A wonderful novel about betrayal and exile ... A surprising and clever parallelism, over time, between the fates:
- Fernando forced, in the 90s, into exile after his expulsion from the university,
- and the Cuban poet Jose Maria Heredia (1803-1839) who had also s' hurriedly flee Cuba for political reasons ...
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EXCERPTS:
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"... This oath, delivered the night of September 21, 1922, would change forever the happy and carefree life of the young poet to push on the way crueler fates, this tortuous path that would cause it to suffer exile, tyranny, disease, betrayal and unspeakable contempt, but that would make him, thanks to the firmness of his character, the great defender of democracy, ......, the father of Cuban poetry, the tender soul of the motherland and the National Poet of Cuba ...."
(Jose Maria Heredia belongs to the same family as Jose-Maria de Heredia (1842-1945), French poet of Cuban origin.)
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"In this moment of light, while the poem began to take shape in my mind altered, I understand the folly of human pretensions to transcendence, pride, authority, and I swore before the moon had just risen and the easing of suffering souls of men killed by human fury, as if life to me allowed, I would spend all my physical and mental strength to fight the worst that man was created to satisfy his most contemptible desire of power: slavery and tyranny. "
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"I was naive in believing that this country was able to change the course of his destiny. But he is incapable and will be for long, perhaps forever. A country that prefers a tyranny rather than risk illustrative opening skirmishes, whoever they are, deserves all tyrannies. "
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L eonardo Padura Fuentes was born in 1955
novelist and journalist.
It has lived in Havana in the neighborhood of Mantilla ...
"I have a physical relationship with this barrio where my great grandfather was already born. It keeps me in contact with people, and each I am a long walk by talking with all is a kind of daily poll which also feeds my imagination. "
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A large and friendly Cuban writer ...
Most of his novels are set in Havana during the "special" in the early 90s (particularly period difficult, especially for food, due to a sudden halt to the aid that Russia brought the Cubans).
It finds the disillusioned but endearing character of Police Lieutenant Mario Conde lucid witness the terrible problems faced by his countrymen.
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* Last novel published in France "The man who loved dogs" (not read)
* Last novel published in France "The man who loved dogs" (not read) 
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III 
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