{"product_id":"9780199938988","title":"The Magic Lantern: Having a Ball and Christmas Eve","description":"Jos? Tomas de Cu?llar (1830-1894) was a Mexican writer noted for his sharp sense of humor and gift for caricature. \u003cem\u003eHaving a Ball\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eChristmas Eve\u003c\/em\u003e are two novellas written in the \u003cem\u003ecostumbrista\u003c\/em\u003e style, made popular in the mid-nineteenth century by the periodical press in which these sketches of contemporary manners were first published. The stories are a sensitive reflection of the effects of modernization brought by an authoritarian regime dedicated to order and progress.  \u003cem\u003eChristmas Eve\u003c\/em\u003e describes a volatile middle class in which people pursue pleasure and entertainment without regard to morality. \u003cem\u003eHaving a Ball\u003c\/em\u003e depicts women and their dedication to fashion. It is through them that Cuellar examines a society susceptible to foreign values, the importation of which radically altered the face of Mexico and its traditional customs.","brand":"Oxford University Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47082653810928,"sku":"9780199938988","price":28.49,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/9780199938988_p0.jpg?v=1763673442","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/9780199938988","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}