I did read this one in Spanish but decided not to trudge through my poor Spanish writing skills - I'll admit on the front of it I did3.5 - rounded up.
I did read this one in Spanish but decided not to trudge through my poor Spanish writing skills - I'll admit on the front of it I didn't love Allende's frank writing style. It's very beautiful and yet blunt, a story or transition can happen in just a sentence or two. There were parts to this novel I felt were slow and was particularly disappointed when all of a sudden we jumped 10 years, and then another to old age. I found myself really disconnected and in that 'who cares' feeling at that point.
But I kept going and I'm glad I did. The last couple of chapters really round out the story. I can't even really explain why either, but just that there is a profound beauty there that makes you feel like, no matter what age and what you've seen, there's living that can be done.
Also - Roser is a beast and I wish I were just like her....more
Do you ever read a historical fiction and think, "This must have happened." It was so expertly woven, the truth and tales of the times iOh, this book.
Do you ever read a historical fiction and think, "This must have happened." It was so expertly woven, the truth and tales of the times intermingled with the fiction so beautifully I thought it had to be true. The richness of the story, though certainly not all uplifting, felt like something that just had to have happened. Of course, I realize that's not the case, but I don't think I'll be able to ever think about the Spanish Civil War without imagining La Rusa's impact.
I adored this (audio) book. It's a historical fiction that reads like a mystery. I knew the instant I picked this up it would be a winner of my heart: Spain, flamenco, and ballet? It's like Alexandra knew what draws me to a story and decide to put it all into one place - beautifully at that. If you don't already have a soft spot for any of those items, you'll be hard pressed to walk away from this tale without one.
What more is there to say? Paloma, Evelina, Celestina - Golden Earrings is a tale of strong women who are impacted by a terrible war. It's a story about how people react when their lives are altered by others' choices. It's not a story about making all the right decisions. Each and every one of the characters in this novel make mistakes - very large mistakes - that send waves of impacts down the line for years. But mistakes don't make a person, and Alexandra's weaving of the characters shows that mistakes can be made by good people, but that good people aren't immune to hard choices.
This is a little known novel that needs some serious love. It's incredibly via audio book and I'm sure just as good on paper. Highly recommend,and I will definitely be picking up more of Alexandra in the future.
Man. I should have loved this book. When I pulled the off the shelf at Half Price Books I knew I had to have it. It was perfect for me. Not only was iMan. I should have loved this book. When I pulled the off the shelf at Half Price Books I knew I had to have it. It was perfect for me. Not only was it a travel memoir, one of my great weaknesses, but it was a travel memoir about Spain. Add onto that a quirky story and I'm sold.
So what happened? Why am I not head over heels for this story? The writing was quite good, the descriptions were also nicely done. There is nothing glaringly obvious throughout the entire length.
The problem is that I just don't care. Stewart, whether he meant to or not, kept me at arms length. I felt no suspense nor any struggle. All of the characters, especially his wife, were more supporting cast than ever having real personalities of their own (except maybe Romero). At times he hinted at disappointment or challenges but I never felt it. Everything that was hard seemed easy - something which moving to a falling down farm in the middle of rural Andalucia should never seem.
Maybe I should have known. After all, the title says "an optimist in Andalucia." That optimism definitely permeated the book. The problem was it wasn't just over Stewart. You could feel it over every moment and every character. It watered it down and even though he was writing about an area of the world near and dear to my heart, I found myself just not caring.
This may be a bold statement, but I feel while Stewart didn't do anything wrong, he also didn't do anything right with this book. Though maybe that's harsh. There was one piece that touched me, toward the end. Stewart mentioned how he didn't feel like he fit in until he let himself be an outsider. Those are his exact words, but they are close enough. I understand that completely. My first time in Spain I tried so hard to fit in - I bought all European clothes, did European things, etc. Of course, it didn't work. Everyone spotted me as American, and treated me as such. When I went back years later and lived in Salamanca, I did nothing to hide my foreignness, and somehow I just fit better. It's funny how it all works.
So, Stewart, I do thank you for the one spark of inspiration in the whole of the book. However, even with that, I just can't lay my recommendation to it.
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