75 pages • 2 hours read
Before Night Falls
A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Book Brief
336
Autobiography / Memoir • Nonfiction
Cuba • 1950s-1980s
1993
Adult
18+ years
Super Short Summary
Before Night Falls by Reinaldo Arenas follows his journey from a rural Cuban village to his life under Fidel Castro’s oppressive regime, his persecution for homosexuality, eventual escape to America via the Mariel Boatlift, and his struggle with AIDS. The autobiography captures his fight against political repression and his quest for sexual freedom, despite consistent hardships and betrayals. The narrative includes descriptions of anti-gay bigotry, sexual violence, incest, bestiality, and death by suicide.
Dark
Mysterious
Melancholic
Emotional
Contemplative
Reviews & Readership
7,125 ratings
Loved it
Mixed feelings
Not a fan
Review Roundup
Reinaldo Arenas' memoir, Before Night Falls, captivates with its raw, poetic prose and vivid portrayal of life under Castro's regime. Critics praise its unflinching honesty and literary merit, although some note its intense, often harrowing narrative can be overwhelming. Overall, it's lauded for its powerful testament to artistic and personal freedom.
Who Should Read Before Night Falls?
A reader who enjoys Before Night Falls by Reinaldo Arenas is likely captivated by autobiographical accounts of political and sexual oppression. They appreciate poetic prose and the resilience of the human spirit. Fans of The Diary of Anne Frank or Persepolis will find Arenas’s narrative both heart-wrenching and inspiring.
7,125 ratings
Loved it
Mixed feelings
Not a fan
336
Autobiography / Memoir • Nonfiction
Cuba • 1950s-1980s
1993
Adult
18+ years
Continue your reading experience
Subscribe now to unlock the rest of this Study Guide plus our full library, which features expert-written summaries and analyses of 8,000+ additional titles.