin the plots of some of his/her favourite films, with lavish descriptions, and gradually they grow closer.
It took me a while to get into this because of the films. Later it was easier, both because the films seemed more relevant and because their relationship developed so they were also talking about o ...more
It took me a while to get into this because of the films. Later it was easier, both because the films seemed more relevant and because their relationship developed so they were also talking about o ...more
Here's another book from the 1001 list that I didn't know anything about and then when I read a synopsis, didn't think I would like it at all but I did in fact enjoy it--at least most of it. Two men share a prison cell. One man, Molina, is in prison for having molested a young boy at the shop where he worked. He is a romantic and enjoys retelling his favorite movies to his prison mate. The second inmate, Valentin, is an Argentine revolutionary. It was interesting to me to see the course of this
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This collection of dialogues, police statements and movie plots, both real and imaginary and pseudo-scientific explanations of homosexuality, are skilfully woven into an entertaining story about a homosexual windowdresser and a hardened revolutionary sharing a prison cell and ultimately sexual favours in the Argentina of the 1970's. Puig manages to convey a lot of detail about his protagonists without resorting to the usual novelistic prose. It is an interesting story which has legs, it has been
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Review: The story of two men in a prison in Argentina. One Molina who is there for sexual crimes and Valentin, there for Marxist revolutionary activity. The story starts with another story; the story of the Panther woman. During the imprisonment, Molino tells Valentin various film stories; The Panther woman, the Leni the spy, the Spinster, the Ugly Maid, and Zombie Woman, and last the Singer. Structure wise, this is a uniquely written book. The author tells it with dialogue, using -- to indicate
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Mar 29, 2013
Diane L
marked it as to-read
Jun 01, 2019
Yvonne
marked it as to-read
Jan 07, 2021
Kayla Tocco
marked it as to-read
Feb 08, 2021
Christoffer Jacobsen
marked it as to-read
