Goytisolo continues in Makbara his earlier explorations into the language and structure of the novel, his attacks on traditional bourgeois twentieth-century consumerism and traditionalism. He also adds a stronger emphasis on languages and cultures of the Third World, more specifically Arabic in Morocco. Goytisolo constructs a seemingly asystematic collage of intertextual references. He is a master of equivocation, of multiple meanings, of supreme verbal pyrotechnics. His parodies include sacred texts such as the Bible or profane ones from classical literature to contemporary moguls. His defiant tone reminds one of Baudelaire, of Cernuda, of Voltaire; his ironies of Cervantes, of the Archpriest of Hita, of Fernando de Rojas. Pop culture is also well represented in his text, the references ranging from popular hit songs to Walt Disney movies, and all kinds of advertising extravaganzas.

As usual in Goytisolo, God, Country and Tradition—especially sexual taboos—are strongly castigated. Goytisolo...