Este libro presenta un analisis detallado de la Pentagonia de Reinaldo Arenas, que incluye las novelas Celestino antes del alba, El palacio de los blanquisimas mofetas, Otra vez el mar, El color del verano, y El asalto. A traves del uso de la ficcion, Arenas ofrece un testimonio de la opresion que sufrio en Cuba como escritor homosexual durante los anos sesenta y los setenta. Este libro pone de relieve el hecho de que, aunque su trabajo no cumpla con las pautas de la novela testimonial cubana, le da una voz a aquellos que fueron silenciados por el gobierno revolucionario. Los dos primeros capitulos ofrecen una vision general de los generos literarios relevantes para este estudio, como la autobiografia, la novela autobiografica y la novela testimonial, asi como del contexto socio-historico de la Pentagonia. Posteriormente, este estudio analiza en detalle cada novela por separado, y ofrece una vision dentagonia en su conjunto.

Stephanie Panichelli-Batalla es profesora titular de espanol y estudios latinoamericanos en la Universidad de Aston.

This book presents an in-depth analysis of Reinaldo Arenas’s Pentagony, which includes the novels Singing from the Well, The Palace of the White Skunks, Farewell to the Sea, The Color of Summer, and The Assault. Through the use of fiction, Arenas offersa testimony of the oppression he suffered in Cuba during the sixties and the seventies as a homosexual writer. This book highlights the fact that although his work does not comply with the guidelines of the Cuban documentary novel, it does give a strong voice to those who were silenced by the Revolutionary government. The first two chapters provide an overview of literary genres relevant to this study, such as the autobiography, autobiographical novel anddocumentary novel, as well as the socio-historical context of the novels. Subsequently, this study looks in detail at each novel separately, offering a comprehensive overview of the Pentagony as a whole.

Stephanie Panichelli-Batalla is a Lecturer of Spanish and Latin American Studies at Aston University.