Despite I was born and raised in Spain and that I had heard about very famous Latin American novels, I had never fully read and studied any of the ones we analyzed in this class, and I had mostly studied Spanish Literature only. However, this class made me discover a different viewpoint on the world and human experience through Latin American literature. I gained knowledge of the various cultures, social challenges, and historical periods that have inspired and shaped Latin American writers, and how they implemented this in the creation of such significant pieces of literary work.

Moreover, what I learned while taking this class and comparing the novels and writers, is that Latin American literature has a unique element that gives it its distinctive essence: the fusion of indigenous, European, and African cultures involved in the heritage and experiences of Latin American authors. I found certain topics and elements that were present in many of the novels we read, and I consider these could also define Latin American culture and literature up to some extent: social justice, inequality, oppression… Moreover, a common literary device in Latin American literature is magical realism, which combines elements of the supernatural with parts of reality. A clear example of this element is present in “One Hundred Years of Solitude”, definitely one of the hallmarks of Latin American Literature that globally renowned.

The ability of literature to reflect and influence culture and society has been deepened for me after taking this class, also being able to learn about the history and politics of many Latin American countries. Overall, I really enjoyed taking this class and I think that it exceeded my expectations in many ways. At the beginning of the term, I was especially excited to read and analyze books I already knew about, like “One Hundred Years of Solitude”, “Labyrinths”, or “Twently Love Poems.” However, there were many novels I had never heard about, and in fact these were the ones that I enjoyed the most and caught my attention the most, especially “I, Rigoberta Menchu” and “Papi.” The historical and political importance of Menchu’s book and the playful, innocent tone of “Papi” is what captivated me the most. Also, I must say that probably what I enjoyed the most was watching certain lectures and conversations that Professor Jon posted, for instance the conversation with Giannina Braschi. By watching this, I was able to deepen my understanding of what I was reading, and at the same time realize about certain details or fully grasp some information implicit to the story.

Thank you everyone for being part of this class. My last question blog is: what was your favorite and least favorite book that you read for this class and why?