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The Color of Summer
Reinaldo Arenas Book Review

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Plot Summary of The Color of Summer
"Billed as a comedy, this last novel by the deceased Arenas, one of Cuba's best writers, is more of a bittersweet set of delusions of the wildness of life on the island of Cuba under Castro's dictaorship. At first it seems over the top as a parody of Cuban gay life, but as the pages turn there is much truth under the giggling. The book takes some toleration and endurance, but once started you're in for a delerious hispanic subculture ride! Arenas writes well!"
Grady Harp, Resident Scholar



Review Analysis of The Color of Summer
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Tone of book? - depressed
Time/era of story - 1980's-1999
Romance/Romance Problems Yes
Kind of romance: - GENERAL--no other subplots apply - boatload of casual sex without love - playing footsy while inconveniently married
Political/social activism Yes
Plotlet: - general liberal/left wing activism - minorities fighting for rights
Kind of living: - making "Ends Meat" by prostitution
Kind of sex: - molestation - bestiality (baaa!)
Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
Main char. serviced by prostitute? Yes
Taboo sex story? Yes

Main Character
Gender - Male
Profession/status: - unemployed
Eccentric/Mental Yes
Eccentric: - eccentric
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events? Yes
How sensitive is this character? - sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Strong but gentle sense of humor
Intelligence - Average intelligence
Physique - average physique

Main Adversary
Identity: - Male
Profession/status: - dictator
Eccentric/Smart/Dumb: Yes
Eccentric: - obsessed - wild - emotionally unstable
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - a little/some
How sensitive is this character? - mean, arrogant
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Average intelligence
Physique - average physique

Setting
How much descriptions of surroundings? - 9 ()
The Americas (not US): Yes
The Americas: - The Caribbean
Jungles? Yes
Jungles - Alligators/Crocs
Water? Yes
Water: - swimming on - feeding sharks
Island? Yes
Island: - stranded
City? Yes
City: - dangerous - Miami

Style
Person - rotating 1st
Accounts of torture and death? - moderately detailed references to deaths
Sex in book? Yes
What kind of sex: - touching of anatomy - orgies - actual description of hetero sex - descript. of nude males (the big P)
Amount of dialog - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
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Reinaldo Arenas Resident Scholar Profiles

TOP SCHOLAR:
  
Daniel Luera-Sierra  

SCHOLARS:
Stephen Kinsella  


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