Los Gusanos

by John Sayles

Book Overview

From filmmaker John Sayles (The Return of the Secaucus Seven, Matewan), a novel set in contemporary Miami that brings to life the heart and soul of the Cuban community. Filled with passion, violence, sex, and unforgettalbe characters, Los Gusanos is a rare combination of literary fiction and commercial storytelling with tremendous commercial appeal.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0060166533
• ISBN13: 9780060166533
• Release Date: January 1991
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
• Length: 473 Pages
• Weight: 1.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.5" x 6.5" x 9.4"

Customer Reviews

A story too complicated for its own good-- three-and-a-half stars

Sayles has long been one of my favorite movie directors, and I have intended to try one of his novels for many years now. I have very mixed feelings about Los Gusanos as a book. I do not think that it is a success, although it has some spectacular sections and the quality of the writing is very high. Still, I am not sure that I would recommend this book to anyone who was not either a fan of Sayles as a director or someone interested in literature dealing with the Bay of Pigs. Like many Sayles films, Los Gusanos is an ensemble piece. Reading the plot synopsis may give you the impression that the book is about Marta and her mission. Nothing could be further from the truth. Much like Joan of Arc (who she idolizes) Marta is nearly perfectly opaque-- her thoughts and motivations unclear. We are granted a look into the deepest thoughts and memories of many of the characters, making nearly everyone else more transparent than she. Even the stroke-disabled inarticulate father has his stream-of-consciousness fits of rage. Marta is cool, unapproachable, and we only really see her thinking when she mixes her voice with that of the diary of her dead brother. It is an interesting thing that despite the resistance that Sayles clearly has to traditional narrative form, his films succeed the most (Lone Star, Passion Fish, Matewan) when we still have a central character or characters where the audience can fix their focus. One of the main problems with Los Gusanos is that this focus is lost, making the reading experience difficult and even occasionally broken despite the device of the new invasion. I found that I resented getting so close to so many characters who made only brief appearances. Villas is a good example of that-- I wanted so much more of his story than Los Gusanos gave me. A stronger central thread would have made this objection less serious, or even removed it altogether. I also found the the device of switching between Spanish and English was at least a little bit irritating, particularly in passages where we know that the entire conversation was held in Spanish. It had the unfortunate effect of being the literary equivalent of giving the Spanish film characters a strong Spanish accent when they talk amongst themselves in English. There are an awful lot of good things in this book, and if you are interested in reading it then please do not let this review dissuade you. Sayles has his usual glittering and objective eye for the politics of the situation-- seeing all sides clearly and seemingly without judgement. Like I said earlier, if you are already a fan of his cinematic work you should find a lot of the best elements back in this novel.

Marharwal's Picks

Set in Miami in 1981, but spanning six decades of a family's life in Cuba and the United States, Los Gusanos portrays a range of characters--old and young, black and white, men and women--all struggling to make a life in their adopted country while haunted by the memories of their lost island. Taking as its title the derogatory term Fidel Castro used to describe those Cubans who fled to Maimi after he came to power, Los Gusanos explores the elements that determine who turns one way and who turns the other--who will be the casualty and who the survivor--in a time of political upheaval. (...)

Exceptional book by a man with a great heart and conscience

I first became aware of John Sayles after seeing his movie "Matewan". I loved the movie; the union organizer, Joe Kenehan, is my all-time favorite movie hero (well, next to my boyhood hero, Shane). I've seen several other Sayles films since then, but Los Gusanos is the first book of his that I've read. It is, indeed, exceptional. It's sad that with all the attention that is given to Cuba and Castro, this book is not more widely read. I lived in Miami for 36 years - and, inevitably, read and heard innumerable opinions about Cuba - but until Los Gusanos I never encountered anyone who portrayed so well the complexity of the human beings involved. One cannot help but be interestd in - even like - many of Sayles's characters, yet none of them is perfect. Most are very imperfect. Some are despicable - both pro-Castro and anti-Castro types, though those terms aren't the best to use to describe these complicated, often torn people. So, I urge anyone with an interest in modern Cuba to read Los Gusanos. It will fascinate, disturb, and move you.