Paradiso

In the wake of his father's premature death, Joséeacute; Cemíiacute; comes of age in a turn of the century Cuba described in the Washington Post as "an island paradise where magic and philosophy twist the lives of the old Cuban bourgeoisie into extravagant wonderful shapes."

José Lezama Lima (1910-1976) was one of the most important Cuban writers of the twentieth century. He was appointed director of the Department of Literature and Publications of the National Cultural Council after the ascension of the Castro regime, but later fell out of favor for the frank discussion of homosexuality and apolitical content of his masterpiece, Paradiso. A poet and novelist, his work has had a lasting influence on Cuban and world literature. Gregory Rabassa is one of the most renowned translators of both Spanish and Portuguese literature. He has translated books by Gabriel García Márquez, Julio Cortázar, António Lobo Antunes, and Osman Lins, among many others.