Pedro Juan Gutiérrez
Encyclopedia
Pedro Juan Gutiérrez, born in 1950 (Matanzas
, Cuba
), is a Cuban novelist.
and began to work selling ice cream and newspapers when he was eleven years old. He was a soldier, swimming and kayak instructor, agricultural worker, technician in construction, technical designer, radio speaker and journalist for 26 years. He is a painter, sculptor and author of several poetry books.
He came to Centro Habana when he was 37 years old and was astonished by the level of violence but also by the energy of the people who lived there.
He is the author of Dirty Havana Trilogy, King of Havana, Tropical animal (winner of the Spanish Prize Alfonso Garcia Ramos 2000), The insatiable spiderman, Dog meat (Italian prize Narrativa Sur del Mundo), Our GG in Havana and the short stories of Melancholy of lions. Dirty Havana Trilogy, Tropical animal and The insatiable spiderman have been translated into English.
From 1994 to today he has written 10 prose books and five books of poetry. He just finished writing, Corazón Mestizo, a Cuban travel book
He has authored:
in a direct, visceral style. His books describe contemporary Cuba from his semi-autobiographical perspective as a disillusioned journalist. Gutiérrez' narrative voice is skeptical, intellectual, humorous, crass, sardonic, and bluntly frank. His literary persona is chiefly concerned with escaping poverty and the pursuit of sex, rum, and writing.
Gutiérrez' stories are typically gritty, tragicomic accounts of himself and his countrymen hustling for money, searching for pleasure and happiness, and struggling in desperate situations. Most chapters incorporate heavy use of a form of irony
. His stories illustrate the difficulty of achieving self-sufficiency and contentment in a dysfunctional and poverty-stricken society living under paternalistic government.
Despite his grim depiction of many aspects of Cuban life, Gutiérrez' writing stresses his overriding love for Cuban culture. He frequently praises Cuban music, resourcefulness, and joie de vivre. Gutiérrez writes scornfully of people who avoid risk and self-expression in exchange for smothering safety and boredom-inducing banality.
Matanzas
Matanzas is the capital of the Cuban province of Matanzas. It is famed for its poets, culture, and Afro-Cuban folklore.It is located on the northern shore of the island of Cuba, on the Bay of Matanzas , east of the capital Havana and west of the resort town of Varadero.Matanzas is called the...
, Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
), is a Cuban novelist.
History
Gutiérrez grew up in Pinar del RíoPinar del Río
Pinar del Río is a city in Cuba. It is the capital of Pinar del Río Province.Inhabitants of the area are called Pinareños.Neighborhoods in the city include La Conchita, La Coloma, Briones Montoto and Las Ovas.-History:...
and began to work selling ice cream and newspapers when he was eleven years old. He was a soldier, swimming and kayak instructor, agricultural worker, technician in construction, technical designer, radio speaker and journalist for 26 years. He is a painter, sculptor and author of several poetry books.
He came to Centro Habana when he was 37 years old and was astonished by the level of violence but also by the energy of the people who lived there.
He is the author of Dirty Havana Trilogy, King of Havana, Tropical animal (winner of the Spanish Prize Alfonso Garcia Ramos 2000), The insatiable spiderman, Dog meat (Italian prize Narrativa Sur del Mundo), Our GG in Havana and the short stories of Melancholy of lions. Dirty Havana Trilogy, Tropical animal and The insatiable spiderman have been translated into English.
From 1994 to today he has written 10 prose books and five books of poetry. He just finished writing, Corazón Mestizo, a Cuban travel book
He has authored:
- Dirty Havana trilogy
- The king of Havana
- Tropical Animal (winner of the Spanish prize Alfonso García- -Ramos 2000)
- The insatiable spiderman
- Dog meat (winner of the Italian prize Narrativa Sur del Mundo)
- The snake nest (winner of the Prix des Amériques insulaires et de la Guyane 2008)
- Our GG in Havana
- Pobre diablo and the short stories book
- Melancholy of the lions.
Characterization of Literary Style
Named master of "cuban dirty realism", movement, like Zoé Valdés and Fernando Velázquez Medina, Gutiérrez depicts life in the shady alleys of HavanaHavana
Havana is the capital city, province, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba. The city proper has a population of 2.1 million inhabitants, and it spans a total of — making it the largest city in the Caribbean region, and the most populous...
in a direct, visceral style. His books describe contemporary Cuba from his semi-autobiographical perspective as a disillusioned journalist. Gutiérrez' narrative voice is skeptical, intellectual, humorous, crass, sardonic, and bluntly frank. His literary persona is chiefly concerned with escaping poverty and the pursuit of sex, rum, and writing.
Gutiérrez' stories are typically gritty, tragicomic accounts of himself and his countrymen hustling for money, searching for pleasure and happiness, and struggling in desperate situations. Most chapters incorporate heavy use of a form of irony
Irony
Irony is a rhetorical device, literary technique, or situation in which there is a sharp incongruity or discordance that goes beyond the simple and evident intention of words or actions...
. His stories illustrate the difficulty of achieving self-sufficiency and contentment in a dysfunctional and poverty-stricken society living under paternalistic government.
Despite his grim depiction of many aspects of Cuban life, Gutiérrez' writing stresses his overriding love for Cuban culture. He frequently praises Cuban music, resourcefulness, and joie de vivre. Gutiérrez writes scornfully of people who avoid risk and self-expression in exchange for smothering safety and boredom-inducing banality.