La Tumba

"La Tumba" ("The Tomb") is a 1964 controversial novel written in Spanish by José Agustín.It is a short novel, originally written as a series of tales ("Tedium") in a literary workshop.

The "good people" rejected the novel because it freely touched (and portrayed) topics like abortion and sex, but the writers' community praised it inmensely. Despite "Gabriel"´s intellectual tone, the book was a huge editorial success, establishing Jose Agustin as a respected and profitable writer.

The novel was Agustín's first work. A distinguished writer said at the time that he liked it, but it was "naively pedantic."

Plot summary

Situated in Mexico City in the 1960s, its main character, "Gabriel Guía", is a teenager holding a somewhat cynical and disenchanted view of life and himself. He has the usual adventures of a Mexican rebellious teen in the 1960s, told in slang and a direct tone. He knows French, loves the good music (clearly references from Wagner's "Lohengrin" but also Stravinsky, jazz and rock and roll) writes tales and poetry, and makes many references and citations of authors like Arthur Rimbaud and Chekhov, some of his more intellectual friends sharing his interest.