Reviews for The Ecuador Reader: History, Culture, Politics

The average rating for The Ecuador Reader: History, Culture, Politics based on 2 reviews is 2 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2011-03-26 00:00:00 Tim Miklaucic I'm leaving soon on a trip that will include Ecuador, so I wanted to love this book. I wanted a book that would give me some overview on the history and politics and literature of the country. But... *shakes head* this book was so uninteresting, such a dull read, almost a parody of clueless, droning academia. It was terribly earnest. I'm sure if you're getting a degree in South American studies this is the sort of book that is forced on you and no one worries whether you enjoy it. There were exceptions, but I walked away with the impression that no one in last century who knew how to write had tried to say anything about Ecuador. And the selection of literature imply a rich homosexual tradition in Ecuadorian novels which were interesting, but it surprised me that that such explicit descriptions of sex between men would be common there. So, no, this book was not what I'd hoped for.

Review # 2 was written on 2021-02-14 00:00:00 James Rardin This was most likely written for a foreign studies college class. It took a while, but overall I'm glad to have read it considering I'm now living in Ecuador. I'm also guessing there could be significant updates since Correa's controversial presidency is not even mentioned. Especially enlightening was an excerpt from Salomon Isacovici's autobiography Man of Ashes--a Holocaust survivor who emigrated to Ecuador only to find the conditions and treatment of the poor similar to past experiences.