5 Mexican Books to Read in 2024
J.L. Rocha Collections
2024 Mexican Author Reading List
Luxury Suggestions:
As a distinguished man of culture, your tastes are elegantly refined. We pride ourselves in going beyond meticulously crafted legacy pieces to being a staple for all men of excellence. While set up your list of resolutions, this blog post collects recommendations from Jose Luis & Jose-Noel to provide you with 5 phenomenal reads written by Mexican authors for your reading list.
Diablo Guardian by Xavier Velasco
Winner of the Alfaguara Novel Prize, this book centers around a fifteen-year-old girl who flees her home in Mexico for New York City, steals a million dollars from her parents, changes her name to Violetta, survives through manipulation. A haunting coming of age story told with unflinching realism. Xavier Velasco represents the harsh realities of naive ambition, wrapped in its portrait of the seedier milieus of New York creating that feeling of innocence lost.
Much of the book takes the form of a tape recording she has made for the benefit of her ‘guardian devil‘, Pig, a disgruntled loner and failed novelist working in the same advertising agency as her. Perhaps the novel’s greatest achievement is to make the self-centred, often cruel and unapologetically materialistic heroine a compelling character whose fate intrigues us to the end.
This book is sure to leave a lasting impression that you will remember for years to come.
Pedro Páramo by Juan Rulfo
First published in 1955, this classic novel tells the story of Juan Preciado, a man who promises his mother on her deathbed to meet Preciado's father for the first time in the town of Comala only to come across a literal ghost town populated by spectral characters dominated by the figure of Pedro Páramo - lover, overlord, murderer. Rulfo's extraordinary mix of sensory images, violent passions, and unfathomable mysteries has been a profound influence on a whole generation of Latin American writers, including Carlos Fuentes, Mario Vargas Llosa, and Gabriel García Márquez.
This short tale is an utter masterpiece, and the forerunner of magical realism carrying an surrealist fog of ghastly brushstrokes that weigh heavy upon the readers heart and soul. Easily digested in a sitting or two, Pedro Páramo will nourish your literary soul for an eternity.
Loop by Brenda Lozano
Recovering from an unspecified accident, the narrator of Loop “Penelope” finds herself in waiting rooms of different kinds: airport departure lounges, doctors’ surgeries, and above all at home, awaiting the return of her boyfriend, who has travelled to Spain following the death of his mother. Written in a sometimes irreverent style, in short fragments that at points are more like haikus than conventional narrative prose, this is a truly original reflection on love, relationships, solitude and the aesthetics and purpose of writing.
Loop is a kind of anti-hero story, inspired and alluding to The Odyssey, portraying a rich modernistic counterpoint to the hero’s quest of Odysseus – the book focus on the inner journey of the one who waits, the way that quiet contemplation and observation reveal understanding and epiphanies. The ambulatory prose of this introspective journey will excite your senses.
Confabulario by Juan José Arreola
A collection containing much of Arreola's best work: these vibrant paintings of small, unexpected portraits are filled nuance and clever verses. The book itself is a wonderful representation of twenty years worth of Arreola's work. Confabulation contains carefully crafted fascinating prose within numerous self contained stories. The shortness of each piece makes it an ideal book to dip into at intervals and an enjoyable read for any vacation or nightstand.
Within are unusual stories, told from unexpected angles, offering unique insights into the Mexican culture. Confabulario keeps us on our toes with mysterious little wonders that are delicate, smart, and elegant works of fiction. This book is filled with touches of humor, love, heartbreak and even terror, and in a few pages (there are few that exceed 5 pages) Arreola is able to transmit such a deep and sharp message within each story.
Trabajos del Reino Yuri Herrera
The story of Lobo, a young self-taught musician and composer of corridos who becomes the “official” artist in the court of a drug lord, the King. A structurally unique novela that outlines the importance and necessity of art in a culture that wants to control and demean it framed through a coming of age for a young man gaining control over his language, discovering love and violence.
Part surreal fable and part crime romance, this prize-winning novel from Yuri Herrera questions the price of keeping your integrity. The book is just as taut and fast-paced as his previous works, but is packed with an atmosphere and perspective that challenges the conceptions of artistry, commerce, and honor. While cover-to-cover, it is a quick read and you'll be able to finish it in one sitting, we recommend a second read through.
Closing Notes:
While our libraries contain more works, these unique literary additions will fill your 2024 with introspection, excitement, and an enveloping melody of sensory language representing the beauty and complexity of the Mexican culture. We are honored to join you on this journey throughout 2024, and will continue providing luxurious suggestions for men of culture and exquisite taste. We hope to read your suggestions in the comments, or your requests for what our next ‘luxury suggestions’ blog post should be. We extend the deepest gratitude from our entire J.L. Rocha family, and wish you happy reading in addition to a wonderful new year.
- Thank you/Gracias.