El Labertino de la Soledad by Octavio Paz

Book excerpt: This book, Paz’s first book-length essay, is the most famous of his works and a modern classic. Published in Spanish in 1950, it is undoubtedly the most influential work that exists on problems of Mexican cultural identity. In this critical edition, Stanton introduces the work, explores the historical circumstances in which it was written, its textual genesis, sequels and its influence. He analyzes key elements of the essay, such as the structure, methodology, use of Freud, Jung, Marx, Nietzsche and the way it relates culture to history. This book contains questions and themes for discussion and a select bibliography.