Presents a collection of stories that explores the heartbreak and radiance of love as it is shaped by passion, betrayal, and the echoes of intimacy.
Honors:
National Book Award Nominee for Fiction (2012), OCM Bocas Prize Nominee (2013), The Story Prize Nominee (2012), Andrew Carnegie Medal Nominee for Excellence in Fiction (2013), ALA Notable Book for Fiction (2013)
Press:
NYTimes
NPR Interview
Dictionary of Dominican Slang
Questions:
What was your overall impression of the book. Which story did you like best?
Some have described Diaz's language as "Spanglish." But he also uses a healthy dose of idioms from other parts of culture, from hip-hop to academia. What other cultural lingo does Diaz draw from, and what is the effect of his "multilingualism"? Does it make for greater realism...or humor...or what? Does it cause difficulties for you, the reader?
Have you read another book that had different languages or slang heavily integrated into the writing?
What did you think of the short story layout of the book, was it a good storytelling tool?
One of the quotes from the book is “And that's when I know it's over. As soon as you start thinking about the beginning, it's the end.” Have you ever found that to be true in a relationship?
Yunior says of himself, "I’m not a bad guy.... I’m like everybody else: weak, full of mistakes, but basically good." Do you agree with his self-assessment...or is he letting himself off the hook too easily? Isn't his description applicable to anyone?
Diaz has expressed that he was encouraged growing up to not view women as fully human and slightly inferior to men. Much seems to be made of his male Dominican values as they relate to women. But realistically, are these values much different from those expressed from average American males?
Diaz writes in the book "the half-life of love is forever." Do you think this is true for you? If you have been in love, does that love ever completely go away (even after the relationship has ended?)
A pattern of infidelity runs throughout the stories. Why is Yunior compulsively unfaithful to women? Would you consider Yunior an addict with regard to his relationships (or lack thereof) with women? For example, he exhibits cyclical behaviors that cause him pain yet he never talks about/ deals with why he does what he does.
Talk about the family's reaction to their new home in the U.S. What would it be like to find yourself in a totally new culture faced with an different language?
Talk about the final story of this book, "The Cheater's Guide to Love." What is Yunior coming to realize? In what way has he changed or matured?
What did you think of the ending? was it appropriate considering the subject matter or did you find it ant-climactic?
