Christopher Unborn

An omniscient fetus of a narrator, conceived to be born on the 500th anniversary of the European discovery of America, tells of a highly diminished (Yucatan has been sold to Club Mediterranee), highly polluted Mexico and, using ``nearly every stylistic device known to modern fictionists,'' observes his parents, uncles, maiden aunts, national leaders, tourists, rock musicians, and recounts outrageous incidents past and present that defy summarization. ``Though witty, erudite and incisive, Fuentes cannot overcome the storytelling obstacle he has willfully set up,'' noted PW. (Oct.)