Kiran Bhat's Reviews > Before Night Falls

One of the most poignant and heartbreaking LGBT memoirs ever written. In sparse and direct prose, Arena tells us of his life growing up in rural Cuba, his discoveries of his sexuality (first with his experience with a prostitute, and then with his fellow students and friends), and then moves us into Castro Cuba. It's a book full of viciousness and truth. The sentences devour you whole, only to spit you out, at least if you've been through similar experiences, and have lived to tell the tale. It's the type of book that is educational for anyone who hasn't had to fight to be themselves, and for anyone who has, it's the type of book that you wish you had written yourself. I read this book almost a decade ago and still remember it. I hope that Arenas' critical reputation continues to grow and improve, along with the passing years.