Latin American Boom

The Boom of Latin American literature began with the Cuban Revolution. Fidel Castro welcomed these writers to Cuba and supported the literature that expressed a Latin American identity. It also incorporated European elements--the main editor of these writers was Seix-Borral of Barcelona. The Boom was most famous for the advent of magical realism, which was most famous in Gabriel Garcia Marquez's Cien Anos de Soledad. The "Big 5" of the Boom were the most influential and famous writers---Cortazar, Borges, Llosa, Fuentes, and Marquez. Although Marquez wrote many stories involving magical realism, he wrote other stories that were greatly effected by the oppression inflicted by the government of Colombia. Another story, "Un Dia de Estos", displays the creativity of Latin Americans in fighting the government. The cruel governor of the town comes to the town dentist with a toothache. Instead of giving the governor anesthesia, the dentist performs the root canal without any type medicine. He tries to put him through as much pain as he has inflicted on the village.