 First edition (FCE) | |
| Author | Carlos Fuentes |
|---|---|
| Original title | La región más transparente |
| Translator | Sam Hileman[1] |
| Language | Spanish |
| Set in | Mexico City in the 1950s |
| Publisher | Fondo de Cultura Económica |
Publication date | 1958 |
| Publication place | Mexico City |
Where the Air Is Clear (original Spanish title: La región más transparente) is a 1958 novel by Mexican writer Carlos Fuentes.[2] His first novel, it became an "instant classic"[3] and made Fuentes into an immediate "literary sensation".[4] The novel's success allowed Fuentes to leave his job as a diplomat and become a full-time author.[4]
The novel is built around the story of Federico Robles – who has abandoned his revolutionary ideals to become a powerful financier – but also offers "a kaleidoscopic presentation" of vignettes of Mexico City, making it as much a "biography of the city" as of an individual man.[5] It was celebrated not only for its prose, which made heavy use of interior monologue and explorations of the subconscious,[4] but also for its "stark portrait of inequality and moral corruption in modern Mexico".[3]
In November 2008, the Royal Spanish Academy, together with Spanish academies from all the world, released a special edition of the book to celebrate its 50th anniversary.[6]
References
- ^ "Obra: Where the Air is Clear". Enciclopedia de la literatura en México. FLM–CONACULTA. Retrieved 21 October 2025.
- ^ Camacho, Fabiola. "Obra: La región más transparente". Enciclopedia de la literatura en México. FLM–CONACULTA. Retrieved 21 October 2025.
- ^ a b Husna Haq (May 16, 2012). "Carlos Fuentes: 5 best novels". Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved May 17, 2012.
- ^ a b c Anthony DePalma (May 15, 2012). "Carlos Fuentes, Mexican Man of Letters, Dies at 83". The New York Times. Retrieved May 16, 2012.
- ^ Genevieve Slomski (November 2010). "Where the Air Is Clear". Masterplots. Retrieved 18 May 2012.
- ^ "La región más transparente". Real Academia Española. Retrieved February 25, 2017.
See also
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