The Jaguar Smile: A Nicaraguan Journey (2003) - Plot & Excerpts
This is an excellent look at the Sandinista revolution and historical period from the perspective of a great and objective mind. Rushdie didn't go as a booster of Nicaragua, and though he remains skeptical throughout the book about press censorship, he ends up very impressed with the movement overall. The tragedy ends up the usual Central American tragedy of centuries...the US, which shamefully throws its own history under the bus in its efforts to control markets in its 'hemisphere' suppresses any effort at empowering the actual people. The Sandinistas were doing a lot right...education, land reform, inclusivity and social reforms way overdue. Rushdie does notice the elitism of the Sandinista leaders and the suspicious way they started to behave like their former overlords of the upper class, which has been noted often since (esp. about Daniel Ortega). There is also the interesting fact aht Nicaragua is a nation of poets and many ended up in govt...most notoriously Ernesto Cardenal, who doesn't come off well in this book. The Sandinistas are of course a middle class educated cadre, and primarily urban, so that needs to be considered as influential in their behavior in any assessment of their mo. But overall this is something of a sad story (Rushdie is a novelist who captures individuals emotions and dreams well) about a nation trying to obtain its own freedom and ownership of its history and national life, only to be stifled by what can only be called short-term thinking, and frankly stupidity and gross cynicism, on the part of the US....another Reagan disaster. It's just like Vietnam in many ways....freedom fighters for an independent democratic nation are destroyed by the very people who propagandize such movements when they 'dont do what they're told' and call the US's bluff. And sadly, it is a bluff. America is a capitalist empire, and if democracy, freedom, independence don't serve that, then they will be crushed. Not to get all polemical, but this book made that point very clear. Fortunately, the invasion the Sandinistas feared never came, but as the Soviets collapsed and the international leftist movement fell into the ropes, the US prevailed via starving them out on some level. Yet, progress has been made, and the Sandinistas survive as a powerful party that still wins elections and can still press for justice and inclusivity. The Sandinistas were clearly the best the nation had to offer, even if they weren't perfect, and they contributed a great deal to the evolution of Nicaragua, liberation theology and to the hope of the masses.
Mike's review on 06/18 is right on the mark. Rushdie, obviously has written this book after having very little exposure to the Sandinista government of the 1980's. Taking into consideration the red carpet treatment he got for the 3 weeks he was in Nicaragua, it's understandable why he may have come to the ill-informed illusions regarding the Sandinista that he puts forth in this novel.Disregarding Rushdie's bias, this book is a well written behind the scenes look at the country of Nicaragua during the Sandinista regime. Considering most Americans could not even pick Nicaragua off a map of Central America (that number becomes significantly smaller if you produce an entire globe), and the only information they posses is what they see on the nightly news, this book is a welcomed counter view point to what occurred in Nicaragua during the Contra war.Overall, The Jaguar Smile is an easy and enjoyable read. As I'm reading, I can feel myself back immersed in the Nicaraguan culture again. While I might not agree with many of Rushdie's opinions/assertions, I do appreciate that he shares them in this book. That by writing this book he has shared with us an experience that few people outside of a world renowned author could have garnered during this tumultuous time in Nicaraguan history. This is where the value of this book lies.
What do You think about The Jaguar Smile: A Nicaraguan Journey (2003)?
Salman Rushdie a un style étoilé, un vrai talent de conteur, qu'il perd de temps à autre dans des récits qui ne lui ressemblent pas - et je pense, par exemple, à Fury. J'ai commencé à lire le Sourire du jaguar en arrivant au Nicaragua, car c'était le moment parfait pour aborder un texte de Rushdie que je savais très critiqué.M'y connaissant alors très peu en histoire contemporaine du Nicaragua, j'ai appris beaucoup à la lecture du Sourire du jaguar. On a souvent dit que ce livre était une prise de parti basique, pour moi c'est plutôt le récit d'une expérience, qui est ce qu'elle est : laminaire parfois (oui, Rushdie a vu le beau Managua, celui des réceptions et des politiques), d'autres fois aussi magiques que dans ses plus beaux romans (la rencontre avec les locaux sur la côte est). J'aurais aimé que l'auteur ait prolongé son séjour au Nicaragua. J'ai le sentiment d'une expérience bien retranscrite, mais probablement trop courte.
—Blueberry
I discovered this in the Latin America section in Stanfords, quite unaware that Salman Rushdie had written it, and central America was somewhere I have always wanted to travel around.Rusdie’s trip of three weeks was made at the invitation of the Sandinista Association of Cultural workers and he was there at the seven year anniversary of the Sandinista’s rise to power. While there he conversed with the President, Daniel Ortega, ministers (most of whom are poets) the owner of the recently closed La Prensa newspaper, aid workers and a midwife and her cow.Nicaragua, which Rushdie clearly falls in love with, is portrayed very much as the little guy standing up to the big ;un (The US under Reagan) as the revolutionary government is besieged by the Contra and it’s backers. It’s always hard to tell just how truthful or unbiased narratives like this are. But to be fair to El Escritor hindu, as he is known, he does not shy away from asking fairly probing questions where he can, and presses the government on it’s closure of La Prensa numerous times, and he admits failings in the book of people who he didn’t get to interview.It’s a slim book. Rushdie articulately mixing in facts with bits of his journeys around the country and his conversations with those in power and those without. The Jaguar Smile should be seen as a postcard, a snapshot of a time and a place, a place that I myself long to go.(blog review here)
—Paul
Rushdie's literary journalism is an outstanding introduction to Nicaraguan culture. Written during the height of the Contra War, he is largely sympathetic to the Sandinista cause, but it is not without critique. Revolutions are not panaceas for societal or governmental disfunction. Too often they turn into what they overthrew. Still, Rushdie expressed optimism for the country that rid itself of an oppressive dictator, and regardless of the course of history, the Nicaraguan people continue to be upbeat, friendly, and feisty.Rusdies account touches many engaging topics besides the turbulent political history of Nicaragua. The reader learns about the strange quirks of Managua, the literary exploits of Nicaragua's famous poets, and the unique qualities of th afro-carribean atlantic coast. Written 25 years ago, it still conveys the magic and tension that exemplifies Nicaragua today. When visiting this country, you feel as though you are a participant in the making of history, not just a product of it.
—Thomas
