Critical theory meets Latin American fiction and poetry in this bold and challenging analysis of literature and literary criticism through post-structuralist analysis. Focusing on a span of Latin American literary and critical production from the 1890s to the 1990s, Bernard McGuirk highlights the confrontation between theory, politics and literature throughout Latin America which has particular resonance for postmodernity. The range of literatures discussed includes, but is not restricted to, writings from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Guatemala, Mexico, Nicaragua and Peru.