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Zorro
A swashbuckling adventure story that reveals for the first time how Diego de la Vega became the masked man we all know so well
Born in southern California late in the eighteenth century, Diego de la Vega is a child of two worlds. His father is an aristocratic Spanish military man turned landowner; his mother, a Shoshone warrior. At the age of sixteen, Diego is sent to Spain, a country chafing under the corruption of Napoleonic rule. He soon joins La Justicia, a secret underground resistance movement devoted to helping the powerless and the poor. Between the New World and the Old, the persona of Zorro is formed, a great hero is born, and the legend begins. After many adventures -- duels at dawn, fierce battles with pirates at sea, and impossible rescues -- Diego de la Vega, a.k.a. Zorro, returns to America to reclaim the hacienda on which he was raised and to seek justice for all who cannot fight for it themselves.
Born in southern California late in the eighteenth century, Diego de la Vega is a child of two worlds. His father is an aristocratic Spanish military man turned landowner; his mother, a Shoshone warrior. At the age of sixteen, Diego is sent to Spain, a country chafing under the corruption of Napoleonic rule. He soon joins La Justicia, a secret underground resistance movement devoted to helping the powerless and the poor. Between the New World and the Old, the persona of Zorro is formed, a great hero is born, and the legend begins. After many adventures -- duels at dawn, fierce battles with pirates at sea, and impossible rescues -- Diego de la Vega, a.k.a. Zorro, returns to America to reclaim the hacienda on which he was raised and to seek justice for all who cannot fight for it themselves.
688 pages, Paperback
First published May 3, 2005
About the author
Isabel Allende
195 books40.6k followersIsabel Allende Llona is a Chilean-American novelist. Allende, who writes in the "magic realism" tradition, is considered one of the first successful women novelists in Latin America. She has written novels based in part on her own experiences, often focusing on the experiences of women, weaving myth and realism together. She has lectured and done extensive book tours and has taught literature at several US colleges. She currently resides in California with her husband. Allende adopted U.S. citizenship in 2003.
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May 2, 2022
El Zorro = Zorro, Isabel Allende
Zorro is a 2005 novel by Chilean author Isabel Allende. Its subject is the pulp hero Diego de la Vega, better known as El Zorro (The Fox), who was featured in an early 20th-century novel.
Allende's story is split into six parts, each part dealing with one stage of Diego de la Vega's life, with the last part serving as the epilogue. The novel chronicles Diego's upbringing as well as the origins of his Zorro alter ego. He goes to America to find his dream.
تاریخ نخستین خوانش: روز پانزدهم ماه آگوست سال2007میلادی
عنوان: زورو؛ نویسنده: ایزابل آلنده؛ مترجم: محمدعلی مهمان نوازان؛ تهران، انتشارات مروارید؛ سال نشر سال1385؛ در421صفحه؛ موضوع داستانهای نویسندگان شیلی - سده21م
دیگو دلاوگا، در «کالیفرنیای» جنوبی، در سالهای پایانی سده ی هجدهم میلادی، به دنیا آمد، او فرزند دو دنیای دیگرگونه است: پدرش، یک نظامی «اسپانیایی» اشرافی است، که املاک بسیاری دارد، و مادرش: جنگجویی بومی است؛ «دیگو» در شانزده سالگی، به «اسپانیا» فرستاده میشود، کشوری که به خاطر فساد حکومت ناپلئونی، در وضع بدی قرار دارد؛ او خیلی زود به گروه «عدالت» میپیوندد: یک جنبش پایدار زیرزمینی که به یاری افراد ناتوان، و نادار میشتابد و به آنها یاری میکند؛ بین دنیای کهن و دنیای تازه، کاراکتر «زورو (روباه)» شکل میگیرد؛ قهرمانی بزرگوار پا به میدان میگذارد، و افسانه ای شگفت آغاز میشود
نقل از متن: (او دریافت که آنها که بیشتر حرف میزنند، کمتر عمل میکنند، خودستایی نشانه ی افراد نادان است و چاپلوسان، معمولا بدجنس هستند؛ آیا واقعا باور دارید که زندگی منصفانه است آقای دلاوگا؟؛ نه استاد، اما میخواهم هر کاری را که در توانم هست، انجام دهم تا آن را منصفانه کنم.؛ عشق، شرایطی است که بر منطق افراد سایه میافکند، اما کشنده نیست؛ معمولا تمام چیزی که بیمار نیاز دارد این است که عشقش دوطرفه باشد، و سپس، از آن بیرون میجهد و شروع میکند به بو کشیدن هوا برای یافتن طعمه ی جدید)؛ پایان نقل
تاریخ بهنگام رسانی 10/05/1399هجری خورشیدی؛ 11/02/1401هجری خورشیدی؛ ا. شربیانی
Zorro is a 2005 novel by Chilean author Isabel Allende. Its subject is the pulp hero Diego de la Vega, better known as El Zorro (The Fox), who was featured in an early 20th-century novel.
Allende's story is split into six parts, each part dealing with one stage of Diego de la Vega's life, with the last part serving as the epilogue. The novel chronicles Diego's upbringing as well as the origins of his Zorro alter ego. He goes to America to find his dream.
تاریخ نخستین خوانش: روز پانزدهم ماه آگوست سال2007میلادی
عنوان: زورو؛ نویسنده: ایزابل آلنده؛ مترجم: محمدعلی مهمان نوازان؛ تهران، انتشارات مروارید؛ سال نشر سال1385؛ در421صفحه؛ موضوع داستانهای نویسندگان شیلی - سده21م
دیگو دلاوگا، در «کالیفرنیای» جنوبی، در سالهای پایانی سده ی هجدهم میلادی، به دنیا آمد، او فرزند دو دنیای دیگرگونه است: پدرش، یک نظامی «اسپانیایی» اشرافی است، که املاک بسیاری دارد، و مادرش: جنگجویی بومی است؛ «دیگو» در شانزده سالگی، به «اسپانیا» فرستاده میشود، کشوری که به خاطر فساد حکومت ناپلئونی، در وضع بدی قرار دارد؛ او خیلی زود به گروه «عدالت» میپیوندد: یک جنبش پایدار زیرزمینی که به یاری افراد ناتوان، و نادار میشتابد و به آنها یاری میکند؛ بین دنیای کهن و دنیای تازه، کاراکتر «زورو (روباه)» شکل میگیرد؛ قهرمانی بزرگوار پا به میدان میگذارد، و افسانه ای شگفت آغاز میشود
نقل از متن: (او دریافت که آنها که بیشتر حرف میزنند، کمتر عمل میکنند، خودستایی نشانه ی افراد نادان است و چاپلوسان، معمولا بدجنس هستند؛ آیا واقعا باور دارید که زندگی منصفانه است آقای دلاوگا؟؛ نه استاد، اما میخواهم هر کاری را که در توانم هست، انجام دهم تا آن را منصفانه کنم.؛ عشق، شرایطی است که بر منطق افراد سایه میافکند، اما کشنده نیست؛ معمولا تمام چیزی که بیمار نیاز دارد این است که عشقش دوطرفه باشد، و سپس، از آن بیرون میجهد و شروع میکند به بو کشیدن هوا برای یافتن طعمه ی جدید)؛ پایان نقل
تاریخ بهنگام رسانی 10/05/1399هجری خورشیدی؛ 11/02/1401هجری خورشیدی؛ ا. شربیانی
August 16, 2020
عالم من السحر والجمال في روايات ايزابيل الليندي
في سرد ممتع تحكي قصة زورو البطل المُقنع المُدافع عن الحق والعدالة
حياة دييجو دِ لابجا بدءا من مولده من أب أسباني ارستقراطي وأم هندية
وحتى تحوُله إلى الثعلب زورو المُناصر للضعفاء والمظلومين
ألاعيب الطفولة ومغامرات الشباب, المخاطر والسفر والتجارب, الصداقة والحب
وتعرض ملامح التاريخ من نهاية القرن الثامن عشر لمنتصف القرن التاسع عشر
المستعمرات الأسبانية في امريكا وقسوة واستغلال المستعمرين للبشر والأرض
البعثات الدينية وظروف معيشة الهنود أصحاب الأرض الأصليين وثقافتهم المتوارثة
احتلال أسبانيا زمن نابليون بونابرت, محاكم التفتيش واضطهاد وقمع الطوائف المختلفة
ايزابيل الليندي مبدعة في ابتكار الشخصيات ومسارات حياتهم ومصائرهم
أسلوب مشوق في رواية تحكي الواقع من خلال واحدة من أشهر الأساطير في العالم
في سرد ممتع تحكي قصة زورو البطل المُقنع المُدافع عن الحق والعدالة
حياة دييجو دِ لابجا بدءا من مولده من أب أسباني ارستقراطي وأم هندية
وحتى تحوُله إلى الثعلب زورو المُناصر للضعفاء والمظلومين
ألاعيب الطفولة ومغامرات الشباب, المخاطر والسفر والتجارب, الصداقة والحب
وتعرض ملامح التاريخ من نهاية القرن الثامن عشر لمنتصف القرن التاسع عشر
المستعمرات الأسبانية في امريكا وقسوة واستغلال المستعمرين للبشر والأرض
البعثات الدينية وظروف معيشة الهنود أصحاب الأرض الأصليين وثقافتهم المتوارثة
احتلال أسبانيا زمن نابليون بونابرت, محاكم التفتيش واضطهاد وقمع الطوائف المختلفة
ايزابيل الليندي مبدعة في ابتكار الشخصيات ومسارات حياتهم ومصائرهم
أسلوب مشوق في رواية تحكي الواقع من خلال واحدة من أشهر الأساطير في العالم
April 27, 2024
We've all seen at least one episode of the famous Zorro TV series and laughed at the multiple face-to-face meetings between the masked vigilante and Sergeant Garcia. I've become grateful to Zorro because of that. In this novel, the author offers us the biography of Diego de la Vega, alias Zorro, who was born in California at the end of the 18th century. He fights corruption to bring about a just justice without any form of enslavement, thanks to his talent for wielding the sword and the support of his faithful Bernardo.
April 3, 2020
The Perennial Saviour
An ancient people has been conquered by a foreign empire. Now subject to the arbitrary justice of the imperial representative, the locals are being pressured to abandon their religion and worship the god of the invaders. Among them a man of nobel lineage takes a wife. Together this man and woman produce a son who is devoted to truth and justice, a righter of wrongs, a saviour... a messiah. Sound familiar?
Well there are certainly many elements of the Christian myth. But Batman, his sidekick, and their cave is also in the picture. What child could resist? Add the background of the magical land of California when it was still Spanish and the romantic density is overwhelming. The Prisoner of Zenda, another favourite at age 10, fascinated for the same reasons - exotic location, noble heritage gone wrong, the possibility for justice in a fallen world.
So as a YA adventure novel, Allende’s Zorro is top notch. But if you’re already fully cooked emotionally speaking, and not into nostalgia, there’s not much there. Magnificent cover, however.
An ancient people has been conquered by a foreign empire. Now subject to the arbitrary justice of the imperial representative, the locals are being pressured to abandon their religion and worship the god of the invaders. Among them a man of nobel lineage takes a wife. Together this man and woman produce a son who is devoted to truth and justice, a righter of wrongs, a saviour... a messiah. Sound familiar?
Well there are certainly many elements of the Christian myth. But Batman, his sidekick, and their cave is also in the picture. What child could resist? Add the background of the magical land of California when it was still Spanish and the romantic density is overwhelming. The Prisoner of Zenda, another favourite at age 10, fascinated for the same reasons - exotic location, noble heritage gone wrong, the possibility for justice in a fallen world.
So as a YA adventure novel, Allende’s Zorro is top notch. But if you’re already fully cooked emotionally speaking, and not into nostalgia, there’s not much there. Magnificent cover, however.
January 31, 2022
In the year of 1795, in the coastal town of Alta California, a boy is born. He is named Diego de la Vega, who later becomes a great hero under the legendary name of Zorro.
His father is of an aristocratic blood, a Spanish military man, who teaches Diego fencing. The mother is of Indian blood and a warrior, who teaches Diego her own tongue. His grandmother fills his head with myths and legends of her people, and teaches Diego to fight and hunt. The continuous mistreatment of Indians is edged into Diego’s memory, determining the course of his life. At the age of fifteen, Diego sails to Barcelona to further his education, and where he also masters fencing.
This story is vividly textured with period details for which this author is known, and for the richly layered characters. It is set during a time of setting missions in California conflicting with natives and contrasting with the turbulent time of Napoleonic wars in Europe. The character of Diego and what he stands for is noble. However, I found the writing tedious. There are a lot of single day events descriptions that are stagnant, not moving the story forward.
His father is of an aristocratic blood, a Spanish military man, who teaches Diego fencing. The mother is of Indian blood and a warrior, who teaches Diego her own tongue. His grandmother fills his head with myths and legends of her people, and teaches Diego to fight and hunt. The continuous mistreatment of Indians is edged into Diego’s memory, determining the course of his life. At the age of fifteen, Diego sails to Barcelona to further his education, and where he also masters fencing.
This story is vividly textured with period details for which this author is known, and for the richly layered characters. It is set during a time of setting missions in California conflicting with natives and contrasting with the turbulent time of Napoleonic wars in Europe. The character of Diego and what he stands for is noble. However, I found the writing tedious. There are a lot of single day events descriptions that are stagnant, not moving the story forward.
October 1, 2016
Is it fair to give only 3 stars to such an exceptionally talented writer as Allende? In my defense, I have to say that my judgement only applies to this particular novel. Otherwise, I am very much a fan of her work and in my eyes she will always be five star writer. As you might guess by my marking, this is my least favourite novel by Isabel Allende.
I'll get straight to the point. It just doesn't seem to flow as effortlessly and naturally as her other novels. I'm assuming that it is because here, Allende had to face certain restrictions. She couldn't let her imagination run completely free because she had to adapt it to the legend of Zorro. True enough, she gave this story her flare. Nevertheless, it didn't feel fundamentally Allende, I didn't get the same feeling I got while reading her other works.
It it is still a good book. It is imaginative, it is lyrical and it is beautiful. However, I think she is one of those authors that works best starting from a blank page. I’m not saying that it was a bad decision on her part to write this one. I don’t regret reading it, so it could be said I’m actually satisfied that she was brave enough to tackle the Zorro legend and tried to make it dance to her beat. The way Allende vowed her story around the legend of Zorro is very interesting, but that all being said, I just don’t think this is her best work.
The whole concept of the book is pretty cool- inhaling new life into this hero. I was looking forward to reading this one. Moreover, Allende certainly did shad a fascinating light on this legend. In some ways her portrayal does adds some depth to Zorro. She makes him come to life. Nevertheless, Allende achieves this more by filling in information and vibe around him, than by really developing the Zorro himself. I have to say, that having read this novel, Zorro remained an enigma for me. Not in a way that Lord Jim did, because here I didn’t have a feeling that it was intentional. For example, in Conrad’s Lord Jim, the protagonist retains a sense of mystery about him. You’re never completely sure who he is, but in the context of the novel, it makes perfect sense.
In this case, I didn’t have a feeling that Zorro was supposed to remain a mystery, here it seems more like a weakness in the story telling. While I was reading this novel, I felt like Zorro was restricting Allende. She was getting on, doing her thing, working her magic, but this larger than life character, would somehow disrupt her incantations and cause her magic to retreat. What am I trying to say? Perhaps simply, that my opinion is such: it's a good novel, but it has its flaws.
As I explained, the main problem I had with this book was the protagonist. I just don't think he was portrayed that well, he remained a bit one dimensional. He is supposed to be the centre of the novel, but it doesn’t feel like it. I did like the story created around him and I already alluded to that. Trust to Allende to develop a great family saga anytime and anywhere. I liked how Allende made Zorro biracial, that added a new layer to his personality and made him, somehow, even more quintessentially South American. That whole concept of his mixed origin was extremely interesting, but it wasn’t enough for me, as a reader, to get into his character. Something was missing.
Actually, it is the Zorro's mother and grandmother that, as characters, impressed me the most and those two have certainly got stuck in my memory. The other characters that caught my attention were the friar at the start of the novel and Zorro’s best friend. Another thing that surprised me is how often he, the Zorro's best friend, takes attention from Zorro himself. I know Allende meant to make the Zorro more human, but she needn’t have made him so depended on others. Is it good to have a hero that's not really sympathetic although he is in the focus of the story? Zorro was often – well I have to say it- lame. It is not that he was an anti-hero, he just didn’t seem very proactive or interesting. I think that is probably what bothered me the most. Could it be that Allende writes best when she centres her stories around female characters? I would have loved to read more even about Zorro’s mother and grandmother. Speaking of female characters, Zorro’s love interest is a well written female character, but she also takes the spot light from him and they don't really interact well together.
I really enjoyed the first part of the novel and while the second part left me a bit confused, I can’t say that I minded terribly the process of reading it. At times I felt that the story was getting out of hand, but if I will be honest, I can’t really say that I minded all the digressions and the parallel story telling. Allende certainly employed the magic realism well enough in this one as well. It is just that I lacked a sense of groundless. My personal opinion is that the novel would be better if it was told from perspective of a woman, or even if it was titled differently. With the Zorro title, we’re expecting it to be about Zorro and learning that is not really about him when you’re half a way into novel is confusing. Everything is centred around Zorro ( the narrative, the plot, the characters) yet he proves to be elusive and not in the pyschologal/phylosophical way that Dorian Gray or Lord Jim are, it is more like she is not sure what to do with him.
So, Zorro is not the novel's strongest point. Still, there are many things I liked in this novel. Here are some of the novel's perks that I particulary enjoyed:
-an interesting introduction into Indian culture
- the well-played dynamics of the relationship between Zorro's parents
- personal relationships reflecting the relationship between the natives and the Spanish
- the fascinating story of Zorro growing up
- many wonderful stories parallel to the main narrative
- a large cast of interesting characters.
The idea of Zorro's being torn between cultures is quite exceptional if you ask me. In many ways, its potential was fulfilled. I did enjoy reading this novel, yet I must admit there were times when my attention wandered. Maybe because of the fact that a lot of things that happen didn't seem very plausible, but this one didn’t keep me glue to its pages, not in the way other Allende’s novels have.
The novel has many things going for it, for instance, there are plenty of funny moments in the story and I quite enjoyed those. Certainly, there's a sense of humour in the novel. Perhaps I’m too harsh in my reflections upon Zorro. Perhaps the author did mean for him to be in the background, maybe the moral of the story is that everyone is a hero.
I can understand why perhaps Allende wanted to make the story less about Zorro and more about people. That being said, as the story progressed I kept losing my interest because of the way the story was composed. The narrative is structured around Zorro and if he as character isn’t interesting, what is there to keep our interest? Yes, there are other stories and other character, but we still need something to hold it all together. As the novel progressed, it continued to be filled with actions and events. Even if here was enough going on to grab my attention, there certainly wasn’t enough going on to make me emotionally involved in the story. Yes, there were some good episodes, but that's about it until the end of the novel.
To conclude, I would recommend this novel to Allende's fans because I think there is enough of 'her' in it to be enjoyable. The writing in this one is pretty decent, all of its flaws set aside. On the other hand, if you haven't read anything by Allende, don't pick up this one, because it is not her finest hour, if you know what I mean. Instead, pick up The House of Spirits, Of Love and Shadows, or Daughter of Fortune, any of those should be able to blow your mind away. Not this one I'm afraid! This one is a case of a good novel that didn't quite live up to its potentional.
I'll get straight to the point. It just doesn't seem to flow as effortlessly and naturally as her other novels. I'm assuming that it is because here, Allende had to face certain restrictions. She couldn't let her imagination run completely free because she had to adapt it to the legend of Zorro. True enough, she gave this story her flare. Nevertheless, it didn't feel fundamentally Allende, I didn't get the same feeling I got while reading her other works.
It it is still a good book. It is imaginative, it is lyrical and it is beautiful. However, I think she is one of those authors that works best starting from a blank page. I’m not saying that it was a bad decision on her part to write this one. I don’t regret reading it, so it could be said I’m actually satisfied that she was brave enough to tackle the Zorro legend and tried to make it dance to her beat. The way Allende vowed her story around the legend of Zorro is very interesting, but that all being said, I just don’t think this is her best work.
The whole concept of the book is pretty cool- inhaling new life into this hero. I was looking forward to reading this one. Moreover, Allende certainly did shad a fascinating light on this legend. In some ways her portrayal does adds some depth to Zorro. She makes him come to life. Nevertheless, Allende achieves this more by filling in information and vibe around him, than by really developing the Zorro himself. I have to say, that having read this novel, Zorro remained an enigma for me. Not in a way that Lord Jim did, because here I didn’t have a feeling that it was intentional. For example, in Conrad’s Lord Jim, the protagonist retains a sense of mystery about him. You’re never completely sure who he is, but in the context of the novel, it makes perfect sense.
In this case, I didn’t have a feeling that Zorro was supposed to remain a mystery, here it seems more like a weakness in the story telling. While I was reading this novel, I felt like Zorro was restricting Allende. She was getting on, doing her thing, working her magic, but this larger than life character, would somehow disrupt her incantations and cause her magic to retreat. What am I trying to say? Perhaps simply, that my opinion is such: it's a good novel, but it has its flaws.
As I explained, the main problem I had with this book was the protagonist. I just don't think he was portrayed that well, he remained a bit one dimensional. He is supposed to be the centre of the novel, but it doesn’t feel like it. I did like the story created around him and I already alluded to that. Trust to Allende to develop a great family saga anytime and anywhere. I liked how Allende made Zorro biracial, that added a new layer to his personality and made him, somehow, even more quintessentially South American. That whole concept of his mixed origin was extremely interesting, but it wasn’t enough for me, as a reader, to get into his character. Something was missing.
Actually, it is the Zorro's mother and grandmother that, as characters, impressed me the most and those two have certainly got stuck in my memory. The other characters that caught my attention were the friar at the start of the novel and Zorro’s best friend. Another thing that surprised me is how often he, the Zorro's best friend, takes attention from Zorro himself. I know Allende meant to make the Zorro more human, but she needn’t have made him so depended on others. Is it good to have a hero that's not really sympathetic although he is in the focus of the story? Zorro was often – well I have to say it- lame. It is not that he was an anti-hero, he just didn’t seem very proactive or interesting. I think that is probably what bothered me the most. Could it be that Allende writes best when she centres her stories around female characters? I would have loved to read more even about Zorro’s mother and grandmother. Speaking of female characters, Zorro’s love interest is a well written female character, but she also takes the spot light from him and they don't really interact well together.
I really enjoyed the first part of the novel and while the second part left me a bit confused, I can’t say that I minded terribly the process of reading it. At times I felt that the story was getting out of hand, but if I will be honest, I can’t really say that I minded all the digressions and the parallel story telling. Allende certainly employed the magic realism well enough in this one as well. It is just that I lacked a sense of groundless. My personal opinion is that the novel would be better if it was told from perspective of a woman, or even if it was titled differently. With the Zorro title, we’re expecting it to be about Zorro and learning that is not really about him when you’re half a way into novel is confusing. Everything is centred around Zorro ( the narrative, the plot, the characters) yet he proves to be elusive and not in the pyschologal/phylosophical way that Dorian Gray or Lord Jim are, it is more like she is not sure what to do with him.
So, Zorro is not the novel's strongest point. Still, there are many things I liked in this novel. Here are some of the novel's perks that I particulary enjoyed:
-an interesting introduction into Indian culture
- the well-played dynamics of the relationship between Zorro's parents
- personal relationships reflecting the relationship between the natives and the Spanish
- the fascinating story of Zorro growing up
- many wonderful stories parallel to the main narrative
- a large cast of interesting characters.
The idea of Zorro's being torn between cultures is quite exceptional if you ask me. In many ways, its potential was fulfilled. I did enjoy reading this novel, yet I must admit there were times when my attention wandered. Maybe because of the fact that a lot of things that happen didn't seem very plausible, but this one didn’t keep me glue to its pages, not in the way other Allende’s novels have.
The novel has many things going for it, for instance, there are plenty of funny moments in the story and I quite enjoyed those. Certainly, there's a sense of humour in the novel. Perhaps I’m too harsh in my reflections upon Zorro. Perhaps the author did mean for him to be in the background, maybe the moral of the story is that everyone is a hero.
I can understand why perhaps Allende wanted to make the story less about Zorro and more about people. That being said, as the story progressed I kept losing my interest because of the way the story was composed. The narrative is structured around Zorro and if he as character isn’t interesting, what is there to keep our interest? Yes, there are other stories and other character, but we still need something to hold it all together. As the novel progressed, it continued to be filled with actions and events. Even if here was enough going on to grab my attention, there certainly wasn’t enough going on to make me emotionally involved in the story. Yes, there were some good episodes, but that's about it until the end of the novel.
To conclude, I would recommend this novel to Allende's fans because I think there is enough of 'her' in it to be enjoyable. The writing in this one is pretty decent, all of its flaws set aside. On the other hand, if you haven't read anything by Allende, don't pick up this one, because it is not her finest hour, if you know what I mean. Instead, pick up The House of Spirits, Of Love and Shadows, or Daughter of Fortune, any of those should be able to blow your mind away. Not this one I'm afraid! This one is a case of a good novel that didn't quite live up to its potentional.
July 14, 2019
Si no lo hubiera escrito Isabel... jamás hubiera considerado siquiera acercarme a una historia sobre el tan famoso Zorro. Nunca me llamó la atención en lo más mínimo. Recuerdo que cuando chico me enganchaba con algún capitulo de la serie, pero nada más. Sin embargo, en este libro Isabel crea unos personajes sólidos y los hace vivir aventuras geniales. Es una maldita maravilla! Acá, entre nos, el arco de Juliana no me gustó como terminó, pero se lo perdono a la autora. Eso no opacó para nada la genialidad del libro en su totalidad!
January 3, 2014
When Magical Realism Met Superheroes
Talk about an origin story.
If it were not for being Zorro’s story, this would be considered quite classy literature. Maybe it still is? I am not familiar with the critical reception.
It is finely detailed and expertly constructed, weaving history and legend seamlessly. Allende almost pulls it off, but the awareness of the ending seeps into the rest of the book, spoiling all the better moments. It might be an unavoidable thing and Allende deserves praise not blame for the attempt, but still… the awareness of a type of ‘non-literature’ keeps intruding into the reading experience, trivializing it in so many subtle ways.
It is interesting to note how a "humanization" process is increasingly present in the recent wave of blockbusters about super heroes (Spiderman, Batman, now the entire Marvel universe). Critics, as Zizek says, rave about how these films move beyond the original flat comic-book characters and dwell in detail over the uncertainties, weaknesses, doubts, fears and anxieties of the supernatural hero, his struggle with his inner demons, his confrontation with his own dark side, and so forth, as if all this makes the commercial super-production somehow more “artistic.’
In real life, this humanization process undoubtedly reached its apogee in a recent North Korean press release which reported that, at the opening game on the country's first golf course, the beloved president Kim Jong-II excelled, finishing the entire game of 18 holes in 19 strikes. One can well imagine the reasoning of the propaganda bureaucrat: nobody was going to believe that Kim had managed a hole in-one every time, so, to make things realistic, let us concede that, just once, he needed two strikes to succeed.
The thing with origin stories though, is that everything in it will be understood from a reference point of the future; and hence it cannot escape cliches - if not in the telling, then in the understanding. The ‘why’ of the origin makes this inescapable as all events have a tendency to be connected to one event - the classic ‘all roads leading to Rome’, a sort of prophesy-fulfillment type of plot. This becomes quickly the worst sort of genre-plotting, anathema to ‘literary readers’ who need greater subtlety.
Of course this applies to biographies too, but they have the saving grace of being at least true-by-assertion. But origin stories, or fictional biographies for that matter with a known end point become unavoidably contrived. Allende does her best, but cannot sidestep her readers in the end.
Anyway, to the finely tuned fan, this is a new sort of delightful Magical Realism - as applied to superheroes, for chrisssakes!
What I want next is a Batman written by Pynchon.
January 22, 2012
I have been "reading" this book for almost a year and I'm still only halfway through it so the likelihood that I'm going to finish it are diminishing by the moment.
I love the idea of this book. The story of Zorro from his childhood? Wow, what's not to like? Except the story is "told" rather than "shown." There are paragraphs that take up full pages (in a *trade* paperback no less) and pages and pages between bits of dialog. This is ungodly slow reading. How anyone can take a swashbuckling hero like Zorro and make him dull is beyond my imagining. Except I don't have to imagine it. I've seen it. Right here.
I love the idea of this book. The story of Zorro from his childhood? Wow, what's not to like? Except the story is "told" rather than "shown." There are paragraphs that take up full pages (in a *trade* paperback no less) and pages and pages between bits of dialog. This is ungodly slow reading. How anyone can take a swashbuckling hero like Zorro and make him dull is beyond my imagining. Except I don't have to imagine it. I've seen it. Right here.
August 28, 2010
It takes a certain kind of skill to write a boring book about a character like Zorro, and apparently, Isabel Allende possesses such. It also takes a certain brashness to pronounce your protagonist as "fun" in the first paragraph--and several times following that--and then fail to produce any real evidence of it.
I was excited about the prospect of this book--a great pulp hero like Zorro in the hands of someone with Allende's lit cred? It'd have to be great, right?
It took maybe 20-30 pages to disabuse me of that idea. Allende's narrator sets out to tell the origins of Zorro--starting with events years before his parents met, and then proceeds at the pace (and in a style) fit for a medium-sized biography. We're less than 60 pages from the end before a 20-something Don Diego de la Vega returns from Spain to California and begins his career as America's first superhero in earnest. This would be something like making the audience sit through 90 minutes of Aaron Smolinski and Jeff East working on the farm with Glenn Ford and Phyllis Thaxter before Christopher Reeve catches Margot Kidder and the helicopter (and then foils Lex Luthor's big nuclear missile into the San Andreas fault/real estate scam in 15 minutes).
Again, it read like a biography, and an unimaginatively written one at that. He did this and then he did that. He was this adjective, and was that often. Over and over and over--no showing, plenty of telling. For a couple of paragraphs on either side of a section of his life/escapades, the narrator would break in with a little commentary and bordered on developing an engaging voice, but that would disappear within a page. It had to be the slowest 390 page book I've read in years--I kept at it, waiting for her to pull it around once the setup was finished. What a mistake. Save yourself from following in my footsteps.
I was excited about the prospect of this book--a great pulp hero like Zorro in the hands of someone with Allende's lit cred? It'd have to be great, right?
It took maybe 20-30 pages to disabuse me of that idea. Allende's narrator sets out to tell the origins of Zorro--starting with events years before his parents met, and then proceeds at the pace (and in a style) fit for a medium-sized biography. We're less than 60 pages from the end before a 20-something Don Diego de la Vega returns from Spain to California and begins his career as America's first superhero in earnest. This would be something like making the audience sit through 90 minutes of Aaron Smolinski and Jeff East working on the farm with Glenn Ford and Phyllis Thaxter before Christopher Reeve catches Margot Kidder and the helicopter (and then foils Lex Luthor's big nuclear missile into the San Andreas fault/real estate scam in 15 minutes).
Again, it read like a biography, and an unimaginatively written one at that. He did this and then he did that. He was this adjective, and was that often. Over and over and over--no showing, plenty of telling. For a couple of paragraphs on either side of a section of his life/escapades, the narrator would break in with a little commentary and bordered on developing an engaging voice, but that would disappear within a page. It had to be the slowest 390 page book I've read in years--I kept at it, waiting for her to pull it around once the setup was finished. What a mistake. Save yourself from following in my footsteps.
June 2, 2024
Welcome, summer. I know it is not officially summer for another few weeks, but I will always view the time between Memorial Day and Labor Day as the summer season, the best season of the year. This is time for relaxed days, baseball, and late nights reading, and, yes, I viewed summer as such long before I turned to teaching. Before the last day of school, I selected my June books carefully, books that I had wanted to read for ages but had no time or passed over them in lieu of easy reading. Who better than to start my summer than Isabel Allende. I have been reading Allende’s books for over thirty years. In her prime, she merited being one of the best storytellers to come out of Latin America. At her best when describing Chile or turning to her personal brand of magical realism, Allende began my love of Latinx culture that is still going strong. Zorro is not set in Chile nor does it contain much magical realism; however, it is an action adventure story written to be read in the summer months when the spirit of adventure is high. It is with such a book that I began my summer reading.
California has been Allende’s home for a good portion of her life. In reading her memoirs, I learned of her writing process to discover that she desired to learn about the legends in her adopted homeland. Allende has noted that California is similar to Chile in terrain so she has been able to write about the state with gusto. Her familiarity and love for the area began with Daughter of Fortune, a favorite of mine, and has played a role in subsequent novels. When Allende begins formulating ideas for new books, always on January 8, one year the idea that crept into her head was the legend of Zorro. The masked man has been around in American imaginations for decades, and has been visualized for as long as there have been radio and television programs featuring the hero. My husband grew up in Central America, and he heard of Zorro as well; the man was obviously a Hispanic and a hero to the entire region. Yet who was Zorro in terms of historical context? While at her best, Allende’s historical fiction rivals that of any writer, and she desired to tell the story of Zorro in terms of the history of California long before it became a state. This is a California owned by Spain prior to Mexican independence, the age of missions and haciendas, and a symbiotic relationship with native Americans. This is the land that Zorro grew up in.
Allende decided to formulate Zorro’s story in terms of a hero’s odyssey. From the first page, she employed a chronicler to tell his story, and, even though it is clear that Zorro is the main protagonist, the narrative is told in third person. I could picture a narrator telling this tale at a California mountain campfire long after Zorro’s swashbuckling days had ended. The stage had been set and tone reeled me in. Born in California to a Spanish father and native mother, Diego de la Vega was the only son and heir to the de la Vega hacienda. His father governed the Pueblo de Los Angeles, then a town of four streets, and was a respected and wealthy man. One day, the hacienda would belong to Diego and he was expected to carry on his father’s small empire. Although indigenous peoples were not considered the equal of whites, Diego’s best friend was his milk brother Bernardo, the son of the de la Vega’s servant Ana. The two grew up together and went on childhood adventures that involved capturing a grown bear and undergoing the trials of Diego’s mother’s tribe. Toypurnia had been a warrior and her mother White Flame a medicine woman and respected leader. These women had as much of a role in Diego’s upbringing as did his father Alejandro, who enrolled his son in school and trained him in the rudiments of fencing. At age fifteen, the first portion of his education complete, Diego de la Vega sailed to Barcelona, an old, mythical city, to complete his training.
Although the story of Zorro is considered historical fiction by many, I would categorize it more as an action adventure story. The best nonfiction reads like a story, and Zorro’s is a page turner. Hollywood has turned Zorro into a crusader for justice, and that is exactly who the Zorro in these pages is. Along with his friends, he becomes a champion of prisoners, slaves, and persecuted peoples. Not exactly Robin Hood because Zorro did not always have money from the rich to give to the poor, Zorro cared more about winning peoples’ freedom. He had a heart of gold. On the seas, he befriended the ship captain who was a member of La Justicia, the league for justice. It happened that his fencing master Manuel Escalante was also a leader of this league, and after trading with his master for years, Diego underwent the trials to join. As a member, he could crusade for justice, and it was at this time that he began to develop a second identity, that of Zorro. His personality was part Diego, part Zorro, and, according to his chronicler, the complete transformation would not occur until years later. These are the elements of an odyssey and had me captivated because I wanted to read to discover just what would be Zorro’s next adventure.
Diego stayed in Spain for five years and grew into a man. This story is not without a villain or it would not be a hero story. Zorro’s foil is a man named Rafael Moncada, his rival for the heart of Juliana de Tomeu. Juliana and her sister Isabel are the daughters of Señor de Tomeu, an old army mate of his father’s. The young ladies are like his sisters, but Juliana is a beauty, and both Diego and Moncada desire her hand. With money Moncada has the means to persue Juliana to the ends of the earth, and it is Diego using Zorro’s cunning who helps both sisters escape Spain. There are adventures along the way- traveling with gypsies, sea travel, pirates, and a stop on Jean Lafitte’s island. Inserting the famed pirate into this tale heightens the adventure and spices it up. As the book drew toward its denouement, the story dulled because Diego had no rival. I knew there had to be a closing action, so adding the pirates sped along the narrative. Whether or not the real Zorro encountered pirates in real life is the stuff of legend, but as a trained swashbuckler he was at LaFitte’s level with the sword. It would have spiced things even more if the two had joined forces and gone off on adventures together, but they were destined to go on different paths. Allende inserts her views at this point, which I am not always a fan of, denouncing slavery and the pirate’s life, noting the caste system of races in early 19th century New Orleans. It is of little surprise to me that she returns to this setting in further writing.
The story is Zorro’s and is the stuff of legend and mythology before modernizing of California. The 20th century version of the masked crusader has been Hollywoodized, which is how most people see him, think Antonio Banderas fencing. Zorro comes from a time when California belonged to Spain, and the white Spaniards still used missions to Catholicize the native peoples. Some priests let the natives be, but most believed the indigenous people to be heathens who needed to join the church. This theme has made an appearance in other of Allende’s early books. As a storyteller at the height of her career, Allende is one of the best. It is why I was drawn to her early writing, which also contained the stuff of romance and adventure. Zorro combines all of these elements at a higher level; however, the novel has been critiqued for not containing magical realism. While those are Allende’s best, the master writers are proficient in more than one genre. The story of Zorro fits the bill and then some, creating a new level to his mystique. This height of her career Allende remains one of my favorite writers and has been a fun way to kick off my summer reading.
🗡️ 3.75 stars 🗡️
California has been Allende’s home for a good portion of her life. In reading her memoirs, I learned of her writing process to discover that she desired to learn about the legends in her adopted homeland. Allende has noted that California is similar to Chile in terrain so she has been able to write about the state with gusto. Her familiarity and love for the area began with Daughter of Fortune, a favorite of mine, and has played a role in subsequent novels. When Allende begins formulating ideas for new books, always on January 8, one year the idea that crept into her head was the legend of Zorro. The masked man has been around in American imaginations for decades, and has been visualized for as long as there have been radio and television programs featuring the hero. My husband grew up in Central America, and he heard of Zorro as well; the man was obviously a Hispanic and a hero to the entire region. Yet who was Zorro in terms of historical context? While at her best, Allende’s historical fiction rivals that of any writer, and she desired to tell the story of Zorro in terms of the history of California long before it became a state. This is a California owned by Spain prior to Mexican independence, the age of missions and haciendas, and a symbiotic relationship with native Americans. This is the land that Zorro grew up in.
Allende decided to formulate Zorro’s story in terms of a hero’s odyssey. From the first page, she employed a chronicler to tell his story, and, even though it is clear that Zorro is the main protagonist, the narrative is told in third person. I could picture a narrator telling this tale at a California mountain campfire long after Zorro’s swashbuckling days had ended. The stage had been set and tone reeled me in. Born in California to a Spanish father and native mother, Diego de la Vega was the only son and heir to the de la Vega hacienda. His father governed the Pueblo de Los Angeles, then a town of four streets, and was a respected and wealthy man. One day, the hacienda would belong to Diego and he was expected to carry on his father’s small empire. Although indigenous peoples were not considered the equal of whites, Diego’s best friend was his milk brother Bernardo, the son of the de la Vega’s servant Ana. The two grew up together and went on childhood adventures that involved capturing a grown bear and undergoing the trials of Diego’s mother’s tribe. Toypurnia had been a warrior and her mother White Flame a medicine woman and respected leader. These women had as much of a role in Diego’s upbringing as did his father Alejandro, who enrolled his son in school and trained him in the rudiments of fencing. At age fifteen, the first portion of his education complete, Diego de la Vega sailed to Barcelona, an old, mythical city, to complete his training.
Although the story of Zorro is considered historical fiction by many, I would categorize it more as an action adventure story. The best nonfiction reads like a story, and Zorro’s is a page turner. Hollywood has turned Zorro into a crusader for justice, and that is exactly who the Zorro in these pages is. Along with his friends, he becomes a champion of prisoners, slaves, and persecuted peoples. Not exactly Robin Hood because Zorro did not always have money from the rich to give to the poor, Zorro cared more about winning peoples’ freedom. He had a heart of gold. On the seas, he befriended the ship captain who was a member of La Justicia, the league for justice. It happened that his fencing master Manuel Escalante was also a leader of this league, and after trading with his master for years, Diego underwent the trials to join. As a member, he could crusade for justice, and it was at this time that he began to develop a second identity, that of Zorro. His personality was part Diego, part Zorro, and, according to his chronicler, the complete transformation would not occur until years later. These are the elements of an odyssey and had me captivated because I wanted to read to discover just what would be Zorro’s next adventure.
Diego stayed in Spain for five years and grew into a man. This story is not without a villain or it would not be a hero story. Zorro’s foil is a man named Rafael Moncada, his rival for the heart of Juliana de Tomeu. Juliana and her sister Isabel are the daughters of Señor de Tomeu, an old army mate of his father’s. The young ladies are like his sisters, but Juliana is a beauty, and both Diego and Moncada desire her hand. With money Moncada has the means to persue Juliana to the ends of the earth, and it is Diego using Zorro’s cunning who helps both sisters escape Spain. There are adventures along the way- traveling with gypsies, sea travel, pirates, and a stop on Jean Lafitte’s island. Inserting the famed pirate into this tale heightens the adventure and spices it up. As the book drew toward its denouement, the story dulled because Diego had no rival. I knew there had to be a closing action, so adding the pirates sped along the narrative. Whether or not the real Zorro encountered pirates in real life is the stuff of legend, but as a trained swashbuckler he was at LaFitte’s level with the sword. It would have spiced things even more if the two had joined forces and gone off on adventures together, but they were destined to go on different paths. Allende inserts her views at this point, which I am not always a fan of, denouncing slavery and the pirate’s life, noting the caste system of races in early 19th century New Orleans. It is of little surprise to me that she returns to this setting in further writing.
The story is Zorro’s and is the stuff of legend and mythology before modernizing of California. The 20th century version of the masked crusader has been Hollywoodized, which is how most people see him, think Antonio Banderas fencing. Zorro comes from a time when California belonged to Spain, and the white Spaniards still used missions to Catholicize the native peoples. Some priests let the natives be, but most believed the indigenous people to be heathens who needed to join the church. This theme has made an appearance in other of Allende’s early books. As a storyteller at the height of her career, Allende is one of the best. It is why I was drawn to her early writing, which also contained the stuff of romance and adventure. Zorro combines all of these elements at a higher level; however, the novel has been critiqued for not containing magical realism. While those are Allende’s best, the master writers are proficient in more than one genre. The story of Zorro fits the bill and then some, creating a new level to his mystique. This height of her career Allende remains one of my favorite writers and has been a fun way to kick off my summer reading.
🗡️ 3.75 stars 🗡️
June 13, 2018
(review in English below)
Uma boa história, com um sólido enquadramento histórico, que decorre na Califórnia (ainda espanhola) e em Barcelona, no princípio do século XIX.
Achei a narrativa demasiado descritiva (no sentido em que os acontecimentos são-nos contados duma forma distanciada, sem emoção) e acabei por só me entusiasmar a partir do meio do livro. Não gostei da forma como o narrador se dirige directamente ao leitor nem me fez grande sentido quando se descobre quem é. Acho que talvez tivesse resultado melhor se a autora tivesse usado esta personagem para nos contar a história na primeira pessoa.
No geral, foi um bom entretenimento.
A good story, with a strong historical background, that takes place in California (still Spanish at the time) and in Barcelona, at the beginning of the 19th century.
I thought the narrative was too descriptive (the events are told in a distant manner, without emotion) and I only got enthralled half way through the book. I didn't like how the narrator addressed the reader and it didn't make much sense to me when we finally find out who is it. I feel that maybe it would have worked better if the author had used this character to tell us the story in the first person.
All in all, it was good entertainment.
Uma boa história, com um sólido enquadramento histórico, que decorre na Califórnia (ainda espanhola) e em Barcelona, no princípio do século XIX.
Achei a narrativa demasiado descritiva (no sentido em que os acontecimentos são-nos contados duma forma distanciada, sem emoção) e acabei por só me entusiasmar a partir do meio do livro. Não gostei da forma como o narrador se dirige directamente ao leitor nem me fez grande sentido quando se descobre quem é. Acho que talvez tivesse resultado melhor se a autora tivesse usado esta personagem para nos contar a história na primeira pessoa.
No geral, foi um bom entretenimento.
A good story, with a strong historical background, that takes place in California (still Spanish at the time) and in Barcelona, at the beginning of the 19th century.
I thought the narrative was too descriptive (the events are told in a distant manner, without emotion) and I only got enthralled half way through the book. I didn't like how the narrator addressed the reader and it didn't make much sense to me when we finally find out who is it. I feel that maybe it would have worked better if the author had used this character to tell us the story in the first person.
All in all, it was good entertainment.
July 30, 2012
Great backstory for the adult Zorro, aka Don Diego de la Vega, whose adventures were spun out in serial form by McCulley from the 20's to the 40's. Allende renders a compelling saga at the turn of the 18th century with vivid characters from many walks of life and cultures. We get a believable vision of how an upbringing could instill the necessary balance of compassion, crafty duality, and gueriilla warfare skills that imbue the intrepid hero of the downtrodden. She takes you on a fun ride in close form to classic tales such as Dumas wrote, but with a tongue-in-cheek charm that shows when the narrator periodically speaks directly to the reader. Allende carfts an enriched upbringing for Diego de la Vega in Alta California, near the future Los Angeles, with a formal education, riding and fencing lessons, etc, provided by his landed Spanish rancher father, and his learning of Indian survival outdoor skills and spiritual values from his Shoshone warrior mother and shaman grandmother. De la Vega's empathy for social and political victims is nicely rooted by Allende with his witnessing of atrocities against the Indians and, later, gypsies and slaves. The origins of his habit of falling in love with women he cannot win is made into a nice heart to the story, consistent with a classical romantic trajectory in which the hero never quite achieves fulfillment. His development is nicely rounded out through the teenager befriending both gypsies and pirates and through his experiences in several violent skirmishes to avert threats to his family and people he cares about. Thus, our mythic hero is made human and fondly real.
May 14, 2016
Este libro no trata sobre una aventura de El Zorro, si no de los orígenes de este mito. Así nos enteramos de la razón por la que el protagonista elige un zorro y no un perro o un león. De quién le enseña esgrima, de las luchas contra los indios de su padre, un soldado español, y de un montón de aventuras mezcladas con el increíble realismo mágico en el que tan bien se maneja Isabel Allende. Que una autora consagrada se atreva con un personaje tan conocido me parece muy valiente. Imaginaos si Pérez Reverte, por ejemplo, hiciera una novela cuyo protagonita fuera el Capitán Trueno. Yo leería ese libro, ¿tú no?
April 27, 2024
Apr 25, 2024, 522pm ~~ The Zapata Reading Club started this book back in October 2023 and finished today! Review asap, but first it is my turn to pick the next title so I am going to go browse the ZRC pile on the desk.
Apr 26, 615pm ~~ A lot of strange things can affect the amount of reading a person is able to do when there are three days a week to read a book aloud over the phone. The reasons we needed six months to get from beginning to end of Zorro range from power outages to my audience being out of town to calls being cut off due to storms on one end of the line or the other.
But even though it took about the longest of any book we have read so far, we loved every minute of the story. Zorro was a childhood hero to both of us, thanks to the Disney version that aired on television back in the day. I have read the original story about Zorro and have added it to our reading list so that Someday Marco can hear that one too. We've both seen movies about Zorro, from the original silent with Douglas Fairbanks, to my favorite with Tyrone Power (sigh) to a modern version with Antonio Banderas (another sigh).
So we were familiar with the character and we could both appreciate the way Isabel Allende portrayed Diego de la Vega throughout the book. He felt right. Even more importantly, his back story felt right too. Every time we saw our hero learn something that later became a Zorro trademark, we both said 'oh, of course!' because every source made perfect sense. It was great fun to live with Zorro for these months, and I can only imagine how much fun the book would have been to write.
I never did guess the identity of the narrator. It is revealed in the epilogue, and I should have been able to figure it out before that, but I was too caught up in the excitement of the story itself to really think too much about the narrator, who jumped in with asides to the reader once in a while, and made us laugh any time that happened.
I had read this book years ago pre-GR, but I had so much more fun with it this time. I would love for everyone to read it if possible in the original Spanish the way we did. But whether in English or Spanish, the book will definitely entertain and maybe even inspire readers. There might be a time when each of us can fight for Justice. Maybe not with a sword like Zorro, but with words or deeds that will help fix the world, even if it might feel like just one tiny step. You know what they say about journeys of a thousand miles!
Apr 26, 615pm ~~ A lot of strange things can affect the amount of reading a person is able to do when there are three days a week to read a book aloud over the phone. The reasons we needed six months to get from beginning to end of Zorro range from power outages to my audience being out of town to calls being cut off due to storms on one end of the line or the other.
But even though it took about the longest of any book we have read so far, we loved every minute of the story. Zorro was a childhood hero to both of us, thanks to the Disney version that aired on television back in the day. I have read the original story about Zorro and have added it to our reading list so that Someday Marco can hear that one too. We've both seen movies about Zorro, from the original silent with Douglas Fairbanks, to my favorite with Tyrone Power (sigh) to a modern version with Antonio Banderas (another sigh).
So we were familiar with the character and we could both appreciate the way Isabel Allende portrayed Diego de la Vega throughout the book. He felt right. Even more importantly, his back story felt right too. Every time we saw our hero learn something that later became a Zorro trademark, we both said 'oh, of course!' because every source made perfect sense. It was great fun to live with Zorro for these months, and I can only imagine how much fun the book would have been to write.
I never did guess the identity of the narrator. It is revealed in the epilogue, and I should have been able to figure it out before that, but I was too caught up in the excitement of the story itself to really think too much about the narrator, who jumped in with asides to the reader once in a while, and made us laugh any time that happened.
I had read this book years ago pre-GR, but I had so much more fun with it this time. I would love for everyone to read it if possible in the original Spanish the way we did. But whether in English or Spanish, the book will definitely entertain and maybe even inspire readers. There might be a time when each of us can fight for Justice. Maybe not with a sword like Zorro, but with words or deeds that will help fix the world, even if it might feel like just one tiny step. You know what they say about journeys of a thousand miles!
August 25, 2010
What is it about Zorro? Back when the Disney channel was watchable by people over age 16, they showed the Guy Williams Zorro, the ones in black and white. The show is far older than I am, but it's still cool. There was also the Zorro series on the Family Channel (what is now ABC Family). That series was good, far better than the Black Stallion series on the same channel. And who can forget Antonio and Catherine?
Zorro is the American version of Robin Hood. He works in Californiabefore the Americans stole of Spain, but there is something American about him. His weapon of choice is no the bow, but the sword. Zorro also has style, his famous Z, and a beautiful horse. He also comes without the baggage of Robin Hood. No matter how much one may love Robin Hood, it is difficult to irgnore the fact that sometimes Robin Hood targets innocent people (those soliders had families after all). Since Zorro doesn't kill, this question is moot.
Zorro is cool.
Zorro's fashion sense predates Batman's, but Zorro lacks Batman's angst. Zorro is an everyday hero. He sticks to the man with the humor and good nature of a comic.
He's sexy.
Allende's story of Zorro focuses on the Fox's beginnings. In the P.S., section of the book, Allende says she hopes the story was realstic. It is. It is an entirely believable superhero story.
It also feels a bit like a Hollywood movie, and it is Zorro, so this is okay. Strangely, the cliches don't annoy because they seem to be tongue in cheek. There also is the question of the narrator. In some ways, the narrator becomes far more intersting than the character of Zorro himself. The speaker seems a bit self-serving and the reader wonders about this.
To be honest, at times the story seems to be a little loose. There is a subplot where you simply want Zorro to hurry up and get home. Put on that blasted mask, you fox.
Overall, however, the book is good. If you like Zorro, this is a must read.
Zorro is the American version of Robin Hood. He works in California
Zorro is cool.
Zorro's fashion sense predates Batman's, but Zorro lacks Batman's angst. Zorro is an everyday hero. He sticks to the man with the humor and good nature of a comic.
He's sexy.
Allende's story of Zorro focuses on the Fox's beginnings. In the P.S., section of the book, Allende says she hopes the story was realstic. It is. It is an entirely believable superhero story.
It also feels a bit like a Hollywood movie, and it is Zorro, so this is okay. Strangely, the cliches don't annoy because they seem to be tongue in cheek. There also is the question of the narrator. In some ways, the narrator becomes far more intersting than the character of Zorro himself. The speaker seems a bit self-serving and the reader wonders about this.
To be honest, at times the story seems to be a little loose. There is a subplot where you simply want Zorro to hurry up and get home. Put on that blasted mask, you fox.
Overall, however, the book is good. If you like Zorro, this is a must read.
September 13, 2021
I love Zorro movies, and have always been mildly curious about this book. But a couple of years ago I was at a school where the librarian had a whole display of her favorite books for the beginning of the year, and this was front and center. I asked what she loved about it, and she told me that she was doing her Masters Thesis on Zorro stories, and that he was the inspiration for Batman ( Alfred, Batman's butler, is based on Bernardo, Zorro's loyal servant, he's a rich playboy by day, he has a cave lair, etc). Well, I had to try it!
And I'm so glad I did! This was a wonderful read, full of adventure and humor, tragedy and romance. In short, it was everything you could imagine a book about Zorro being. Everything you could want, and more than you expected, in fact.
And I'm so glad I did! This was a wonderful read, full of adventure and humor, tragedy and romance. In short, it was everything you could imagine a book about Zorro being. Everything you could want, and more than you expected, in fact.
May 29, 2019
Quattro stelle e una punta di nostalgia.
Bella iniziativa, quella della Allende (assumendo l’identità di Isabel de Romeu), di raccontare la nascita e le prime prodezze di un personaggio che per lungo tempo è stato l’eroe dei nostri pomeriggi davanti alla tv.
Penna magistrale, come ormai ci ha abituati con i suoi romanzi; così la storia scivola via e ci ritroviamo prima nel rancho dei de La Vega alla periferia di una neonata Los Angeles, in California, poi in una nobile tenuta nella bella città di Barcellona, in Spagna.
Ed è proprio qui che Diego riceve dal Maestro Escalante le prime nozioni di scherma, per poi - ormai abile spadaccino - trasformarsi in Zorro, la volpe, il suo animale totem, in nome della giustizia, a protezione dei più deboli.
Bella anche la figura e la storia di Bernardo, Indios, amico fraterno di Zorro, fidato consigliere e compagno di avventure, ma - diversamente dall’altro - molto più assennato e concreto.
Il coraggio e l’affetto li accomunano.
Beniamino dei bimbi (ma anche i “grandi” non disdegnavano, ne sono sicura), per parecchi anni ha alimentato la fantasia dei più e le maschere di carnevale sono la testimonianza, nel tempo, dell’effetto che le sue avventure hanno prodotto nell’immaginario collettivo.
Con questo romanzo torniamo indietro, torniamo alle origini, torniamo a sognare, almeno per un po’.
Stagliata contro la luna piena videro la sagoma nera del misterioso uomo mascherato sul suo magnifico destriero.
“Alla prossima, signori!”
Z
📶 RC 2019 ~ Effetto domino (7)
🔠 RC 2019 ~ Alphabet Titoli-> Z
📚 RC 2019 ~ Lo scaffale traboccante
🔠 Alfabeto autori -> A
🅰️ come Avventura
✍️ Isabel Allende
Bella iniziativa, quella della Allende (assumendo l’identità di Isabel de Romeu), di raccontare la nascita e le prime prodezze di un personaggio che per lungo tempo è stato l’eroe dei nostri pomeriggi davanti alla tv.
Penna magistrale, come ormai ci ha abituati con i suoi romanzi; così la storia scivola via e ci ritroviamo prima nel rancho dei de La Vega alla periferia di una neonata Los Angeles, in California, poi in una nobile tenuta nella bella città di Barcellona, in Spagna.
Ed è proprio qui che Diego riceve dal Maestro Escalante le prime nozioni di scherma, per poi - ormai abile spadaccino - trasformarsi in Zorro, la volpe, il suo animale totem, in nome della giustizia, a protezione dei più deboli.
Bella anche la figura e la storia di Bernardo, Indios, amico fraterno di Zorro, fidato consigliere e compagno di avventure, ma - diversamente dall’altro - molto più assennato e concreto.
Il coraggio e l’affetto li accomunano.
Beniamino dei bimbi (ma anche i “grandi” non disdegnavano, ne sono sicura), per parecchi anni ha alimentato la fantasia dei più e le maschere di carnevale sono la testimonianza, nel tempo, dell’effetto che le sue avventure hanno prodotto nell’immaginario collettivo.
Con questo romanzo torniamo indietro, torniamo alle origini, torniamo a sognare, almeno per un po’.
Stagliata contro la luna piena videro la sagoma nera del misterioso uomo mascherato sul suo magnifico destriero.
“Alla prossima, signori!”
Z
📶 RC 2019 ~ Effetto domino (7)
🔠 RC 2019 ~ Alphabet Titoli-> Z
📚 RC 2019 ~ Lo scaffale traboccante
🔠 Alfabeto autori -> A
🅰️ come Avventura
✍️ Isabel Allende
July 4, 2016
Having grown up watching the tv series, it was with pleasure that I started this novel. Add to this that it was written by Isabel Allende, and my expectations soared.
Zorro is really an 'Origins' story, recounting how the masked crusader came to be, piecing together all the key elements, from the circumstances of Diego's birth to his embodying the myth.
The author used a big cast, with many interesting characters, and a wealth of settings, each vast, colourful and intricate. Historical details abounded too, with several real figures appearing on the pages, and added to the whole texture of the book.
I particularly liked the friendship between Diego and Bernado, milk brothers, and loyal partners to the end. Many scenes were full of adventure and very compelling. However some were less so, harder to enjoy. I'm not entirely sure why that is. Perhaps the style of narration didn't let me connect completely with the hero?
Zorro is really an 'Origins' story, recounting how the masked crusader came to be, piecing together all the key elements, from the circumstances of Diego's birth to his embodying the myth.
The author used a big cast, with many interesting characters, and a wealth of settings, each vast, colourful and intricate. Historical details abounded too, with several real figures appearing on the pages, and added to the whole texture of the book.
I particularly liked the friendship between Diego and Bernado, milk brothers, and loyal partners to the end. Many scenes were full of adventure and very compelling. However some were less so, harder to enjoy. I'm not entirely sure why that is. Perhaps the style of narration didn't let me connect completely with the hero?
February 21, 2013
Arrivava un momento, a casa mia, quando ero più piccola, in cui bastava che andasse in onda una sigla televisiva per far sì che sulla cucina scendesse un’aura di sacertà senza eguali, era il momento in cui un cavallo nero impennava all’orizzonte e la sigla televisiva faceva così “Zorro, Zorro, ha una vita segreta; Zorro, Zorro il segno suo è la zeta”. Per quante volte avessimo già visto le trite e ritrite puntate, l’eroe mascherato di nero continuava ad avere su di noi, figlie, l’effetto che aveva prodotto su mio padre fin dalla sua infanzia. Un eroe semplice, il cui mezzo era un cavallo nero dal nome Tornado, che si occupava di campagnoli e usava come uniche armi una spada e una frusta. Era ciò che più di vicino mio padre sarebbe potuto essere da bambino, e siccome certe cose si portano dentro, non era difficile capire quanto ci tenesse, consapevole di tutte le volte in cui Zorro avrebbe battuto Moncada, continuava a fare un tifo speranzoso, quasi la sorte potesse cambiare e strizzare l’occhio all’avversario tanto odiato. E di questo suo baluginio di tremiti e speranza, noi siamo state le dirette ereditiere, innamorate di questo hidalgo dall’accento seducente, i modi spagnoli, l’agilità di gatto e la furbizia di volpe.
Quindi, nei confronti di un libro che narrasse le avventure di un eroe di casa, potrebbe dirsi, di questo ospite che a cena aveva sempre modo di raccontarci un’avventura in più, non potevo che essere esigente, chiedere la verità, quei particolari che mi ero sempre persa, chiedere che gettasse luce su quei lati oscuri che mi avevano sempre più incuriosita. Il fatto che a narrare le avventure di questo eroe che è il perfetto incrocio tra il realmente esistito e la leggenda fosse Isabel Allende era di sicuro rassicurante, una penna così dedita alle avventure, ai caldi ritmi spagnoli e latini non poteva che rendere giustizia a Diego de la Vega. Inutile dire che il risultato ha di gran lunga superato le aspettative. Lo scenario storico e geografico è fin da subito inquadrato con grande semplicità: California, fine Settecento, colonialismo spagnolo imperante nell’assoluta convinzione della superiorità della razza bianca sugli indigeni i cui costumi sono riprovevoli. Alejandro de la Vega, valoroso militare spagnolo, conosce, durante una rappresaglia india diretta contro la colonia di padre Mendoza, la sua futura sposa, e così, questa coppia originale darà alla luce il piccolo Diega la cui balia darà il latte dell’infanzia anche al piccolo Bernardo, figlio di un’india. Il resto, è storia, o meglio, leggenda, di tutte e due un po’. Il terreno in cui Diego coltiverà la sua sete di giustizia è fertile, un periodo storico e un inquadramento geografico in cui gli abusi e soprusi sono all’ordine del giorno in nome di una gerarchia prestabilita che il giovane riuscirà a mettere in discussione facendosi forte di una cultura spregiudicata a cui tutte le persone che incontrerà, da un capitano di nave a una comitiva di zingari, daranno elementi per abbattere i pregiudizi. La condizione di sottoposto di suo fratello di latte Bernardo il quale passa per sordomuto, quasi per ritardato, ma che è in realtà un giovane saggio e premuroso, spingeranno ancor più sul senso di onore e di ingiustizia che contribuiranno a far sì che Diego sviluppi una doppia personalità e dia vita a Zorro.
Poiché tutto questo però lo sapete già, vi racconterò perché vale la pena avventurarsi in una nuova versione di questa storia che, bene o male, fa parte di tutte le nostre infanzie. Isabel Allende assume, per raccontare, un punto di vista davvero curioso, non vi svelerò quello di chi, altrimenti vi toglierei gran parte di gusto della lettura, che consente di vedere Zorro non solo in tutti i suoi pregi di eroe, ma lo presenta anche sotto gli aspetti più quotidiani. Diego de la Vega è vanitoso, sempre incline a esagerare le proprie avventure, e abbastanza sfigato in amore: destinato ad amare solo donne che non lo ricambiano, e a fuggire dai letti delle amanti con più solerzia di quanto non faccia Zorro alla fine dei suoi attacchi. Un punto di vista che consente di osservare da vicino il periodo di Zorro più trascurato dalle varie produzioni cinematografiche e televisive, quello trascorso a Barcellona, gli anni di formazione del giovane impavido, quelli in cui apprenderà l’arte dello spadaccino, in cui apprenderà i modi galanti del gentiluomo che sa ballare, corteggiare, vestire, in cui affinerà la bravura del baro nel gioco. E mentre le pagine scorrono via, quando si arriva al finale, si lascia Diego a vent’anni, quando le zeta non sono ancora lontanamente vicine a sfiorare il numero, e in poche pagine viene riassunto ciò che ne sarà di lui. Tutta la narrazione infatti è dedicata all’inizio della leggenda, quella parte di cui tutti danno per scontato di sapere, ma che in realtà in pochi sanno, quella parte che è la più misteriosa, la più intrigante da scoprire in quanto mette in luce i perché che rimangono sospesi e invece sono fondamentali. Il sordomutismo di Bernardo, il perché della maschera di Zorro, il perché di questo nome, e altri mille quesiti che io mi sono sempre posta e che trovo essere i più interessanti, sono racchiusi in queste 350 pagine di narrazione in cui Isabel Allende impiega tutta la sua bravura nell’arte di narrare per restituire un ritratto fedele e al quale ci si affeziona facilmente di questo eroe romantico e lontano dalla contemporaneità, ma sempre vivo nell’immaginario comune. Arrivati alla fine senza nemmeno accorgervene, sentirete una profonda nostalgia per quest’avventura fatta di una parte di storia che si distinse per le ingiustizie a cielo aperto alla fine di una civiltà di vinti che si dimostrerà infinitamente superiore a quella dei presunti vincitori. Il confronto tra vecchio e nuovo mondo in cui lo schiavismo e il colonialismo non producono solo vittime umane, ma anche culturali, nel tentativo di imporre il cattolicesimo e i modi europei, infatti, andrà persa una cultura centenaria fatta di amore per la natura, di una comunicazione simbolica, di una vita semplice, ma completa. Tutti questi fattori insieme contribuiranno a creare il personaggio di Zorro. E, se volete sapere cosa faceva il giovane de la Vega prima di giungere in California e infliggere zeta alle persone e ai luoghi che hanno meritato vendetta, leggete dunque questo libro. In cui scoprirete che a forgiare il carattere dell’eroe mascherato furono elementi tanto spagnoli quanto indi, in cui scoprirete che Bernardo era tutt’altro che un semplice aiutante, e imparerete ad amare ancor più, se possibile, il più galante e sfuggevole degli eroi popolari. Zorro, per servirvi.
Quindi, nei confronti di un libro che narrasse le avventure di un eroe di casa, potrebbe dirsi, di questo ospite che a cena aveva sempre modo di raccontarci un’avventura in più, non potevo che essere esigente, chiedere la verità, quei particolari che mi ero sempre persa, chiedere che gettasse luce su quei lati oscuri che mi avevano sempre più incuriosita. Il fatto che a narrare le avventure di questo eroe che è il perfetto incrocio tra il realmente esistito e la leggenda fosse Isabel Allende era di sicuro rassicurante, una penna così dedita alle avventure, ai caldi ritmi spagnoli e latini non poteva che rendere giustizia a Diego de la Vega. Inutile dire che il risultato ha di gran lunga superato le aspettative. Lo scenario storico e geografico è fin da subito inquadrato con grande semplicità: California, fine Settecento, colonialismo spagnolo imperante nell’assoluta convinzione della superiorità della razza bianca sugli indigeni i cui costumi sono riprovevoli. Alejandro de la Vega, valoroso militare spagnolo, conosce, durante una rappresaglia india diretta contro la colonia di padre Mendoza, la sua futura sposa, e così, questa coppia originale darà alla luce il piccolo Diega la cui balia darà il latte dell’infanzia anche al piccolo Bernardo, figlio di un’india. Il resto, è storia, o meglio, leggenda, di tutte e due un po’. Il terreno in cui Diego coltiverà la sua sete di giustizia è fertile, un periodo storico e un inquadramento geografico in cui gli abusi e soprusi sono all’ordine del giorno in nome di una gerarchia prestabilita che il giovane riuscirà a mettere in discussione facendosi forte di una cultura spregiudicata a cui tutte le persone che incontrerà, da un capitano di nave a una comitiva di zingari, daranno elementi per abbattere i pregiudizi. La condizione di sottoposto di suo fratello di latte Bernardo il quale passa per sordomuto, quasi per ritardato, ma che è in realtà un giovane saggio e premuroso, spingeranno ancor più sul senso di onore e di ingiustizia che contribuiranno a far sì che Diego sviluppi una doppia personalità e dia vita a Zorro.
Poiché tutto questo però lo sapete già, vi racconterò perché vale la pena avventurarsi in una nuova versione di questa storia che, bene o male, fa parte di tutte le nostre infanzie. Isabel Allende assume, per raccontare, un punto di vista davvero curioso, non vi svelerò quello di chi, altrimenti vi toglierei gran parte di gusto della lettura, che consente di vedere Zorro non solo in tutti i suoi pregi di eroe, ma lo presenta anche sotto gli aspetti più quotidiani. Diego de la Vega è vanitoso, sempre incline a esagerare le proprie avventure, e abbastanza sfigato in amore: destinato ad amare solo donne che non lo ricambiano, e a fuggire dai letti delle amanti con più solerzia di quanto non faccia Zorro alla fine dei suoi attacchi. Un punto di vista che consente di osservare da vicino il periodo di Zorro più trascurato dalle varie produzioni cinematografiche e televisive, quello trascorso a Barcellona, gli anni di formazione del giovane impavido, quelli in cui apprenderà l’arte dello spadaccino, in cui apprenderà i modi galanti del gentiluomo che sa ballare, corteggiare, vestire, in cui affinerà la bravura del baro nel gioco. E mentre le pagine scorrono via, quando si arriva al finale, si lascia Diego a vent’anni, quando le zeta non sono ancora lontanamente vicine a sfiorare il numero, e in poche pagine viene riassunto ciò che ne sarà di lui. Tutta la narrazione infatti è dedicata all’inizio della leggenda, quella parte di cui tutti danno per scontato di sapere, ma che in realtà in pochi sanno, quella parte che è la più misteriosa, la più intrigante da scoprire in quanto mette in luce i perché che rimangono sospesi e invece sono fondamentali. Il sordomutismo di Bernardo, il perché della maschera di Zorro, il perché di questo nome, e altri mille quesiti che io mi sono sempre posta e che trovo essere i più interessanti, sono racchiusi in queste 350 pagine di narrazione in cui Isabel Allende impiega tutta la sua bravura nell’arte di narrare per restituire un ritratto fedele e al quale ci si affeziona facilmente di questo eroe romantico e lontano dalla contemporaneità, ma sempre vivo nell’immaginario comune. Arrivati alla fine senza nemmeno accorgervene, sentirete una profonda nostalgia per quest’avventura fatta di una parte di storia che si distinse per le ingiustizie a cielo aperto alla fine di una civiltà di vinti che si dimostrerà infinitamente superiore a quella dei presunti vincitori. Il confronto tra vecchio e nuovo mondo in cui lo schiavismo e il colonialismo non producono solo vittime umane, ma anche culturali, nel tentativo di imporre il cattolicesimo e i modi europei, infatti, andrà persa una cultura centenaria fatta di amore per la natura, di una comunicazione simbolica, di una vita semplice, ma completa. Tutti questi fattori insieme contribuiranno a creare il personaggio di Zorro. E, se volete sapere cosa faceva il giovane de la Vega prima di giungere in California e infliggere zeta alle persone e ai luoghi che hanno meritato vendetta, leggete dunque questo libro. In cui scoprirete che a forgiare il carattere dell’eroe mascherato furono elementi tanto spagnoli quanto indi, in cui scoprirete che Bernardo era tutt’altro che un semplice aiutante, e imparerete ad amare ancor più, se possibile, il più galante e sfuggevole degli eroi popolari. Zorro, per servirvi.
May 31, 2011
الكتابة الجادة عن بطل تحتاج إلى شجاعة حقيقية، هي مغامرة، قبلتها (إيزابيل الليندي) كما نرى، بكل الشغف الذي يميز كتاباتها، فأولا ً تحتاج صناعة البطل الأدبي، إلى خلق الظروف التي يوجد فيها، خلقا ً لا يجعل صورته ساذجة، وهذه المهمة تصبح أكثر صعوبة عندما يكون البطل موجودا ً، لأن علينا عندها تحريره من ركام الكتابات السابقة التي ربما شوهت صورته، وأضافت لها الكثير من الخيال الذي أفقدها واقعيتها، وزورو من هذه الشخصيات التي كتب عنها الكثير منذ اختلقها (جونسون مكولي) سنة 1919 م بروايته (لعنة كابسترانو)، وصنعت عنه أفلام، كونت لدى القارئ صورة محددة ونمطية للبطل بقناعه الشهير، وحركاته البهلوانية.
فلذا لجئت إيزابيل إلى الكتابة عن ما يمكننا تسميته مرحلة (ما قبل زورو)، أو جذور زورو، وكأنها غادرت الصورة الكاملة المرسومة كجدارية عملاقة لهذا البطل، والتي ستأتي روايتها خطا ً جديدا ً من الخطوط التي تكونها، غادرتها لتكتب عن (دييغو دي لابغا) الشاب الكاليفورني المتحدر من زواج نادر جمع والده (أليخاندرو دي لابغا) بالمقاتلة الهندية (تويبورنيا)، هذا الشاب الذي سنعايشه طيلة الرواية، ونشاهد تكون مواهبه وقدراته التي ستؤهله يوما ً ما ليكون زورو (والتي تعني الثعلب في اللغة الأسبانية)، بل إننا سنفهم سبب إتخاذ دييغو لهذا اللقب، وسنعرف مصدر كل موهبة من مواهبه، وسنفهم تكون نفسيته، بل حتى سنعرف من أين اقتبس زيه الذي اشتهر به.
وهذه الرحلة الطويلة التي تبدأ من العام 1790 م، تاريخ هزيمة والدة دييغو، الثائرة الهندية وسقوطها أسيرة في يدي والده، وما نتج عن هذه الهزيمة من زواج، وتنتهي في عام 1840 م على لسان الراوي الذي يخبرنا بقليل اهتمام عن الحياة التالية لدييغو الذي صار زورو، ونلاحظ أن السرد امتد واقعا ً على مدى 25 عاما ً، وأن الراوي اهتم فقط بحكاية زورو غير المحكية أي ما قبل شهرته، وتوقف عند عام 1815 م، وقفز ليخبرنا بلمحات سريعة ما حل بشخصيات الرواية بعد 25 عاما ً، وهي عملية استغرقت 4 صفحات فقط، بينما امتدت الفترة الأولى على ما يزيد على 400 صفحة.
الامتداد كان مكانيا ً أيضا ً، حيث تنقل دييغو وأخوه من الرضاعة الهندي برناردو ما بين كاليفورنيا وبرشلونة حيث ذهب ليتلقى تعليمه، وكعادة إيزابيل أجادت وصف البيئة المكانية والزمانية التي يتحرك فيها أبطالها، بدء ً من كاليفورنيا تلك الأزمنة، والإرساليات التبشيرية فيها، جنبا ً إلى جنب مع المستعمرين الجشعين، مرورا ً بالرحلة إلى برشلونة والتي تتم على محطات، بنما، ومن ثم بورتوبلو، والسفينة (لامادر دي ديوس)، وحتى برشلونة ذاتها فترة الغزو الفرنسي لأسبانيا، أيام النابليونية، وفترة ما بعد الثورة الفرنسية، بكل الشعارات التي أطلقتها، ومن ثم فترة ما بعد الخروج الفرنسي، والإرهاب الذي مرت به أسبانيا، وتأثيرات ذلك على أبطال الرواية، والرحلة التي اضطرتهم إلى قطع أسبانيا من أقصاها إلى أقصاها، كل هذا تملؤه إيزابيل بأسلوبها الوصفي المذهل.
الرواية ممتعة وأفلتت بنجاح من الصورة النمطية لزورو.
زورو
إيزابيل الليندي
ترجمة: رفعت عطفة
من منشورات: دار ورد
الطبعة الأولى 2007 م (الطبعة الإنجليزية كانت في عام 2005 م)
عدد الصفحات: 430 صفحة
فلذا لجئت إيزابيل إلى الكتابة عن ما يمكننا تسميته مرحلة (ما قبل زورو)، أو جذور زورو، وكأنها غادرت الصورة الكاملة المرسومة كجدارية عملاقة لهذا البطل، والتي ستأتي روايتها خطا ً جديدا ً من الخطوط التي تكونها، غادرتها لتكتب عن (دييغو دي لابغا) الشاب الكاليفورني المتحدر من زواج نادر جمع والده (أليخاندرو دي لابغا) بالمقاتلة الهندية (تويبورنيا)، هذا الشاب الذي سنعايشه طيلة الرواية، ونشاهد تكون مواهبه وقدراته التي ستؤهله يوما ً ما ليكون زورو (والتي تعني الثعلب في اللغة الأسبانية)، بل إننا سنفهم سبب إتخاذ دييغو لهذا اللقب، وسنعرف مصدر كل موهبة من مواهبه، وسنفهم تكون نفسيته، بل حتى سنعرف من أين اقتبس زيه الذي اشتهر به.
وهذه الرحلة الطويلة التي تبدأ من العام 1790 م، تاريخ هزيمة والدة دييغو، الثائرة الهندية وسقوطها أسيرة في يدي والده، وما نتج عن هذه الهزيمة من زواج، وتنتهي في عام 1840 م على لسان الراوي الذي يخبرنا بقليل اهتمام عن الحياة التالية لدييغو الذي صار زورو، ونلاحظ أن السرد امتد واقعا ً على مدى 25 عاما ً، وأن الراوي اهتم فقط بحكاية زورو غير المحكية أي ما قبل شهرته، وتوقف عند عام 1815 م، وقفز ليخبرنا بلمحات سريعة ما حل بشخصيات الرواية بعد 25 عاما ً، وهي عملية استغرقت 4 صفحات فقط، بينما امتدت الفترة الأولى على ما يزيد على 400 صفحة.
الامتداد كان مكانيا ً أيضا ً، حيث تنقل دييغو وأخوه من الرضاعة الهندي برناردو ما بين كاليفورنيا وبرشلونة حيث ذهب ليتلقى تعليمه، وكعادة إيزابيل أجادت وصف البيئة المكانية والزمانية التي يتحرك فيها أبطالها، بدء ً من كاليفورنيا تلك الأزمنة، والإرساليات التبشيرية فيها، جنبا ً إلى جنب مع المستعمرين الجشعين، مرورا ً بالرحلة إلى برشلونة والتي تتم على محطات، بنما، ومن ثم بورتوبلو، والسفينة (لامادر دي ديوس)، وحتى برشلونة ذاتها فترة الغزو الفرنسي لأسبانيا، أيام النابليونية، وفترة ما بعد الثورة الفرنسية، بكل الشعارات التي أطلقتها، ومن ثم فترة ما بعد الخروج الفرنسي، والإرهاب الذي مرت به أسبانيا، وتأثيرات ذلك على أبطال الرواية، والرحلة التي اضطرتهم إلى قطع أسبانيا من أقصاها إلى أقصاها، كل هذا تملؤه إيزابيل بأسلوبها الوصفي المذهل.
الرواية ممتعة وأفلتت بنجاح من الصورة النمطية لزورو.
زورو
إيزابيل الليندي
ترجمة: رفعت عطفة
من منشورات: دار ورد
الطبعة الأولى 2007 م (الطبعة الإنجليزية كانت في عام 2005 م)
عدد الصفحات: 430 صفحة
January 2, 2009
I LOVED this book. Granted, I think Isabel Allende is one of the best authors I have ever read but despite my bias this was still a really good book! I love the story of Zorro to begin with but Isabel Allende writes it from the point when Zorro's parents meet and then how he is born and becomes Zorro. It is great historical fiction and I have always liked how Allende uses magic realism in her writing. The book gives insight into the California Mission system, as well as interesting information about Spain and New Orleans.
I would recommend this book...and any/all books by Isabel Allende!
I would recommend this book...and any/all books by Isabel Allende!
October 8, 2020
Īstenībā tiešām nevaru pateikt, kas man īsti līdz galam nepatika, bet nevru ielikt vairāk, jo Zorro piedīvojumam būtu jāaizrauj tā, ka izrauju cauri grāmatu pāris piegājienos, bet es to lasīju pa maziem gabaliņiem 9 dienas, visu laiku dodot priekšroku citām laika pavadīšanas alternatīvām. Jā tas ir tas pats zināmais stāsts par Zorro - maskēto apsiesto aizstāvi, kas citiem zināms kā augstākās sabiedrības sprukstiņš (un kurš nav Betmens, nejaukt). Rakstniece piedāvā savu versiju par viņa bērnību un kļūsanu par Zorro - un tieši bērnības daļa ar indiāniem man likās interesantākā.
August 29, 2023
Zorro is an important figure in American (and particularly Latin-American culture) since he was once of the first "super-heroes", Latino, and fought against injustice rather than thwarting conventional criminals. However, Isabel Allende has turned out a rather mundane prequel to the story of Zorro which is more Danielle Steel than anything else. Granted, she writes very well but action is not her genre and this was just flat most of the way through. Not boring but the heart didn't soar, the triumphs seemed more amusing than heroic, and I just never got into it. In this case, the "Z" stands for "zero" (as in the amount thrills, action, excitement or just truly interesting reading.) in the end, a lesson in how to take a swashbuckling adventure story and make it boring. Forget the action, this is by-the-numbers romance and intrigue without the passion. Ni pena, ni gloria. This is Zorro sin cojones.
January 16, 2020
★★★☆☆ 3.25 stars
"Non è giusto, dite? Credete davvero che la vita sia giusta, signor de la Vega?"
"No, maestro, ma intendo fare tutto il possibile affinché lo sia" rispose Diego.
"Non è giusto, dite? Credete davvero che la vita sia giusta, signor de la Vega?"
"No, maestro, ma intendo fare tutto il possibile affinché lo sia" rispose Diego.
February 27, 2015
I was looking for a clever retelling of this fictional American homegrown hero, something with an interesting feminine twist. What I got was indeed a retelling, but not as clever or interesting as I had hoped.
This is a "tale of origin" explaining how Zorro became the masked avenger. He is born Diego de la Vega, son of a Spanish hidalgo and a fierce Shoshone she-warrior. Apparently, the author took great pains to research this book. Kudos. Despite all the research, there seemed to be something a little off. It wasn't so much the facts that were suspect(although I'd like to check if the Shoshone values of "Okahue" were created to serve the plot), but the way the facts integrated--or failed to integrate--with the story. At one point Diego is bitten by a rattlesnake. "Diego remembered some of the facts he had learned about rattlesnakes..." The facts that follow may as well be numbered, taken from some text or scientific article. The fencing scenes are even worse. You might as well read from a manual. I listened to the audiobook, so here is my best paraphrase: "He held his arm 180 degrees in front, foil pointed forward, left arm raised 90 degrees over his head for balance." Yes, that makes for quite the thrilling fight scene. The gripes go on. Every other word is a cliche (the translator's fault?), there is hardly any dialogue, the prose is bland, the characters flat and impossible to sympathize with, as they have as much pep as are papier mache.
This is my first Allende book, and I hear she is renowned for her well-drawn female characters and ability to write emotional drama. I can't speak for her other books, but here I found Julianna a distressed damsel, and Isabelle just annoying. Nuria, the girls' chaperone, is religious, superstitious and narrowminded, which makes her the most interesting of all. As for the men...Bernardo the mute Shoshone is sympathetic, mainly because of some emotional manipulation on the writer's part by making him an orphan who refuses to talk due to his suffering. She tries to make Zorro a sort of "scarlet pimpernel" type who behaves flamboyantly while defending the downtrodden from behind his mask. As with all her descriptions, she never gets more specific than saying he "dressed well" and "behaved flamboyantly". No "show", all "tell". She also tends to spell things out in case the reader wasn't observant enough to figure out something themselves.
I'd like to end on a positive note. Scientific discussion of rattlesnake bites aside, I did enjoy Diego's and Bernardo's Spirit Quests with the Shoshone tribe. I thought the two boys' respective experiences finding their totem animals did more to establish character than any other anecdote in this book.
This is a "tale of origin" explaining how Zorro became the masked avenger. He is born Diego de la Vega, son of a Spanish hidalgo and a fierce Shoshone she-warrior. Apparently, the author took great pains to research this book. Kudos. Despite all the research, there seemed to be something a little off. It wasn't so much the facts that were suspect(although I'd like to check if the Shoshone values of "Okahue" were created to serve the plot), but the way the facts integrated--or failed to integrate--with the story. At one point Diego is bitten by a rattlesnake. "Diego remembered some of the facts he had learned about rattlesnakes..." The facts that follow may as well be numbered, taken from some text or scientific article. The fencing scenes are even worse. You might as well read from a manual. I listened to the audiobook, so here is my best paraphrase: "He held his arm 180 degrees in front, foil pointed forward, left arm raised 90 degrees over his head for balance." Yes, that makes for quite the thrilling fight scene. The gripes go on. Every other word is a cliche (the translator's fault?), there is hardly any dialogue, the prose is bland, the characters flat and impossible to sympathize with, as they have as much pep as are papier mache.
This is my first Allende book, and I hear she is renowned for her well-drawn female characters and ability to write emotional drama. I can't speak for her other books, but here I found Julianna a distressed damsel, and Isabelle just annoying. Nuria, the girls' chaperone, is religious, superstitious and narrowminded, which makes her the most interesting of all. As for the men...Bernardo the mute Shoshone is sympathetic, mainly because of some emotional manipulation on the writer's part by making him an orphan who refuses to talk due to his suffering. She tries to make Zorro a sort of "scarlet pimpernel" type who behaves flamboyantly while defending the downtrodden from behind his mask. As with all her descriptions, she never gets more specific than saying he "dressed well" and "behaved flamboyantly". No "show", all "tell". She also tends to spell things out in case the reader wasn't observant enough to figure out something themselves.
I'd like to end on a positive note. Scientific discussion of rattlesnake bites aside, I did enjoy Diego's and Bernardo's Spirit Quests with the Shoshone tribe. I thought the two boys' respective experiences finding their totem animals did more to establish character than any other anecdote in this book.
December 20, 2021
I recently read the original (I think) Zorro novel and wasn't very impressed. I remembered that I've seen that Isabel Allende had written a spin off/retailing and very quickly borrowed it from the library. It's a good book as I almost always enjoy Isabel Allende's writing and it certainly helped this time. I don't think I'm as intrigued by the Zorro story as I had thought. I watched a movie with Zorro growing up and loved it but years and more since then and I've most likely grown out of it. Still a very good story just not quite my thing
July 7, 2016
Zorro's early years! This novel begins in 1790 in Spanish controlled California and hits highlights of Panama, Spain, and New Orleans as Diego is shaped into the Zorro that we all know and love.
Apparently some reviews felt that there was a lack of swashbuckling (there wasn't), which surprised me because I thought this focused more on the Native American origins of this particular character. I said "Swashbuckling Native Americans?" because that seemed like an odd expectation to me. But this actually follows Zorro's early years and then he travels to Spain where he trains under the world's best swordsman for awhile. So yes, there's a ton of swashbuckling and swordplay. There's also a hell of a lot of humor, which I was also not expecting.
This is not all fun. It shines a light on how harsh circumstances were in both California and Spain during both the Spanish colonial period and Napoleon's occupation/rule of Spain. But just when things are getting too serious you get something like this: "Isabel, on the other hand, took advantage of that display of nudity to try to satisfy and ancient curiosity. For years she had asked herself how men and women might be different. She was in for a disappointment, however, because that difference was small; it could be tucked comfortably into her reticule, as she commented to her chaperone."
So Allende holds true to the adventure and humor of the Zorro legend as she gives us this tale of Diego's discovery of his Zorro identity which, of course, comes to him on a vision quest and then is slowly shaped afterwards. This was both a fun story and excellent historical fiction.
Random Fact: Zorro means "fox" in Spanish. I didn't know this.
Apparently some reviews felt that there was a lack of swashbuckling (there wasn't), which surprised me because I thought this focused more on the Native American origins of this particular character. I said "Swashbuckling Native Americans?" because that seemed like an odd expectation to me. But this actually follows Zorro's early years and then he travels to Spain where he trains under the world's best swordsman for awhile. So yes, there's a ton of swashbuckling and swordplay. There's also a hell of a lot of humor, which I was also not expecting.
This is not all fun. It shines a light on how harsh circumstances were in both California and Spain during both the Spanish colonial period and Napoleon's occupation/rule of Spain. But just when things are getting too serious you get something like this: "Isabel, on the other hand, took advantage of that display of nudity to try to satisfy and ancient curiosity. For years she had asked herself how men and women might be different. She was in for a disappointment, however, because that difference was small; it could be tucked comfortably into her reticule, as she commented to her chaperone."
So Allende holds true to the adventure and humor of the Zorro legend as she gives us this tale of Diego's discovery of his Zorro identity which, of course, comes to him on a vision quest and then is slowly shaped afterwards. This was both a fun story and excellent historical fiction.
Random Fact: Zorro means "fox" in Spanish. I didn't know this.
November 14, 2007
This is a tough review to write. Why? Because this was the first book I've read this year that I was disappointed with.
Zorro is written by Isabel Allende, who is apparently a successful writer from Latin America. But frankly, I just don't think this was all that good. I expected more of a swashbuckling, action-packed story. Instead, the story focuses a lot on Diego de la Vega, whose alter-ego is Zorro, growing up in California and Spain. Zorro doesn't make his first appearance until something like halfway through the book. In addition to focusing the early parts of the book on young Diego's rearing in California, the bulk of the rest of the book focuses on Diego pining for Juliana, a young girl he meets when studying in Spain. That portion of the book was tedious and overly sappy, and somewhat pointless in the grand scheme of the plot. Even the plot, which built up to a confrontation that was totally predictable, was skimpy, and difficult to follow. There were long periods of the book describing things that happened that I really just didn't care about.
Maybe it was the translation, or maybe Zorro as a subject wasn't a good fit for Isabel Allende, but I just couldn't see where all the praise for her writing comes from. It certainly didn't come from this novel, I'm sorry to say.
Zorro is written by Isabel Allende, who is apparently a successful writer from Latin America. But frankly, I just don't think this was all that good. I expected more of a swashbuckling, action-packed story. Instead, the story focuses a lot on Diego de la Vega, whose alter-ego is Zorro, growing up in California and Spain. Zorro doesn't make his first appearance until something like halfway through the book. In addition to focusing the early parts of the book on young Diego's rearing in California, the bulk of the rest of the book focuses on Diego pining for Juliana, a young girl he meets when studying in Spain. That portion of the book was tedious and overly sappy, and somewhat pointless in the grand scheme of the plot. Even the plot, which built up to a confrontation that was totally predictable, was skimpy, and difficult to follow. There were long periods of the book describing things that happened that I really just didn't care about.
Maybe it was the translation, or maybe Zorro as a subject wasn't a good fit for Isabel Allende, but I just couldn't see where all the praise for her writing comes from. It certainly didn't come from this novel, I'm sorry to say.
June 27, 2013
If I could give this book 10 stars I would. I read it in Spanish on the recommendation of several of the people in my Spanish conversation group. Over the following year I read the entire book through at least 3 times, and some sections 5 or 6 times, and I don't reread books. I introduced it to a group of students and kids who hadn't wanted to read anything before were suddenly competing to read aloud. This book has so much action, so much history. It's kind of like The Count of Monte Cristo or one of the classics of that era. The day we finished reading it in class, the kids were silent for a minute or two and then got up and high fived each other and started all talking at once about whether or not they liked the way it ended. For many of them, it was the first time they had ever read a complete novel, much less a novel in a foreign language. How much more wonderful can a book get?
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