Gabriel García Márquez’s One Hundred Years of Solitude achieved the status of a classic in the English-reading world because of Rabassa’s translation of it from the Spanish. As one of the preeminent translators of contemporary Spanish- and Portuguese-language literatures, Rabassa has introduced Anglophone readers to the works of numerous Latin American and Luso-Brazilian novelists, so this examination of his ideas and views merits serious attention…One is rewarded with fascinating perspectives on Rabassa’s relationships with his authors, especially Julio Cortázar, author of Hopscotch; the overwhelmingly positive reception of his translations; and his responsibility for knowledge of the Latin American “boom” in the English-speaking world. Also included are an insightful interview with Rabassa and a welcome complete list of Rabassa’s translations, which leaves one in awe of the breadth of his accomplishments. Summing Up: Highly recommended.

—(CHOICE 2011-09-02)

María Constanza Guzmán is associate professor at York University in Toronto, Canada, where she is appointed to the School of Translation, the Department of Hispanic Studies, and the Graduate Program in Humanities.