Waiting For Snow In Havana: Confessions Of A Cuban Boy (2004) - Plot & Excerpts
“The world changed while I slept, and nobody had consulted me.” Carlos Eire open his childhood memoir Waiting for Snow in Havana in a simply and beautifully profound way of indicating the theme of his book: Change!tCarlos Eire was born in Cuba in 1950. He was one of those fourteen thousands children, who fled Cuba to America in 1962 after Fidel Castro took over control of the government. Before reunited with his mother in Chicago in 1965, Carlos Eire had been through a series of foster home from Florida to Illinois with his brother. Fourteen years after last seen of his father, Carlos received the news of his father’s death. His father, who was a judge in the time of pre-Castro, had never left Cuba in protecting of his Art collection. Carlos Eire is currently a professor at Yale University. tHis non-fictional memoir: Waiting for Snow in Havana mainly focuses on his childhood in Havana, Cuba before he left the country. It consists of 29 chapters, which are named accordingly after a number in Spanish. The book is not written in chronological order. Instead, Carlos chose to tell his story by jumping back and forth between time and foreshadowing event that will happen later in his life.tWaiting for Snow in Havana carries itself in a uniquely insightful way. Language usage through out the book seemingly at first to be informal, but examining pages after pages, it reveal the satire of communism professionally. Carlos transforms readers by including Spanish curse languages into the books, which make his satire become more powerful. In addition, his interest in religious is reflected in the book by using examples and images of Jesus to explain various things. tThe nicely deep touch of the book is through the emotion that it brings up to readers. His life story in first person explode inside the audiences’ minds with devastation of a child in the transformation of a country to communism. The struggle of making a living while in high school and working full time, the isolation of life in America - thousands of miles away from home - when he was separated away from family, generate a sincere sympathy to people. On top of that, his sense of humor created an optimistic vision of the situation. However, the book brings up a theme of consciousness of sadness:t“Whatever you love, whatever you think you own, all of it bond to disappoint, to prove false. Whether you know it or not, whether you like it or not, nothing you can embrace in this world will ever fill that yawning void in your soul. Nothing. No thing. No one. Ninguna cosa. Nadie.”tHowever, Carlos Eire’s life is only one of fourteen other children, who possibly would have suffered similar or worse scenario. Through his memoir, he provides readers the general understanding and history of why immigrants come into this country, specifically Cubans, as well as how they arrive to where they are in society today. It challenges audiences’ thoughts and assumptions toward certain subjects happening in life. The book is recommended for anyone, who are interested in reading non-fictional literature. Even Carlos’ satires decrease the book’s tedium, but it is still not as joy and pleasure as reading a scientific fictional literature. Since the book is not written in chronological order, it is flexible for readers to stop and continue. For overall rating, the book deserves a ⅘.
I really enjoyed reading this book. It was full of local colour and the warmth of childhood recollection and nostalgia for a place and time that no longer exists. The childhood of Carlos Eire was a cross between unbelievable luxury, freedom to play wild and often cruel games with his friends and the usual unenjoyable restrictions of dressing up to visit. Fear entered the equation when his rich family became a target when the Cuban revolution started. Later, Carlos and his brother are evacuated to the United States, leaving their parents behind, split up and sent to the cold northernness of Chicago where they have to acclimatise not only to the temperatures but to the realities of poverty. The situations described are often almost unbelievable and surreal: "We were playing hide and seek. I had found a very nice spot behind the tiger's cage. The tiger who would later die of indigestion and a failed enema administered with a garden hose." The author was a sensitive and imaginative boy with a fine eye for observation. This shows in the descriptions in Eire's memoirs such as this description of the attraction of firecrackers: "BANG!... Good ones shake you to the core, sweep over all your senses. Sight, sound, smell, taste, even touch. Yes, touch too: a good blast can be felt all over one's body.... A flash of light, one of those rare moments when raw energy makes itself visible, the very stuff of life, blinding the eyes to all else.... A roar, deafening, that suddenly cancels out all other sound.... Wave upon wave of particles of the exploding object filling the air, fumes that fill your nose and cancel out all other scents, even those fo the sweetest flower..... Those same particles invading your tongue, vanquishing all other flavours, melding with your own spit... And those shock waves, the air itself just like the veil of the Temple of Jerusalem when Jesus died or the cross, the air pulsating with energy that seeps into your very skin, your pores, your nerves, and ultimately, your brain, making every other sensation vanish, making you say 'Yes, I live.' Sometimes the shock waves bombarding your skin force you to say 'God'." I also enjoyed the descriptions of the childhood parties, Cuban pinatas, American games, American costumes, 'keiks', Japy berrsdéy tú yu. Later, the tale of the party that changed his life because his attendance marked him out as one of the elite who would be the enemies of the revolution. Throughout his childhood, there was a competition in his family home between clinging to Spanish traditions and the American traditions that were gradually swamping them. "At Christmastime, you see, a silent battle raged.... Santa bought the best presents. And the Christmas tree: no contest. That tree was divine...... The lights and houses of Bethlehem, so lovingly created by my dad, were no match for the lights on that tree, or for the ornaments." The story of how he left Cuba is told gradually. Poignantly and childishly, he still regrets abandoning his collection of red firecracker wrappers, not to mention his family, his home and his other possessions.
What do You think about Waiting For Snow In Havana: Confessions Of A Cuban Boy (2004)?
Now, admittedly, I have always had a very low patience for memoirs. I feel like they never get to the point. The reason this one made it past a single star is that it corresponds with what I learned in World History and Communism so precisely, and it's almost like my World Communism text (The Spider Eaters) except the setting is a little different, and the memoirist is male, not female.Possibly my distaste spreads past memoir rambling/sexism and it reflects my ancient discomfort with the Spanish, but that is ridiculous, since I know some very lovely Spanish, Mexican, and… the South American peoples outside of Brazil… um… I respect and appreciate the accomplishments of this culture!So, this book does detail what happens to a wealthy Cuban family as the revolution took place, and the leader switched from Batista to Castro, so historically it's not a bad read! The racial tensions persist here, too. It's not exactly like the Ferguson police brutality of the black people, it's the more Hispanic Cubans disrespecting the African Cuban (black) maid…I found the perplexing title appealing for a while, but now it's about time to take this book back. Adios?
—Claire
This book received a National Book Award and it appears I missed something crucial because I wouldn't have given it even one of those fake paper ribbon awards you get in elementary school for lining up single file for recess. IMHO they tried to do too much with this story. What I thought I was getting was a coherent recount of a Cuban boy's experience being exiled to the US after Castro takes over. What I got was a confusing tale of a Cuban boy, a French King, his unknowing wife, a criminal adoptee, an army of frightful lizards and a serious case of whiplash from being transported from one decade and location to the next without fair warning.The book was confusing and, frankly, a little boring. I ended up caring so little about the struggle and situation that I stopped reading (or rather fighting to stay interested) 20 pages before the ending. Fact was, I didn't care how it ended, I just wanted it to be over.I gave it two stars because it appears SOMEONE must have liked it and, well, maybe they can explain what the hell was going on there.
—Jessica Vaughan
I really don't care for this star rating system. It seems so inappropriate, like we're reviewing refrigerators or something. I don't really know how to "rate" this book. It was herky jerky, sometimes interesting but sometimes a yawn, and I never could tell at what moment that transition would occur next. Which, to me, made it a great read. But the sections that were boring, were really boring. Mostly those were the idyllic childhood sections: the anecdotes from his pampered, rich kid experience before everything changed so drastically. The changes were not only drastic but terrifying. And all encompassing. It's interesting to think about as it has now been over fifty years since the Revolution that these people believed wouldn't last more than a year or two. I would recommend this book to anyone who really doesn't know much about the Cuban Revolution. It isn't going to give you a history lesson so much as an up close perspective on how violent an effect political upheaval can have on the individual level.
—Tress Huntley
