The Mambo Kings Play Songs of LoveThe Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love
Score Classic
What it's about
In 1949, brothers Cesar and Nestor Castillo leave Havana for New York, where they form a mambo band, the Mambo Kings, and reach the height of their fame playing Cuban musicians on an episode of I Love Lucy. Years later, in a seedy hotel in 1980, Cesar, now old and drinking himself to death, listens to their records and remembers everything.
Why it's worth reading
It won the Pulitzer Prize, the first awarded to a Hispanic novelist. It's lush, sensual and sad, full of music.
You'll love it if you liked
The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay
A Visit From the Goon SquadGood to know
It's sexually explicit and long, with dense, flowing prose.
By the numbers
- Readers1 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics83 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller3 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
Why it made the list
Reads as
Moving
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Quick answers
Is The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love worth reading?
Yes. It won the Pulitzer Prize, the first awarded to a Hispanic novelist. It ranks #2,166 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 62.2 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love about?
In 1949, brothers Cesar and Nestor Castillo leave Havana for New York, where they form a mambo band, the Mambo Kings, and reach the height of their fame playing Cuban musicians on an episode of I Love Lucy. Years later, in a seedy hotel in 1980, Cesar, now old and drinking himself to death, listens to their records and remembers everything.
How long does it take to read The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love?
About 10 hours (416 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What awards has The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love won?
Pulitzer Prize for Fiction winner (1990).
What should I read after The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love?
If you liked it, try The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Díaz, The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon or A Visit From the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan.