Includes bibliographical references (p. 424-433).

Chronology-- Introduction: Fuentes's artistic vision-Mexico as history, myth, and Dream -- Ch. 1. The founding of the latin american novel of the Boom: la region mas transparente -- Ch. 2. A mexican bildungsroman: las buenas conciencias -- Ch. 3. The revolution of 1910 and its aftermath: la muerte de Artemio cruz. -- Ch. 4. Aura: self, double, and the supernatural -- Ch. 5. Morality and double standards: cantar de ciegos. -- Ch. 6. The quest for redemption and the equivocal Narrator: cambio de piel. -- Ch. 7. The cinematic novel of maria felix: zona sagrada. -- Ch. 8. From moctezuma II to Nonoalco in 1968: Todos los Gatos Son Pardos. -- Ch. 9. Cumpleaños: the myth and demythification of Jorge Luis Borges. -- Ch. 10. Terra nostra: the novela totalizante of three worlds.-- Ch. 11. The quest for an autonomous individual and national Identity: la cabeza de la hidra . -- Ch. 12. New world, old world, and the supernatural: una Familia lejana. -- Ch. 13. The death and resurrection of the cinematic Superstar: orquídeasa la luz de la luna -- Ch. 14. Ambrose bierce and pancho villa: gringo viejo. -- Ch. 15. Postmodern Fuentes: indeterminacy and the past as Future: Cristobal Nonato. - Ch. 16 Latin American independence and the new historical Novel: la campaña. -- Ch. 17. Eros and thanatos: diana o la cazadora solitaria. -- Ch. 18. Crossing physical, metaphysical and linguistic Frontiers: la Frontera de Cristal. -- Ch. 19. The feminist response to artemio cruz: los años con Laura Diaz. -- Ch. 20. From the metaphysical to the barbaric: Instinto de Inez -- Conclusion: Beneath the obsidian mask: a vision of openness -- Selected bibliography.