Octavio Paz - A 100 Years Go By in a Flash

This week, don Octavio Paz will turn one century old. I mean, he would be that old if cancer hadn’t decided to take him to Mount Olympus of the gods in April of 1998, converting him into an immortal. If he had died just five days later, his exit from this world would have coincided with that of Cervantes and Shakespeare (the date that has been established as World Book Day, and whether or not the date is accurate, as my Italian friend Alessandro would say, “si non è vero, è ben trovato”)

Octavio Paz is a an extraordinary figure who stands as a beacon of inspiration in the tradition of literature in Spanish; his works are required reading not only for lit lovers but also for anyone interested at all in Mexico, its people, and all things special in this unique country.

Don Octavio took his time in writing a definitive essay that has become a source of reference for anthropological study: The Labyrinth of Solitude (El laberinto de la soledad in Spanish). In this piece, the Nobel prize winner takes the reader on a journey that delves deep into the meaning of Mexico, guiding us toward greater insight into the country’s unique characteristics.

Some ten years after producing Labyrinth, Paz penned his Los signos en rotación y otros ensayos (Signs in Rotation and other Essays), a collection that included the essay Todos los Santos. Día de muertos, which begins, much like an open gateway to knowledge, with the passionate words that inexcusably lure us to continue indulging in our reading experience:

El solitario mexicano ama las fiestas y las reuniones públicas. Todo es ocasión para reunirse. Cualquier pretexto es bueno para interrumpir la marcha del tiempo y celebrar con festejos y ceremonias hombres y acontecimientos. Somos un pueblo ritual. Y esta tendencia beneficia a nuestra imaginación tanto como a nuestra sensibilidad, siempre afinadas y despiertas. El arte de la fiesta, envilecido en casi todas partes, se conserva intacto entre nosotros.

The Fascinating History of Mexico

Effectively opening up the doors of Mexico to readers by way of eloquent language is one of his greatest achievements.

The fascinating history of Mexico, analyzed in depth by this literary genius, awaits us within the pages of Octavio Paz’s works. Any of the paragraphs in these articles and essays could be used as teaching material for cultural lessons.

Years ago, an anthropologist-journalist named Luis Pancorbo created a series of programs for Spanish television called Otros pueblos. The episode about Mexico is an interesting documentary that takes viewers deep into the country’s interior using El laberinto de la soledad as a travel guide. Radiotelevision Española has made the documentary available free of charge to users.