Jose Tomas de Cuellar (1830-1894) was a Mexican writer noted for his sharp sense of humour and gift for caricature. "Having a Ball" and "Christmas Eve" are two novellas written in the costumbrista style, made popular in the mid-19th century by the periodical press.

"With this new series by Oxford University Press, the library of Latin America is literally open to North Americans and English speakers everywhere."--Julia Alvarez (on the series) "With the Library of Latin America, Oxford has opened up a new fronteir that may prove as exciting and enigmatic as the continent itself."--The Herald, South Carolina (on the series) "Today's reader will quickly draw parallels to these same issues in modern society and may find the depiction of racial prejudice especially disquieting...highly recommended."Library Journal "The Magic Lantern is a well-constructed comedy of manners, showing de Cuellar to be Mexico's Balzac."--Booklist "Oxford's Library of Latin America series is devoted to bringing the best of Central and South American literature to a North American audience; often these works are being translated into English for the first time....The Magic Lantern is a well-constructed comedy of manners, showing de Cuellar to be Mexico's Balzac."--Booklist "Showing keen insight into the natures of men and women across race and class lines, de Cuellar addresses immorality, the breakdown of traditional family structure, and distorted ideals of female beauty. Today's reader will quickly draw parallels to these same issues in modern society and may find the depiction of racial prejudice especially disquieting....highly recommended..."--Library Journal SERIES QUOTE: "With this new series by Oxford University Press, the library of Latin America is literally open to North Americans and English speakers everywhere."--Julia Alvarez SERIES QUOTE: "With the Library of Latin America, Oxford has opened up a new fronteir that may prove as exciting and enigmatic as the continent itself."--The Herald, South Carolina

Margaret Carson has translated the work of several Spanish writers and won the 1994 Endowment Fund award from the American Literary Translators Association. Margo Glantz is Professor of Literature at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México and is former Director of The Fine Arts Institute of Mexico. She is a well-known literary critic, the award-winning author of several novels, and the first woman to be inducted into the Mexican Academy of Letters.