Paz's best known (in the U.S.) book piqued my interest in many ways. I wondered what he would view differently if he were writing today, more than 70 years since he wrote The Labyrinth of Solitude, after such events as NAFTA, the rise of the drug cartels and the migrations of people from Central America and the southern provinces of Mexico. I also was struck by how little I know of Mexico's history outside of the relationship with the U.S., a history which does not reflect well on either country. I was also struck by how little I know of Mexican culture, both now and in its past, especially the pre-Conquest eras. I've been inspired to seek out some other books and learn the things I do not know. ( )

This is for die-hard fans of literature really. Very philosophical, this collection of essays wasn’t my cup of tea at all despite whatever place it may hold in Latin America or Mexico in particular.

This is a very loose exploration of the history of Mexico. You won’t really get much of it unless you already understand a fair bit of the narrative in the first place. He spends a lot of time using his references to history to clarify his ideas about the identity of Mexican people.

On the whole, it’s very much about what makes people Mexican, but in some respects, his ideas can be applied to the people of any nation anywhere. Thus:

History has the cruel reality of a nightmare, and the grandeur of man consists in his making beautiful and lasting works out of the real substance of that nightmare. Or, to put it another way, it consists in transforming the nightmare into vision; in getting ourselves from the shapeless horror of reality – if only for an instant – by means of creation.

There’s a lot going on here but it’s all very caught up in itself. A boring and possibly unnecessary read nowadays. ( )

I have no idea why Octavio Paz's "The Labyrinth of Solitude" is on the list of 1,001 Books To Read Before you Die. It's basically a sociological essay on the Mexican persona.

If you're into that sort of thing, I'm sure this book is wonderful. I found it incredibly boring. ( )

This is not a book to be undertaken lightly for it is not meant for pleasurable reading. It exists for one purpose only: to describe in painstaking detail the persona of the Mexican people. Who should read it? Those of Mexican descent who wish to discover their roots and university students studying Mexican history and sociology. It should not be on The 1001 List.
( )

THE book to read if you want to start learning more about Mexico. I have lived in the country for five years and regret that I waited so long to read this. A truly great book. ( )