Huellas de Las Literaturas Hispanoamericanas

A book such as this is an indispensable reference guide to vast mosaic that is Hispanic literature. This book, which will primarily be used in intermediate-advanced Spanish literature courses in college, especially in introductory courses in Hispanic literature, will give the reader an overview to the most important works by Hispanic writers starting with Nahuatl literature (the indigenous pre-Columbian peoples of the Americas), covering all of the major literary artistic periods to today. Please note that the book is entirely in Spanish and is not meant for beginners. As a future high school Spanish teacher, I feel it to be appropriate reading for advanced high school students (AP and native speakers) and up, though one would be hard pressed to find it in use in any high school. The book is an anthology, and therefore only selected parts of the literary works are presented. It is a definite must for college Spanish majors, especially those readers whose roots are planted in the Americas, and, quite frankly, anyone wishing to read for themselves the history of the Americas from the vantage point of the participants,. I can personally attest to the powerful stories contained therein. I was especially moved by the Nahuatl poetry which described the atrocities committed by the conquistadors. Though do not let that detract you or skew your view of the Spanish; all throughout history different peoples have waged wars against each other, killed "in the name of God," and the like. While this doesn't justify their actions, the conscientious readers must always keep things in context, try to understand the frame of mind and reference of the authors, and appreciate the treasures that they left for us to read, assimilate, and hopefully learn something from and change the world for the better.

Recomiendo este libro a todas aquellas personas interesadas en la literatura latinoamericana. Es una excelente antología de autores latinoamericanos que van desde la literatura prehispánica a la época contemporánea. Además, hay una introducción del movimiento y del autor antes de la lectura.

I also used this book for a Spanish lit class in undergrad. However, I did not have as great an appreciation for that book as I do now as a Spanish teacher and M.A. candidate. As other reviewers have mentioned, the book is very comprehensive in its history, literature, and culture - I have found this book to be a wonderful reference tool to refresh my memory now and again.

As a student who recently used this book for a Spanish Lit. class I must say that this book is by far the best that I have encountered. Not only does it cover literature from pre-colombian days but it goes all the way up until today's comtemporary writers. Futhermore each section as well as each author has an introduction which provides the reader with extra insight. Even if you are not a student, but if you are interested in Spanish literature, I highly recommend this book.

This book has an excellent assortment of literary excerpts beginning at the pre-Colombian period. I recommend it for the advanced Spanish student because the old Spanish is hard to understand, as is some of the vocabulary. This book gives good explanations of history, culture, as well as literature from Latin America. If you are up to a challenge, I recommend this book for students interested in learning more about Latin American history.