[D66] [JD: 136] CDMX Book Recommendations

[R.O.]

theculturetrip.com
<https://theculturetrip.com/north-america/mexico/articles/our-top-11-book-recommendations-featuring-mexico-city/>



  Our Top 11 Book Recommendations Featuring Mexico City

Lauren Cocking
7-9 minutes
------------------------------------------------------------------------

It’s no surprise that an appealing yet conflicting metropolis like
Mexico City
<https://theculturetrip.com/north-america/mexico/articles/carlos-fuentes-and-the-latin-american-boom/>
finds itself the subject of any number of poems, novels and pieces of
non-fiction. While in this guide we’ve predominantly focused on
fictitious literary efforts (with few exceptions), the possibilities are
endless if you want to read about the Mexican capital. Here are the top
11 recommended texts
<https://theculturetrip.com/north-america/mexico/articles/octavio-paz-a-poetic-portrait-of-mexico-s-soul/>
featuring Mexico City, by both native and foreign authors.

Juan Pablo Villalobos’
<http://www.andotherstories.org/author/juan-pablo-villalobos/> debut
novel is slight but excellent, providing a new perspective – that of a
child – on the drug wars that have, are and probably will continue to,
ravage Mexico. We’re guided by seven-year-old Tochtli (Nahuatl
<https://theculturetrip.com/north-america/mexico/articles/10-traditional-mexican-dances-you-should-know-about/>
for ‘rabbit’), the son of Yolcaut (Nahuatl for ‘rattlesnake’). Yolcaut
is a leading figure in the belly of the drug underworld, who exposes his
son to all the goings on of his ‘business’ life; as a result, Tochtli is
frighteningly informed. Villalobos’ trademark dark humour throughout
makes /Down The Rabbit Hole/ a fascinating and enjoyable read.

© Anagrama / | And Other Stories Publishing

One of the only non-fiction entries on this list comes from the
incomparable journalist and writer Elena Poniatowska
<http://www.fundacionelenaponiatowska.org/biografia.html>, with her
social history of the devastating 1985 earthquake that flattened many
parts of Mexico City
<https://theculturetrip.com/north-america/mexico/articles/an-introduction-to-mexican-literature-in-10-works/>.
Translating to ‘Nobody, nothing. The voices of the earthquake’, /Nada,
nadie. Las voces del temblor/ is exceptionally well researched and
written, making it (like much of Poniatowska’s work) essential reading.
We are privy to the voices of the injured, the bereaved and the scared,
as they recount the aftermath of one of Mexico’s most tragic natural
disasters.

Elena Poniatowska| © Pedrobautista/WikiCommons / © Ediciones Era

A classic of Chilean literature
<https://theculturetrip.com/south-america/chile/articles/top-10-contemporary-chilean-authors/>,
/The Savage Detectives/ is actually set in Mexico City and expertly
weaves its tale through the streets of this vast capital. Based in 1975,
it follows a 17-year-old poet as he gets immersed in the world of a
strange literary movement, all the while navigating the streets of
Mexico City. Widely considered to be one of Roberto Bolaño’s
<http://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/in-the-labyrinth-a-users-guide-to-bolao>
greatest achievements, /The Savage Detectives/ is nothing short of
essential reading for anyone interested in Latin American literature as
a whole.

Roberto Bolaño| © Farisori/WikiCommons / © Macmillan

Jack Kerouac <http://www.jackkerouac.com/> is considered by some as the
best writer of the Beat generation, while to others he’s merely an
overhyped alcoholic. Either way, he’s undeniably a literary icon
<https://theculturetrip.com/north-america/usa/articles/in-defence-of-jack-kerouac-and-the-beats/>.
Despite being infinitely better known for /On The Road, /he was also the
author of a novella based entirely in Mexico City; /Tristessa. /Set
predominantly in the historic centre and La Roma, /Tristessa /follows
his turbulent relationship with a Mexican prostitute. Despite her real
name being Esperanza (hope), he nicknames her Tristessa (an
Anglicization of /tristeza, /or sadness).

Kerouac books| © Thomas Galvez/Flickr / Jack Kerouac | Creative Commons

Literally set in a Mexico City
<https://theculturetrip.com/north-america/mexico/articles/mexico-citys-10-must-try-dishes/>
hotel – there is actually a Hotel DF in the capital to this day – our
narrator Frank (Fadanelli’s <http://guillermofadanelli.blogspot.mx/>
alter-ego) tells us of both the visitors and locals that pass through
its doors. Each story gives a fresh perspective on the megalopolis of
Mexico City through the eyes of those that have just arrived, making it
an interesting read for both those who have been before and those who
have yet to stop by.

Guillermo Fadanelli| © Rizo Terminal/WikiCommons / © Mondadori

One of Mexico’s greatest authors and poets, José Emilio Pacheco
<http://www.cervantes.es/bibliotecas_documentacion_espanol/creadores/jose_emilio_pacheco.htm>,
is the brains behind /Las batallas en el desierto. /This is perhaps the
perfect novella to start with if you want a decent introduction to his
work and style, given that it is short and that its plot is excellent.
It deals with the story of a young boy’s platonic love for an older
woman, all the while evoking the streets of Mexico City and the social
and political context of 1940s Mexico in general. It was also the
inspiration for one of Café Tacuba’s most popular songs, ‘Las batallas’.
<https://theculturetrip.com/north-america/mexico/articles/an-introduction-to-cafe-tacuba-in-13-songs/>

José Emilio Pacheco| © Gemeinfrei/WikiCommons / © Editorial Era

/Instrucciones para vivir en México /brings together a selection of
Jorge Ibargüengoitia’s
<http://cultura.elpais.com/cultura/2013/01/08/actualidad/1357665137_187497.html>
journalistic
<https://theculturetrip.com/europe/poland/articles/ryszard-kapu-ci-ski-magic-journalism-and-the-reliability-of-reportage/>
efforts from the years 1969-1976. The second non-fiction entry, this
text penetrates to the heart of daily life in Mexico City, while giving
the reader a genuine insight into the lives of the capital’s inhabitants
and the incomparable bureaucracy for which this country is infamous.
You’ll come away perhaps perturbed, but also better informed and
entertained due to Ibargüengoitia’s distinct, darkly humorous approach.

Instrucciones para vivir en Mexico| © Editorial Planeta

/La Perdida <http://jessicaabel.com/la-perdida/>/ is a comic book series
turned graphic novel by American writer and artist Jessica Abel, who
moved to Mexico City in 1998 for two years. Originally published between
2001 and 2005, it was compiled into a single text in 2006. Notable for
its heavy focus on dialogue (the speech bubbles often dominate the
panels), Abel also incorporated in some Spanish punctuation and
vocabulary. The story itself centres on Carla, a Chicana who moves to
Mexico City
<https://theculturetrip.com/south-america/articles/the-top-10-latin-american-feminist-writers/>
to get better acquainted with her own heritage.

Jessica Abel| © Jccabel/WikiCommon / © Pantheon Graphic Novels

The first novel by the writer who was the former director of the Fondo
de Cultura Económica <http://www.academia.org.mx/Gonzalo-Celorio>, /Amor
propio /is a colloquially written and intelligent novel seemingly about
three different characters. In reality, they are all the same person but
at various stages of their life – Moncho is the child, Ramón the teen
and Aguilar the adult, and all of them are trapped in the same system.
Ultimately a text about the 1968 student protests, which were to have a
devastating end for some during the Tlatelolco massacre, it’s a true
coming-of-age novel
<https://theculturetrip.com/south-america/articles/m-rquez-neruda-llosa-latin-america-s-most-famous-literary-exports/>.

Gonzalo Celorio| © Ministerio de Cultura de la Nación Argentina/Flickr /
© Tusquets

Valeria Luiselli
<http://www.vogue.com/13410486/alvaro-enrigue-valeria-luiselli-profile/>
has long been described as a rising star of the contemporary Mexican
writing scene
<https://theculturetrip.com/north-america/mexico/articles/our-top-11-book-recommendations-featuring-mexico-city/introduction>,
however we think it’s fair to say she’s now happily established as one
of the best authors of this generation. Her debut novel /Faces in the
Crowd /(Spanish: /Los ingrávidos/) depicts an unhappy narrator who
embarks on the novel writing process, before being sucked into the world
of the Gilberto Owen (a lesser known Harlem Renaissance author). Don’t
expect a satisfying resolution in this masterful text.

Valeria Luiselli| © Fourandsixty/WikiCommons / © Coffee House Press

A detective novel by Enrique Serna <http://enriqueserna.com.mx/>, /El
miedo a los animales /brutally depicts the corruption and narco-culture
that pervades day to day life in Mexico City, especially after dark.
Published over 20 years ago, many of the characters were based on actual
public figures and while many wrote off the text as nothing more than
bitter when first published, it grew in popularity. While this text is
set in Mexico City, its references constantly hark back to Los Angeles
<https://theculturetrip.com/north-america/canada/articles/top-10-dogs-in-literature/>.

Enrique Serna| © Angélica Martínez/WikiCommons / © Alfaguara

<https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/feedbackarticle?article_id=882642>


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