New York Times Writer Criticized for Racist Book Review
also, this bit of a book review in the NYT is just plain racist pic.twitter.com/mmodAw543i
- Ruben Reyes Jr. (@rubenwrites) January 9, 2024
Dwight Garner, a longtime literary critic for The New York Times, reviewed the novel You Dreamed of Empires by Alvaro Enrigue -- and readers are pissed off by his racism. The novel is set in the Aztec empire just before the Spanish conquistadors arrive. It was originally published in Spanish and the English-language translation is receiving a lot of praise. Garner had some issues with the Aztec names, however, writing:
"There are many names in this novel, and they can blur. To American ears, some of the most magnificent -- Ahuitzotl, Xocoyotzin -- sound like elite anti-depressants of the sort that only Sofia Coppola and Bad Bunny can source."
People on social media, especially BookTok, are calling out these microaggressions and are not happy with Garner or the NYT. Not to mention that there is a two-page note to English-language readers that includes a detailed pronunciation guide. There is also a two-page guide of all the characters along with their names. So.
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