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Gringos

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'Gringos' by Charles Portis is a humorous and witty novel that follows the adventures of Jimmy Burns, an ex-Marine living in Mexico, as he navigates through a series of misadventures involving a diverse cast of characters including hippies, archeologists, and UFO enthusiasts. The plot revolves around Jimmy's search for a young man named Rudy Kurle, leading to unexpected encounters and challenges in the Mexican jungle. Portis' writing style is described as clear, insightful, and filled with dry humor, offering a satirical take on American expatriates living in Mexico.

Characters:

The characters, especially Jimmy Burns, are quirky and serve to highlight the absurdity of expatriate life, though they may lack deep development.

Writing/Prose:

The writing is characterized by humor and clarity, blending straightforward narrative with insightful cultural critique.

Plot/Storyline:

The narrative is episodic, focusing on Jimmy Burns's adventures in Mexico while he navigates various quirky characters and situations.

Setting:

Set in Merida, Mexico, the environment captures the expatriate experience and local culture, enhancing the novel's themes.

Pacing:

The pacing is slow and episodic, often reflecting the protagonist's laid-back lifestyle, which may leave some readers wanting more urgency.
CHRISTMAS AGAIN in Yucatán. Another year gone and I was still scratching around on this limestone peninsula. I woke at eight, late for me, wondering where I might find something to eat. Once again the...

Notes:

Gringos was published in 1991 and is written by Charles Portis.
The main character is Jimmy Burns, an American expat living in Mexico.
Jimmy is an ex-Marine and former dealer in stolen pre-Columbian artifacts.
The book features a mix of humor and critical insights about American expatriates in Mexico.
Gringos has a picaresque structure, with Jimmy's adventures serving as episodic vignettes.
Portis's writing style blends wit with realism, making characters like Jimmy relatable and absurdly funny.
The story involves Jimmy's quest to find a young man named Rudy who gets lost during a New Year gathering.
Gringos satirizes the behavior of Americans abroad, highlighting the 'Ugly American Syndrome.'
The book is compared to other Portis works like True Grit, Norwood, and The Dog of the South.
Readers find refreshing both the light-hearted and serious undertones in Portis's narrative.

From The Publisher:

Jimmy Burns is an expatriate American living in Mexico who has an uncommonly astute eye for the absurd little details that comprise your average American.

For a time, Jimmy spent his days unearthing pre-Colombian artifacts. Now he makes a living doing small trucking jobs and helping out with the occasional missing person situation—whatever it takes to remain “the very picture of an American idler in Mexico, right down to the grass-green golfing trousers.†?

But when Jimmy’s laid-back lifestyle is seriously imposed upon by a ninety-pound stalker called Louise, a sudden wave of “hippies†? (led by a murderous ex-con guru) in search of psychic happenings, and a group of archaeologists who are unearthing (illegally) Mayan tombs, his simple South-of-the-Border existence faces a clear and present danger.

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