Holy Place BY Carlos Fuentes

Holy Place
Author: Carlos Fuentes
Published by: E.P. Dutton
Edition: 1972
Pages: 144
Size: 5 inch x 8 inch
Format: Paperback

Holy Place is a chilling, enigmatic work by renowned Mexican writer Carlos Fuentes, whose literary craftsmanship and political insight have earned him global acclaim. In this novella, Fuentes presents a taut, almost surreal narrative that delves into the psychological and emotional terrain of a man caught between reality and the shadows of his past.

The story begins with a traveler arriving at a seemingly quiet, remote inn — the “Holy Place” of the title — where time appears suspended and the people strange yet familiar. As the protagonist’s stay unfolds, the atmosphere thickens with mystery. The narrative twists through layers of memory, suppressed trauma, and existential dread, culminating in a revelation that recasts everything that came before. Fuentes uses this eerie setting to reflect on deeper themes such as mortality, guilt, exile, and redemption.

Written with the lyrical intensity and symbolic power that characterizes Fuentes’s best work, Holy Place merges elements of the Gothic, the allegorical, and the psychological thriller. The language is spare but evocative, creating a claustrophobic tension that mirrors the protagonist’s inner turmoil. This novel also serves as a commentary on the legacy of violence and dislocation in Latin American identity, using the confined space of the inn as a metaphor for the haunting remnants of personal and collective history.

Though only 144 pages, Holy Place contains a richness of meaning and emotional resonance that rewards close reading and reflection. This 1972 edition by E.P. Dutton, sized at a reader-friendly 5 by 8 inches, is ideal for collectors and fans of Latin American literature. Compact in form but immense in impact, this novella showcases Fuentes’s ability to transform the metaphysical into gripping narrative.

• A haunting psychological novella from Carlos Fuentes

• Explores themes of guilt, memory, and the supernatural

• Compact yet richly symbolic storytelling

• Blends literary fiction with Gothic and thriller elements

• Ideal for readers of Latin American and world literature

• 1972 edition, hardcover, 144 pages