Stories from Nicaragua

"Stories" collects eight pieces of short fiction by Sergio Ramirez, the Nicaraguan writer who is also an important figure in the political history of that nation. "Stories" reveals an author who is a master of irony and satire, but who also has a compassionate side.A couple of Ramirez' satirical targets--the American bodybuilder Charles Atlas, devotees of former U.S. First Lady Jackie Onassis--strike me as a little too obvious. But when Ramirez is on target, his satirical power is stunning. "Saint Nikolaus," for example, is a savagely funny cross-cultural tale that takes place in Germany. And Ramirez' gentler side also shines in this book. The final selection is a father-son baseball story that I found very moving.Readers who enjoy Ramirez' fiction might be interested in "The Jaguar Smile," a collection of essays in which Salman Rushdie recounts his travels in Nicaragua in 1986. Rushdie recalls meeting Ramirez, who at that time was serving as Vice-President of Nicaragua, and discussing literature and politics with Ramirez and other Nicaraguan authors. My own reading of that book really enriched my appreciation of Ramirez' own work.Sergio Ramirez is one of the most important writers to emerge from Central America, and "Stories" is a memorable collection. I strongly recommend it.

Sergio Ramirez, former Vice-President of Nicaragua, describes the life of the Nicaraguans in the 60's and 70's with satiric snippets of the haves and the havenots. With his captivating and excellent writings, he exposes the arrogance and ignorance of the Somoza leadership and uppercrust society and the very difficult life the majority of los nicaraguenses were experiencing during that time. He's a master at mixing humor and deep feelings.