Explosion in a Cathedral (Masterplots, Revised Second Edition)
At a glance:
- Author: Alejo Carpentier
- First Published: 1962
- Type of Work: Novel
- Type of Plot: Social realism
- Time of Work: 1789-1809
- Setting: Caribbean islands and Europe
- Principal Characters: Carlos, Sofía, Esteban, Victor Hugues, Ogé
- Genres: Long fiction, Social realism, Historical fiction
- Subjects: Dictators, Caribbean, Love or romance, Nineteenth century, Europe or Europeans, Revolutions, Eighteenth century, French Revolution
- Locales: Caribbean, Europe
The Story:
A wealthy Cuban merchant died in Havana, leaving behind an orphaned son and daughter, Carlos and Sofía, and a nephew, Esteban, who had himself been orphaned and who had grown up with Carlos and Sofía. In the absence of paternal authority, the three adolescents were free to pass the time as they wished. They ate and slept at odd hours and transformed the family mansion into a house of “perpetual games,” a disorderly labyrinth of unpacked shipping crates. Their harmonious existence in the midst of external chaos was brought to an abrupt end, however, when Victor...
[The entire page is 2063 words long]

