Portugal Books

People familiar with Laxalt's work know that he mostly writes about the Basques, which is his own heritage. This book is a moist, sincere, heart-warming ramble around the Basque countryside, based on Laxalt's stay in Basque country in the early seventies. It is not a novel; it is rather a series of vignettes of traditional Basque life, with an eye toward revealing something of the Basque character. Sometimes Laxalt himself is a character in the action, such as at the slaughter of a pig or when some French bikers create a stir in a Basque tavern; more often he is an anonymous observer, such as in the singing contest or the meeting of the three poets. Some of the chapters are less than a page long, and might be described as prose poems.

The book is disarmingly short; I think I read it in two hours. But you can't resist how it makes you feel good, and makes you want to spend your next vacation in the Pyrenees. If you're a Basque enthusiast, it's a must read.

This is a wonderful book. I began learning spanish Seven months ago and now I am offered numerous jobs as a translater because I speak it so well. I owe part of that to this book for teaching me the old metaphors of the latino world. I refered back to this book almost everyday and I learned so much. "cada subida tiene su bajada." "No hay rosa sin espina." "cuando nacio el ahorcado hijito pario su madre." These are just a few of my favorite dichos from this book. The only thing it needed was to literally translate the meanings so students of the spanish language could get even more from this wonderful compilation of hispanic wisdom.

This volume is a good addition to the history of the cultural and artistic exchange that took place between Africa and Europe during the 16th and 17th centuries. The topics are covered well and effectively given the length of the volume. However, given the cost of the volume, the overall quality of the photographs and illustrations is a bit disappointing. Color images are definitely preferable. There are color images but only a part. Also some of the chapters would benefit by a large number of images demonstrating the overall art forms and the exchange taking place. I am not looking for a "pretty" table top book - rather a volume with clear illustrations lending themselves to a clear explanation of the cultural exchange taking place. This aside, it is a well done volume and a good edition to an area lacking in quality research and publication.

I consider this one of the best around. After going thru 5 or 6 different guides, I find the structure is good with loads of information and makes easy reading.

I bought my first copy of the Insight Guide to Madeira in 1993. More than a tourist guide it actually tipped the scales toward what could be classified as an illustrated guide to the history, culture, and industry of Madeira. The book touches upon the most important fields of Madeira today: the wine, the embroidery, the folklore, the fishing, and is the very publication that spurred me on to visit and then stay on the beautiful Island of Madeira. Yes, the book actually did that. Now, 5 years down the road I look back at what I read in the guide and see what I know today. Madeira has changed so much in that short space of time that I recommend you make sure you get the latest copy.

This was a great guide for a recent trip to Spain; both I and my young daughter thouroughly enjoyed looking through the photos...sometimes when I couldn't find the book, I'd look in her room and she'd have fallen asleep with it in her hands--no doubt dreaming of adventures to come! The info within is limited to Andalucia, so be aware of this if your travels take you beyond the borders of Southern Spain.

The biography is thorough, comprehensive, and current in its interpretation. Liss demonstrates the Spanish queen's mastery of power politics, political theatre, her economic savvy, and her passionate vision. Delightful throughout its long text, the book incorporates the ideological and cultural motivations behind the woman's ambition to revive ancient Castilian traditions and expand the Spanish kingdoms into a new Christian empire. Some scholars are critical of this motivational emphasis, calling it romanticism on Liss's part. It is more a clever capture of the spirit of the times. Sadly, there is no formal bibliography, though prolific footnotes steer serious students to sources in English and Spanish. There are too many editing errors, and some citations are simply incorrect, but overall,the book is a fine overview of one of history's greatest women.

A great read for anyone looking for an insight into the great man. Explores his early and successful career prior to joing the mighty Chealsea FC.

By the end of the nineteenth century, when naturalism was the current trend in literature, Spanish author Juan Valera wrote many essays that attacked this new style. Valera believed that the main purpose of art was beauty, and beauty can only be achieved only by showing the beauties of the world. This is why Juanita la Larga is strange to the contemporary readers. It is true that the author strives to recreate accurately the scenery of Andalusia, South of Spain, and the novel is clearly more realistic than romantic. But the readers still might feel strange that everyone is happy and smiling in this region, that almost every building is beautiful, that the feasts there are always splendid, etc. This may be more enjoyable than the endless suffering in Zola's novels but for me this everything-is-beautiful feel seems a little bit too much. The author shows certain tenderness towards each character, even bad guys in the book are more likely to be represented as ridiculous than frightful. The atmosphere of the book might come as a fresh air to those who are tired of the pessimism-soaked literature of the twentieth century but for me is too fairy-tale-like. Especially the ending is not very convincing when Juanita, the protagonist falls in love with the other hero, a nice, middle-aged man, the alter-ego of the author, who also married a young girl in an old age. This starting idea could generate a splendidly bizarre twentieth-century novel, but it is clear that Valera had written this book to sweeten the pill to the audience of the age. With his approach, the story misses the psychological dimensions that could make the final marriage credible. To me, it seems as unreal as the always smiling Andalusian people.

As a frequest visitor to Portugl I was seeking a great travel book for a gift. This one had wonderful information and the recipients found it a great help when planning their trip.