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Stephen Connely Benz
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Guatemalan Journey Paperback – March 1, 1996

by Stephen Connely Benz (Author)
3.9 out of 5 stars 9 ratings
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Guatemala draws some half million tourists each year, whose brief visits to the ruins of ancient Maya cities and contemporary highland Maya villages may give them only a partial and folkloric understanding of Guatemalan society. In this vividly written travel narrative, Stephen Connely Benz explores the Guatemala that casual travelers miss, using his encounters with ordinary Guatemalans at the mall, on the streets, at soccer games, and even at the funeral of massacre victims to illuminate the social reality of Guatemala today.

The book opens with an extended section on the capital, Guatemala City, and then moves out to the more remote parts of the country where the Guatemalan Indians predominate. Benz offers us a series of intelligent and sometimes humorous perspectives on Guatemala's political history and the role of the military, the country's environmental degradation, the influence of foreign missionaries, and especially the impact of the United States on Guatemala, from governmental programs to fast food franchises.

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  1. Print length
    224 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    University of Texas Press
  4. Publication date
    March 1, 1996
  5. Dimensions
    6.01 x 0.64 x 8.96 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0292708408
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0274694983
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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Most books on Guatemala concentrate on either the country's nightmarish political situation or its mysterious Maya past, making it difficult for readers to get any clear idea of contemporary daily life. Fulbright scholar Benz spent two years doing such ordinary, day-by-day things as shopping for food, buying a motor scooter and standing in the same administrative lines as ordinary Guatemalans. With his family in tow, he traveled to some of the most remote and unstable parts of the country, watched, listened, and came back with stories a more hard-driven reporter would probably never have taken the time to hear. Benz doesn't flinch from the fact that this is a country where, during massacres of peasants, the opening of a shopping mall hogs the news coverage. He grapples with the hot issues of the influx of foreign missionaries, mass killings and a strangling bureaucracy with the refreshing attitude that he is not an expert but an observer. Unfortunately, the book comes to a rather abrupt end, leaving readers searching for a missing chapter and eager for this astute observer's conclusions about his journey.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"Benz brings the reader face to face with the landscape, the people, and the institutions of Guatemala. I am convinced that his book will appeal to a general audience, to students entering the field of Latin American studies, and even to people planning a trip to that country. His insights into and observations of Guatemalan society are invariably accurate and engaging." (Pablo Medina, author of Exiled Memories: A Cuban Childhood)

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ University of Texas Press; First Edition (March 1, 1996)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 224 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0292708408
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0274694983
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 12 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.01 x 0.64 x 8.96 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    3.9 out of 5 stars 9 ratings

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Stephen Connely Benz

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3.9 out of 5 stars
9 global ratings

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Top reviews from the United States

  • Robert Stoll
    4.0 out of 5 stars Very good book about Guatemalan history and culture
    Reviewed in the United States on June 9, 2002
    Verified Purchase
    For someone who was looking for a good starting point in learing about and understanding the history and culture of Guatemala, I found this book to be an excellent read. The author's journal about his travels throughout Guatemala gave this reader a good understanding of how Guatemala, despite its small size, holds several very distincitive cultures, customs and attitiudes. The book primarily focuses on the various cultures and treatment of indigenous Indian populations throughout Guatemala, which is important in understanding why things are the way they are in the country. There is little focus on middle-class life.
    While the author sometimes lapses into extended periods of criticizing travelers who visit the country (even if it well deserved) I think the book does a very good job of opening the reader up to Guatemalan culture and provides several other reading ideas for those looking to dig deeper into the country.
    22 people found this helpful
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  • John H. Kelly
    4.0 out of 5 stars Clear observations on life in modern Central America
    Reviewed in the United States on August 5, 1999
    Verified Purchase
    Benz' observant eye catches just right the sad and funny contradictions of Guatemala. He writes so clearly and informally that the poignancy of his observations catches you by surprise. The book is an easy read (in quickly-digested themes such as "The City Dump" and "Ladino Attitudes"). Anyone who has lived or traveled in Latin America will, with a groan or a chuckle, recognize Benz' personal anecdotes as typifying the ethos of the place, and learn something new about its history. Best of all, Benz understands he will always just be a gringo, a stranger, no matter how acute his commentary.
    22 people found this helpful
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  • Joseph A. Benintende
    5.0 out of 5 stars Guatemala Journey
    Reviewed in the United States on July 28, 2005
    Verified Purchase
    An extremely insightful book into the life, culture and history of the people of Guatemala. As one who has travelled in Guatemala, it brought back very vivid memories. Easy reading, and wonderful insights into the culture.
    6 people found this helpful
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  • L. Marvin Overby
    4.0 out of 5 stars Good, if a bit dated
    Reviewed in the United States on April 1, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    A good read, though a bit dated. Author is a bit snarky, too, criticizing the motives of virtually all others who go to Guatemala, though not his own.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • Lance Simon
    1.0 out of 5 stars Extremely Racist
    Reviewed in the United States on September 17, 2003
    One of the most racist books I have ever read. Page after page
    the author unrelentingly displays his complete hatred and
    disgust with anyone who is white or mestizo while he endlessly
    praises the perfection of the indigenous population. If you
    agree with this black and white view of the world you will enjoy
    this book. If you feel the real world is even slightly more
    complex, then you will find this book impossible to read.
    16 people found this helpful
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  • Ed
    5.0 out of 5 stars Simple two year tour
    Reviewed in the United States on August 29, 2010
    What I liked about this book is that I feel I could have written a similar book after living for two years in Guatemala. The author makes no attempt to claim that he is an expert on Guatemala just that he lived there for awhile and tried to get a feel for what the country was about. I wish more Americans who go as Fullbright Scholars overseas would write about their experience.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Buys/ReadsALot
    5.0 out of 5 stars precise description of guatemala
    Reviewed in the United States on September 22, 2003
    After having the opportunity to live in Guatemala, and experience the culture, I read 'Guatemalan Journey'. I found it to be an accurate description of life in Guatemala.
    It was well written and interesting. It was amazing how the author captured so many realities of daily life so precisely. He was able to 'bring words to life'.
    If you would like to learn more about Guatemala, the complex culture, the wonderful people, the beautiful country, and the pain they have suffered, and still do in some respects, this is a must read.
    21 people found this helpful
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