(from when the world was good)
By Oscar Hijuelos
Returning to the lost world of pre-Castro Cuban music, Hijuelos (The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love) conjures a sugary tale about an ill-fated composer and his unfulfilled love for his star singer. At times the writing has a gossamer beauty, but similar scenes keep recurring and Hijuelos mentions the composer's prodigious manhood every few pages. Mostly, this is an ode to a vanished fairy-tale world of postcard clichés. (HarperCollins, $24.95)
Bottom Line: Familiar tune
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