Carlos Fuentes

Carlos Fuentes Macías was a famous Mexican writer. He wrote novels, essays, and served as an ambassador to France. He was born on November 11, 1928, and passed away on May 15, 2012.

Fuentes wrote many important books, including The Death of Artemio Cruz, Aura, Terra Nostra, The Old Gringo, and Christopher Unborn. His work helped shape Latin American literature during a special time called the Latin American Boom in the 1960s and 1970s.

Many people admired his writing. The New York Times called him one of the most respected writers in the Spanish-speaking world, and The Guardian said he was Mexico's most celebrated novelist. Fuentes received many awards for his work, including the Miguel de Cervantes Prize and Mexico's highest honor, the Belisario Domínguez Medal of Honor. Some even thought he might win the Nobel Prize in Literature, but he never did.

Life and career

Carlos Fuentes was born in Panama City. Because his father was a diplomat, he grew up moving between many cities in Latin America. This gave him a special view of the region. He learned to speak English well while living in Washington, D.C. from 1934 to 1940. During that time, he began writing stories.

Fuentes studied law in Mexico City and later worked for a newspaper. In 1958, he became famous with his book Where the Air Is Clear. After that, he could focus on writing full-time. He lived in Havana after the Cuban Revolution and wrote articles about the new government. Fuentes also served as Mexico's ambassador to France and taught at many famous universities around the world. He was friends with well-known writers and thinkers.

Writing

Carlos Fuentes was called "the Balzac of Mexico." He admired writers like Miguel de Cervantes, William Faulkner, and Balzac. He was also inspired by Latin American writers such as Alejo Carpentier, Juan Carlos Onetti, Miguel Angel Asturias, and Jorge Luis Borges. European writers like James Joyce, Virginia Woolf, and Marcel Proust also influenced his work, especially when he wrote about Mexican history and identity.

Fuentes' first novel, Where the Air Is Clear, became popular when it was published in 1958. It tells the story of a man who left his past to become a powerful businessman and shows many scenes from Mexico City. In 1962, he published The Death of Artemio Cruz, which is very important in modern Spanish American literature. The book is about a man looking back on his life as he is about to die. Fuentes wrote many other famous books, including Aura, Terra Nostra, and The Old Gringo. His works have been translated into 24 languages.

Political views

The Los Angeles Times called Carlos Fuentes a "moderate liberal." He talked about problems on both the left and the right.

Fuentes often criticized the government of Mexico. He also spoke about the need to reduce violence related to drugs. He showed support for a group of rebels in Chiapas. He questioned some decisions made by leaders of the United States, including Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush.

Because of his views, Fuentes had trouble getting permission to visit the United States for many years. Even groups in the United States watched his activities during the 1960s.

At first, Fuentes supported changes in Cuba, but later changed his mind about its leader. He also later spoke out against the leader of Venezuela.

In his final message online, Fuentes wrote that there must be something better than fighting to support people around the world, and that everyone should help find it.

Death

On May 15, 2012, writer Carlos Fuentes passed away in a hospital in Mexico City after becoming unwell at home. Many important people shared their thoughts about him. The Mexican President Felipe Calderón expressed sadness, and Nobel Prize winner Mario Vargas Llosa said Fuentes left a big mark with his work. A special funeral service was held the next day.

List of works

Novels

• La región más transparente (Where the Air Is Clear) (1958)
• Las buenas conciencias (The Good Conscience) (1961)
• Aura (1962)
• La muerte de Artemio Cruz (The Death of Artemio Cruz) (1962)
• Cambio de piel (A Change of Skin) (1967)
• Zona sagrada (Holy Place) (1967)
• Cumpleaños (Birthday) (1969)
• Terra Nostra (1975)
• La cabeza de la hidra (The Hydra Head) (1978)
• Una familia lejana (Distant Relations) (1980)
• Gringo viejo (The Old Gringo) (1985)
• Cristóbal Nonato (Christopher Unborn) (1987)
• Ceremonias del alba (1991)
• La campaña (The Campaign) (1992)
• Diana o la cazadora solitaria (Diana: the Goddess Who Hunts Alone) (1995)
• La frontera de cristal (The Crystal Frontier: A Novel of Nine Stories) (1996)
• Los años con Laura Díaz (The Years With Laura Diaz) (1999)
• Instinto de Inez (Inez) (2001)
• La silla del águila (The Eagle's Throne) (2002)
• Todas las familias felices (Happy Families) (2006)
• La voluntad y la fortuna (Destiny and Desire) (2008)
• Adán en Edén (2009)
• Vlad (2010)
• Federico en su Balcón (2012)
• Aquiles o el guerrillero y el asesino (2016)

Short stories

• Los días enmascarados (1954)
• Cantar de ciegos (1964)
• Chac Mool y otros cuentos (1973)
• Agua quemada (Burnt Water) (1983)
• Constancia and other Stories For Virgins (1990)
• Dos educaciones (1991)
• El naranjo (The Orange Tree) (1994)
• Inquieta compañía (2004)
• Happy Families (2008)
• Las dos Elenas (1964)
• El hijo de Andrés Aparicio

Essays

• La nueva novela hispanoamericana (1969)
• El mundo de José Luis Cuevas (1969)
• Casa con dos puertas (1970)
• Tiempo mexicano (1971)
• Miguel de Cervantes o la crítica de la lectura (1976)
• Myself With Others (1988)
• El Espejo Enterrado (The Buried Mirror: Reflections on Spain and the New World) (1992)
• Geografía de la novela (1993)
• Tres discursos para dos aldeas
• Nuevo tiempo mexicano (A New Time for Mexico) (1995)
• Retratos en el tiempo, with Carlos Fuentes Lemus (2000)
• Los cinco soles de México: memoria de un milenio (2000)
• En esto creo (2002)
• Contra Bush (2004)
• Los 68 (2005)
• Personas (2012)

Theater

• Todos los gatos son pardos (1970)
• El tuerto es rey (1970)
• Los reinos originarios: teatro hispano-mexicano (1971)
• Orquídeas a la luz de la luna. Comedia mexicana. (1982)
• Ceremonias del alba (1990)

Screenplays

• ¿No oyes ladrar los perros? (1974)
• Pedro Páramo (1967)
• Los caifanes
• Un alma pura (1965)
• Tiempo de morir (1965)
• Las dos Elenas (1964)
• El gallo de oro (1964)

Reviews

There was a review of a book called Burnt Water written by someone named McCabe in 1981. The review appeared in a magazine named Cencrastus.

Awards and recognition

Carlos Fuentes won many awards for his writing. Some important awards he received include the 1967 Biblioteca Breve Award for A Change of Skin, the 1972 membership in the Colegio Nacional, and the 1976 Xavier Villaurrutia Award for Terra Nostra. He also received the 1984 Mexican National Prize for Arts and Sciences and the 1987 Miguel de Cervantes Prize. He was given honorary doctorates from Harvard University and the University of Cambridge. He received awards from countries such as France, Chile, and Spain.