3 weeks ago
By ANDREA RODRÍGUEZ
Updated [hour]:[minute] [AMPM] [timezone], [monthFull] [day], [year]
HAVANA (AP) — His novels recount gruesome murders, thefts, scams, bribes and humiliating secrets. But those are not moreover nan astir important themes successful nan stories told by award-winning Cuban writer Leonardo Padura.
For nan past 4 decades, Padura, 68, has managed to move his bid of detective thrillers into a societal and governmental chronicle of Cuba, particularly Havana, wherever he has lived each his life.
The land he depicts successful his books — which person been translated to dozens of languages — is simply a operation of economical deprivation, Afro-descendant syncretism, corruption, mischief, uplifting euphony and increasing inequality — each seasoned by a gyration that marked nan 20th century.
“I constitute astir nan problems of individuals successful Cuban society. And often, successful my books, much than melodramatic conflicts betwixt nan characters, you will find a societal conflict betwixt nan characters and their humanities time,” Padura told The Associated Press successful a caller question and reply astatine his location successful Mantilla, nan populous Havana vicinity wherever he was born, raised and married.
The scent of freshly brewed java is successful nan air, arsenic good arsenic nan chirping sound of nan birds that inhabit nan patio wherever his dogs are buried. In a adjacent studio, his wife, screenwriter Lucía López Coll, useful connected a computer.
It’s besides successful this location wherever Mario Conde, nan main characteristic of Padura’s work, was born. The downtrodden, nostalgic, chain-smoking detective has accompanied Padura since 1991, erstwhile “Past Perfect” — nan first of nan “Havana Quartet” bid featuring Conde arsenic nan main protagonist — was published.
Keeping way of Detective Conde is almost for illustration taking nan beat of Cuba successful nan past fewer years.
His past quality was successful nan 2020 caller “Personas Decentes” (“Decent People”) successful which, now complete 60 years old, Conde gets progressive successful nan investigation of a homicide — and corruption lawsuit — against nan backdrop of nan 2016 historic sojourn of erstwhile U.S. President Barack Obama and nan Rolling Stones to nan island.
“This characteristic comes from a vicinity akin to mine,” Padura says of Conde. “He is simply a man of my generation. ... His position of reality has evolved because I person evolved, and his emotion of disenchantment has a batch to do pinch nan measurement we person been surviving each these years.”
Reflecting connected Cuba’s business aft nan tightening of U.S. sanctions during nan management of President Donald Trump and nan effect of nan coronavirus pandemic, Padura says nan land has hardly crawled retired of nan situation and has not yet been capable to get backmost connected its feet.
He points astatine nan deficiency of nutrient and medications, rising prices and deteriorating wellness and acquisition systems, while Cubans grapple pinch substance shortages and changeless blackouts.
“There is simply a humanities fatigue,” he says. “People are tired, they person nary alternatives and they look for 1 by emigrating.”
The soft-spoken chronicler highlights yet different effect of Cuba’s ongoing economical crisis: A activity of popular protests and demonstrations that had not been seen successful decades.
“The main outcry was for nutrient and electricity,” Padura recalls astir nan protests successful 2021 and, much recently, successful March. “But group besides screamed ‘Freedom!’ The deficiency of nutrient and energy mightiness person been solved by fixing immoderate thermoelectric plants and pinch a small atom and sweetener ... but nan different point has not been talked astir — and I deliberation it’s thing that should beryllium discussed successful depth.”
Born successful 1955, Leonardo de la Caridad Padura Fuentes studied lit astatine nan University of Havana and worked arsenic a journalist for state-owned media successful nan 1980s.
He has won a number of important prizes, including nan Hammett Prize, awarded by nan International Association of Crime Writers, connected 2 occasions (1998 and 2006); Cuba’s National Prize for Literature In 2012, and nan Princess of Asturias Award for lit successful Spain successful 2015.
In 2016, Netflix released “Four Seasons successful Havana,” a miniseries featuring detective Conde.
Despite nan world recognition, only a fewer of Padura’s books person been published successful Cuba, and erstwhile they do, only a fewer copies are printed. Also, because of his critical, sometimes acheronian position of nan island, his activity is hardly promoted aliases mentioned successful nan charismatic media.
Unlike galore writers and intellectuals who successful caller years decided to time off Cuba, Padura — who travels extensively — is wished to stay.
“I person galore reasons for surviving extracurricular of Cuba but I deliberation nan ones that support maine present measurement much heavily. One of them is my consciousness of belonging,” he says. “I person a beardown consciousness of belonging to a reality, to a culture, to a measurement of seeing life, to a measurement of expressing myself.”
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