Description
Book SynopsisAnalyzing the conditions under which dehumanizing cruelty came to be used by states and rogue groups in Latin America, Jean Franco argues that acts of extreme cruelty and the ways they are rationalized are defining features of modernity.
Trade Review“Transcending disciplinary genres of literary criticism or political commentary,
Cruel Modernity is sophisticated yet raw, at once history, sociology, cultural analysis, and moral indictment. The result is haunting, elegant, and tough to read if one is not girded to deal with just how awful humans can be to others. . . . In the vast literature about atrocity and holocaust, Jean Franco is one of the few scholars whose prose connects the stories of victims, the artists and writers summoned to represent them, the author, and her reader. Some may find
Cruel Modernity dispiriting. But there is no denying its majestic pathos.” -- Jeremy Adelman * Public Books *
“Franco, an esteemed pioneer in Latin American studies renowned for her erudition, has created a remarkable work. Copious notes accompany each chapter of this outstanding, thoroughly documented opus . . . . A superb book—in fact a classic.” -- F. Colecchia * Choice *
“Impeccably researched and provocative in tone,
Cruel Modernity is a significant addition to contemporary discourses on the brutality of totalitarian states and criminal gangs. Only by better understanding what leads individuals and governments to practise extreme cruelty can we hope to deter future atrocities.” -- Lucy Popescu * TLS *
“A tour de force on its own terms, thanks to its clarity of exposition, its empathy toward the victimized, and its commitment to understand unspeakable crimes.” -- Jorge I. Domínguez * Journal of Interdisciplinary History *
“This is a book as lucid as it is harrowing; it remains clear in its argument even as the extensive, exacting evidence it presents boggles the mind.” -- Marguerite Feitlowitz * The Americas *
“I consider this book as essential reading for all those interested in the field of human rights, especially those interested in the ways in which state terrorism remains too often unpunished. It is also fundamental to all who study Latin America, as I consider this book among the very best in Franco’s multiple writings.” -- Marjorie Agosin * Human Rights Quarterly *
“Although it is a challenge to read the book and to become witness, through its pages, to cruelties from which we wish to turn away, it is precisely because of this that
Cruel Modernity is an important volume destined to become a classic work for both professionals and the general public.” -- Roger Davis * History: Reviews of New Books *
"Jean Franco’s
Cruel Modernity is wide-ranging and theoretically ambitious. . . .
Cruel Modernity is a stunning achievement, brilliant and unflinching. Perhaps its greatest strength is Franco’s relentless pursuit of an ethical response to these acts of violence." -- Molly Geidel * American Quarterly *
Table of ContentsAcknowledgments vii
Introduction 1
1. The "Insignificant Incident" and Its Aftermath 23
2. Alien to Modernity 45
3. Raping the Dead 77
4. Killers, Torturers, Sadists, and Collaborators 93
5. Revolutionary Justice 100
6. Cruel Survival 152
7. Tortured Souls 172
8. The Ghostly Arts 192
9. Apocalypse Now 214
Afterword. Hypocrite Modernity 247
Notes 253
Bibliography 279
Index 297
