Rating: 
Summary: A bittersweet farewell
Review: Reinaldo Arenas's account of his life in Cuba - spanning thedictatorships of both Batista and Castro - is one of the most movingand horrifying testaments to courage I have ever read. Writing thismemoir while he is dying of AIDS as an exile in New York, Arenasdemonstrates how as a young man growing up without freedom underextreme poverty, violence, and oppression he dreamed of moving to the"North" where he envisioned a world of opportunity and thefreedom to pursue creativity and eroticism without fear of judgementor betrayal...The courage of this man is as amazing as hisextraordinary will to survive. I think the most fascinating sectionof this book is when he recounts his attempts at escape from theIsland and his subsequent "Kafkaesque" imprisonment. I keptturning the pages in nervous and somewhat astonished anticipationwanting to know what happens next. This book is also very eroticallycharged. Whole sections are devoted to a cataloging of Arenas'svarious homosexual liaisons, sparing no graphic detail. By thisaccount, Cuba in the 60s and 70s would seem a gay man's paradise untilyou take into consideration that much of his activity was from adesperate need to find beauty and fulfillment in a world that hadlittle time or room for either. Certainly not for the faint ofheart, Before Night Falls is a remarkable odyssey and not one anyreader is likely to forget.
Rating:
Summary: Going back
Review: It is most reassuring to see that a film based on Arenas' extraordinary book "Before Night Falls" is gaining the kudos and exposure this underrated (in this country at least)author deserves. I first read this book when it was translated and released in 1993 and seeing the film only made me hasten to return to the original book. Time has aged the eloquence of this memoir but has not marred the impact of the brilliance of the writing. Arenas wrote with a degree of truth and keen observation that makes his moments of antics with his characters like comic relief in a Shakespearean play. For obvious reasons the film (brilliantly directed by Julian Schnabel and acted by Javier Bardem as Arenas) could not dwell on some of the elements that make the book so unique: the extended description of life in Cuban prisons is only touched on. But the single most significant rediscovery in reading "Before Night Falls" again is Arenas' poetry. He had a gift of distilling Magical Realism, transforming even the radical ugliness of Castro's Cuba into the topical paradise so beloved by Cubans everywhere. See the film, but let that experience introduce you to the rich literary output of one of the most exciting writers of the last century.
Rating:
Summary: Incredible account of Post Revolutionary Cuba
Review: To sum up in one word what 'Before Night Falls' mean to this reader, that word would be freedom. Freedom to write what one pleases. Freedom to love whom one pleases. Freedom to explore sexually what society deems taboo. Mr. Arenas details with vivid imagery what a wonderful place Pre-Castro Cuba must have been. The idyllic farm on which he lived in extreme poverty reminds this reader of places from his past, these places that were teeming with adventures and new discoveries each day. Even some of the more extreme passages, with Areneas's voice, seem to come across normal rather than shocking. The novel reads very quickly but is truly unforgettable, which cannot be said of the film of the same name (although the cameos by Johnny Depp and Sean Penn are quite memorable). Homosexuality plays a very big part in Mr. Arenas's oeuvre and it's primary theme that prevails this work ('Old Rosa' is also highly recommended). Although I was never in Cuba at the time the novel takes place, one gets the impression that the island would be heaven for gay men. The rendezvous on the beach with strangers, the queens, and the covert seductions by military men all add up to paint a very memorable image of Cuba. Recommended for all but be warned, Arenas's can be rather frank in his depictions of his sexual exploits.
Rating:
Summary: A must read for anyone interested in Castro's Cuba or Arenas
Review: This autobiography is essential reading to not only know about Arenas' life, but to better understand growing up in Castro's Cuba. The similarities to Soviet life are there, but Arenas also reveals the uniquely "Cuban" way of doing things in a communist regime. And after reading this, one can gain a better appreciation for his published works and understand the difficult phantasmagoric style Arenas employs in his story telling. Arenas is able to transform ugliness, difficulty and exteme deprivation into literary beauty, something that often cannot be accomplished without first experiencing intense suffering.
Rating:
Summary: Gripping, realistic account of Castro's Cuba
Review: I read this book a few years ago, and every now and then I read it again. This is one amazing book, by one of the best Cuban writers since Lezama Lima. Arenas' accounts of being both homosexual and a dissident in Castro's Cuba is both realistic and frightening, especially when one takes into account that what happened to him has happened, and continues to happen, to many in Cuba. I am especially drawn to his experiences and feelings about Castro and La Revolución in its early days, because he express so well what many Cubans felt, from their hope to their ultimate disillusionment. Arenas' biggest contirbution to Cuban culture, I believe, is his ability to put into vivid, heart-wrenching words what millions of Cubans felt, and continue to feel even today, as Castro's regime continues to destroy all that is good and beautiful about Cuba.
Rating:
Summary: To damn the demons of tragedy
Review: Despite the horrors revealed in this mini-autobiography the true story must never be lost. Reinaldo Arenas never surrendered to the demons of self-pity and delusion, despite the hell he encountered on the road to Calvary. What a journey! What a man!
Rating:
Summary: This is one of the best pictures of Cuba's reality.
Review: I really enjoyed this book. As I said before, Reinaldo Arena described in a very Cuban way the reality of the gay community in pre-revolutionary time, the persecution and the double repression he had to suffer because his duality as a gay and as an independent writer censored by the Castro machinery.
Rating: 
Summary: Wonderfully disturbing and poignant
Review: I learned more about Castro's regime than in any history book I've ever read. Its frightening to know that such terrible ostracities occur so close to our shores, as I don't doubt they are still happening. It is also inspiring to read about the human spirit and its fortitude. I have purchased Arena's other books to read. His style is a clash between raw earth and intellect. I recommend for serious reading.
Rating:
Summary: really great -- really harsh -- really funny
Review: This book is a pleasure to read, though the subject matter is quite harsh. Arenas writes in such a manner as to draw the reader in. His themes are treated with wonderful humor that does not diminish their power.
Rating:
Summary: A bold memoir of oppression and defiance
Review: "Before Night Falls," the autobiography of Cuban writer Reinaldo Arenas, is an astonishing book. Arenas notes that he dictated part of the book into a tape recorder, and it was later transcribed by a friend. This format probably accounts for the book's intimate tone; I could imagine Arenas sitting in front of me and telling the whole story over coffee. The book has been translated into a forthright English by Dolores M. Koch. "Before Night Falls" begins with Arenas' childhood in rural Cuba. It details his life as a writer, his many sexual exploits as a gay man, and his sufferings under the regime of Fidel Castro. It is amazing to read how Arenas had to struggle to exist as a writer in a police state; he tells how he was forced to hide manuscripts and how friends smuggled his writings out of Cuba for publication in foreign countries. The book contains many shocking and painful episodes, such as his accounts of his own imprisonment and exile. But his life story also contains moments of humor and hope. Particularly interesting are Arenas' accounts of his friendships with other gay Cuban writers, such as Virgilio Pinera and Jose Lezama Lima. Overall, the tone of the book reflects Arenas' many moods: sensuous, angry, joyful, outraged, wry, melancholy, and--above all--defiant. His writing is rich in colorful personalities and fascinating anecdotes. An interesting companion volume to Arenas' autobiography would be the book "Eminent Maricones: Arenas, Lorca, Puig, and Me," by gay Colombian-born writer Jaime Manrique. Manrique knew Arenas personally, and "Eminent Maricones" contains an account of Arenas' last days as he worked to complete "Before Night Falls" while dying of AIDS-related complications. Having read that book made me appreciate Arenas' achievement even more. At one point Arenas recalls advice given to him by Jose Lezama Lima: "Remember that our only salvation lies in words: write!" Reading this book, I get the sense that Arenas achieved his own personal "salvation" through his literature, and in particular, through this autobiography. "Before Night Falls" is an amazing human testament that moved me deeply. If you are interested in Latin American literature, gay studies, the art of autobiography, or human rights issues, I strongly recommend this book to you.
| 
