Summary of Terra Nostra
“Terra Nostra” is an ambitious, richly layered novel by Mexican writer Carlos Fuentes. It traces the roots of Hispanic civilisation across the centuries in both Spain and Latin America, weaving together elements of history, literature, myth, religion, and philosophy. One of the book’s central figures is the sixteenth-century Spanish king Philip II, who oversees the construction of El Escorial, the vast palace-monastery near Madrid.
Reasons to read Terra Nostra
“Terra Nostra” is a complex, intellectually demanding, and experimental work of fiction that is often seen as a cornerstone of twentieth-century Hispanic literature. It has been described as both modernist and postmodern, as well as surrealist, intertextual, and metafictional. The novel received both the Rómulo Gallegos Prize and the Xavier Villaurrutia Award. Carlos Fuentes was one of Mexico’s greatest writers and was awarded the Premio Cervantes in 1987. Other notable works by Fuentes include “The Death of Artemio Cruz” and “The Old Gringo”.
Original title: Terra Nostra
Year of publication: 1975
Nr of pages: 818
