Memoria del fuego 1: Los nacimientos

Galeano admits that he has not written an objective history of the Americas, and that some of the material is pure fiction. He intermingles fact, fiction, poetry, magical realism, historical quotes, myth, religion, social commentary and about anything else you can think of. The combination is very effective. It would make a great textbook for students with the ability to separate the fact from the fictional presentation of... Read Full Review

Here is a typical complete chapter from surely the strangest book of history I've ever read. "1927: San Gabriel de Jalisco: A Child Looks On "The mother covers his eyes so he cannot see his grandfather hanging by the feet. And then the mother's hands prevent his seeing his father's body riddled by the bandits' bullets, or his uncle's twisting in the wind over there on the telegraph posts. "Now the mother too has died, or... Read Full Review

I originally purchased the first volume of this Trilogy (Memory of Fire). After reading a few pages of the first volume, "Genesis", I rushed to get the remaining two volumes. Galeano has an amazing ability to write, even with translation, in a compelling and magnificent historical-fictional style. The narrative flows from year to year over the centuries in these volumes and gives the reader a wealth of knowledge that reshapes... Read Full Review

The author has drawn from many sources to compile this beautifully written history of the Americas, told in a couple of hundred short chapters, each a mini story of a legend or historical event presented in chronological order. Part one of the book, called "First Voices" recounts ancient legends and creation myths of the first peoples of the Americas, later comes contact with Europeans - the "discovery" years then conquest... Read Full Review

Un texto poetico, con la lucidez de un escritor critico. Permite conocer el mundo americano previo a la llegada de los colonizadores. Un mundo que, aunque no estaba colonizado, poseia una cultura riquisima, basada en el respeto a los seres vivos. Realmente de lo mejor que he leido. Es recomendable leer completa la trilogia