The Labyrinth of Solitude

by Octavio Paz

Book Overview

Octavio Paz has long been acknowledged as Mexico's foremost writer and critic. In this international classic, Paz has written one of the most enduring and powerful works ever created on Mexico and its people, character, and culture. Compared to Ortega y Gasset's The Revolt of the Masses for its trenchant analysis, this collection contains his most famous work, "The Labyrinth of Solitude," a beautifully written and deeply felt discourse on Mexico's...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 080215042X
• ISBN13: 9780802150424
• Release Date: January 1994
• Publisher: Grove Press
• Length: 398 Pages
• Weight: 0.63 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 5.3" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

Hommage to a great Man of Letters

Octavio Paz wrote the definitive sociological book that deciphered the Mexican character. He correctly diagnosed that, in fact, the Mexican was stuck in a labyrinth and condemned to find a way out, and in many respects is still trying to find that way out. He understood that he would receive harsh criticism and he did. However, he stayed true to his calling as a man of letters and delivered a book that must indeed be read by anyone wanting to understand the make-up of the Mexican or the serious scholar searching for understanding in the field of Mexican history. I strongly and without reservation recommend this book, it will change your outlook on this important country and most importantly on the inhabitants and descendants of it forever.

Los Mexicanos Defined

I first read this book in the early 70's and enjoyed it immensely. Being od Mexican descent it gave me insight into who I am and why. I have read this book again recently, upon Paz's death, and found it still as enlightening. The style of writng is beautiful, poetic , and full of symbolism and metaphors. While working in education I highly recommended it to my collegues to better understand the Mexican psyche. Anyone who works in the public sector or deals with Mexicans on either side of the border should read this book. It will help you understand the mind of the Mexican and how it works. One of my all time favorite books that should be enjoyed by all people interested in human behavior.

Una obra maestral!

El "Laberinto de la soledad" es una piedra preciosa mas en la majestuosa montaña de la literatura mexicana. Octavio Paz describe con agudez intellectual la realidad der ser mexicano y la identidad de nuestra soledad individual. Su prosa es a la vez poética y melodiosa,trájica y picaresca. Pero la idea principal del libro reside en el hecho de que el hombre es una creatura compleja, solitaria y perdida en un laberinto artificial construido por los hombres mismos. La historia es la evidencia de esta realidad misteriosa a la que nos enfrentamos constantemente. Enfin, una obra maestral recomendada a todo individuo que busca una explicación a nuestras interrogaciones.

A critical exploration of mysteries of S. American society

By first analyzing the phenomena of the "pachuco" (the Mexican who leaves his country for the U.S.), Paz makes you aware of how easily people can be alienated -- by their own country and by immigration. he then goes on to explore the realities and implications of other themes in S. American society -- from ritual to myth to holiday. He poignantly conveys how Mexican are temporarily stagnated in the eurocentric world. Although beautifully and clearly written in English, Paz' essay reveals his undyingly poetic tendencies in the Spanish (original) version.