"This comprehensive study of Monsivais's cronicas is the first book both to offer an analysis of these works and to place Monsivais's work within a theoretical framework that recognizes the importance of his vision of Mexican culture. Linda Egan examines his ideology in relation to theoretical postures in Latin America, the United States, and Europe to cast Monsivais as both a heterodox pioneer and a mainstream spokesman.

She then explores the poetics of the contemporary chronicle in Mexico, reviewing the genre's history and its relation to other narrative forms. Finally, she focuses on the canonical status of Monsivais's work, devoting a chapter to each of his five principal collections."--BOOK JACKET.