The Extraordinary Chair of Promotion of Reading José Emilio Pacheco celebrates its 10th anniversary, and to mark this occasion, in coordination with Grupo Planeta, a Literary Route has been organized through the emblematic Roma neighborhood centered around the iconic book 'Las batallas en el desierto' by José Emilio Pacheco. This work, one of the author's most beloved, captures the memory of a changing and complex Mexico, reflecting on love, history, and social changes.
The itinerary begins at the Casa Universitaria del Libro (CASUL) and traverses key locations in the Roma neighborhood that evoke passages from the novel's history and recreate the city's memory. The route will follow to Carlitos' house and visit other sites mentioned in the book, such as the church of Nuestra Señora del Santo Rosario. Before concluding the journey, there will be a stop at Plaza Río de Janeiro, where José Emilio Pacheco develops other stories.
José Emilio Pacheco describes the spaces with warmth and simplicity, allowing readers to transport themselves to another era. This literary route offers the opportunity to reconstruct the novel's settings, where Carlitos reminisces about experiences from his childhood and his first love, Mariana. One can appreciate how the city has changed from Carlitos' childhood to the present.
Within a middle-class family, in an environment of double standards, the novel shows how Carlitos falls in love with his best friend Jim's mother, triggering a story of unrequited love and family conflicts. Additionally, a critique of society and political corruption is found in the plot of the work.
The JEP Route: Las batallas en el desierto is held as part of the celebration activities for the tenth anniversary of the Extraordinary Chair of Reading José Emilio Pacheco by the Directorate of Literature and Promotion of Reading at UNAM. This initiative seeks to bring readers closer to the world created by Pacheco in his work, which portrays Mexico of the last century in a post-war context, reflecting the popular culture and social changes of the time. The novel narrates the story of Carlitos, an 8-year-old boy living in the Roma neighborhood.
