In this comprehensive examination of the work of one of the major poets of this century - winner of the 1990 Nobel Prize for Literature and undoubtedly Mexico's most important literary and cultural figure - Jose Quiroga presents a timely analysis of Octavio Paz's writings in light of recent works by and about him. Combining broad erudition with scholarly attention to detail, Quiroga views Paz's work as an open narrative that explores the relationships among the poet, his readers, and his time.