Critics say: ***** A special contribution to contporary American literature. ***** An amazing book that will touch your heart.**** A book with poetic imagery and philosophical depth. **** Well written and entertaining, this book...is a saga of true friendship.**** It's a gem.

Can friendship exist in the contemporary world? If so, how? Otherwise, when and how did the friendship die? Did it ever exist? What was it or of what is it composed Is the friendship of today similar to or different from the friendship of the past? How to deal with an unbearable friend? How to handle a friendship when at least one has a Puerto Rican spouse and the other is a loner who seeks the love of the women within his reach or, as the spouse would say, is a serial predator who always seeks to exploit as many women as he can?

This book tells the story of Martin Klein, a Jewish Mexican living in Chicago--his family ties, friendships and love affairs, his artistic endeavors, his travel adventures and misadventures. Centering on the relationship of Klein and his closest friend, Melvin, this combination of stories forms a speical kind of short, fragmentary novel that explores friendship today, as well as the rise of Latino in Chicago and beyond.

Millions of viewers have seen and loved Francois Truffaut's Jules et Jim; now those who read in Spanish many will be able to enjoy Martin and Melvin.

Marc Zimmerman holds a Ph.D. in Comparative Literature and an M.A. in Creative Writing. He is Emeritus Professor of Latin American and Latino Studies at the U. of Illinois at Chicago, and of Hispanic Studies and World Cultures and Literatures at the U. of Houston. Director of LACASA Chicago, he has written and edited over forty books, including several volumes of his Proustian series, "Illusions of Memory" which includes Genesis, Two Ways West, No Light from Heaven, Managua Mon Amour (Nevermore), Sandino on the Border, The Italian Daze, and The Short of it All, as well as Black, Brown and White on the Border.Cover Art: Hector Duarte.