 Alejo Carpentier 's , Reasons of State ( El <unk> del método , 1974 ) , is a synthesis of several historical figures from Latin American , most prominently Gerardo Machado , dictator of Cuba . This fictional character , in his bid to be refined , spends half of his life in Europe , perhaps reminiscent of Sarmiento 's dichotomy of civilization and barbarism . This novel is tragicomic in nature , the only novel by Carpentier to combine elements of both tragedy and comedy . 
