In this masterly, deeply personal, and provocative audiobook, the
internationally renowned Mexican writer Carlos Fuentes, whose work has
been called 'a combination of Poe, Baudelaire, and Isak Dinesen'
(Newsweek), steps back to survey the wellsprings of art and ideology,
the events that have shaped our time, and his extraordinary life and
fiercest passions. Arranged alphabetically from 'Amore' to 'Zurich, '
This I Believe takes us on a marvelous inner journey with a great
writer. Fuentes ranges wide, from contradictions inherent in Latin
American culture and politics to his long friendship with director Luis
Buuel. Along the way, we find reflection on the mixed curse and blessing
of globalization; memories of a sexual initiation in Zurich; a fond
tracing of a family tree heavy with poets, dreamers, and diplomats;
evocations of the streets, cafes, and bedrooms of Washington, Paris,
Santiago de Chile, Cambridge, Oaxaca, and New York; and a celebration of
literary heroes including Balzac, Cervantes, Faulkner, Kafka, and
Shakespeare. Throughout, Fuentes captivates with the power of his
intellect and his prose. Here, too, are vivid, often heartbreaking
glimpses into his personal life. 'Silvia' is a powerful love letter to
his beloved wife. In 'Children, ' Fuentes recalls the births of his
daughters and the tragic death of his son; in 'Cinema' he relives the
magic of films such as Citizen Kane and The Wizard of Oz. Further
extending his reach, he examines the collision between history and
contemporary life in 'Civil Society, ' 'Left, ' and 'Revolution.' And he
poignantly addresses the experiences we all hold in common as he
grapples with beauty, death, freedom, God, and sex. By turns provocative
and intimate, partisan and universal, this audiobook is a brilliant
summation of an international literary career.
