Like Paul Theroux, Pico Iyer is a popular travel writer who has moved into fiction writing with his first novel Cuba and the Night. Iyer usually writes cutting edge reportage and the novel has a strong flavor of that genre. It's the story of the obsessive on-again-off-again love affair between a cynical, hard-bitten news photographer and beautiful young Cuban woman. It's also the story of the friendly relationship between the photographer and a nerdy British tourist, who enters the story and plays a major role in the plot. The plot is rather slow moving and repetitive, but it is vividly written with lovely and poignant descriptions of the unique Cuban atmosphere and people. The ending, although not shocking, is well told. In fact, there is an air of inevitability about the whole novel, consistent with the depiction of the worn-out Cuban nation and psyche.
For a review of this book by Kirkus, click here: https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/pico-iyer/cuba-and-the-night/#review
For a review of this book by Kirkus, click here: https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/pico-iyer/cuba-and-the-night/#review
