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Springtime in a Broken Mirror

By Mario Benedetti
Penguin Classics
Series: Penguin Modern Classics
0.0 (0 reviews)
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Check link for latest rating. ( 6,858 ratings, 668 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Springtime in a Broken Mirror by Mario Benedetti delves into the emotional landscape brought on by political exile. The story intertwines the lives of those separated between Uruguay and Argentina, exploring themes of longing, love, and resistance. Through varied perspectives, it presents a poignant narrative about the personal costs of political upheaval and the resilience of the human spirit in the face of separation and exile.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you're drawn to emotionally rich narratives exploring exile, political upheaval, and the deeply personal impact these themes have on family and identity. The story weaves together perspectives and memories, offering an intimate look at the struggles of holding onto hope and love amidst challenging circumstances.

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Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

An extraordinary story of love and exile, from one of the great masters of the Latin American novel.

Santiago is trapped. Taken political prisoner in Montevideo after a brutal military coup, he can do nothing but write letters to his family, and try to stay sane.

Far away, his nine-year-old daughter Beatrice wonders at the marvels of 1970s Buenos Aires, but her grandpa and mother—Santiago's beautiful, careworn wife, Graciela—struggle to adjust to a life in exile. Graciela fights to retain the fiery passion that suffused her marriage, her politics, her whole life, as day by day Santiago edges closer to freedom. But Santiago’s rakish, reckless best friend is a constant, brooding presence in the exiles' lives, and Graciela finds herself drawn irresistibly towards him.

A lucid, heart-wrenching saga of a family torn apart by the forces of history, Springtime in a Broken Mirror tells with tenderness and fury of the indelible imprint politics leaves on individual lives. Generous and unflinching, it asks whether the broken bonds of family and history can ever truly be mended.

Series: Penguin Modern Classics

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Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Springtime in a Broken Mirror is widely praised for its poignant and evocative storytelling, evoking comparisons to works by Gabriel García Márquez. The reviews highlight its blend of humour and tragedy, focusing on themes of political exile, familial bonds, and the personal impacts of historical turmoil. It combines moments of beauty with harsh realities, offering a deep meditation on resilience and the human spirit amid life's adversities.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780241302620

Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 28 February 2019

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Penguin Classics

Contributors:

  • Translated by Nick Caistor
  • Translated by Nick Caistor

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 12.0mm

Width: 130.0mm

Height: 197.0mm

Weight: 148g

Pages: 192

Collections

Fiction General Fiction Literary Fiction Mario Benedetti Penguin Books Penguin Classics Penguin Classics: General Fiction Series: Penguin Modern Classics

About the Author

Mario Benedetti (Author) Mario Orlando Hamlet Hardy Brenno Benedetti, known as Mario Benedetti, was a Uruguayan journalist, novelist, and poet. He is considered one of the most important 20th century Latin American writers, especially in the Spanish-speaking world. A revolutionary and a passionate romantic, Benedetti wrote of love, anger, political resistance and redemption, particularly during the period of his enforced exile from Uruguay, between 1973 and 1985. One of his last poems encapsulated his unquenchable creative urge- "When I'm buried / don't forget to put a Biro in my coffin." Nick Caistor (Translator) Nick Caistor was formerly the BBC's Latin America analyst. He has translated more than fifty works of fiction by authors from Uruguay, Argentina, Brazil and many other Latin American countries, as well from Spain and France. He is also the author of biographies of Octavio Paz. Fidel Castro and Che Guevara, and a cultural history of Mexico City.

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