Spain Books

I completely forgot about this book until one of my students had me read it. Such a classic with an important message about staying true to yourself even if you are off the beaten path. The Spanish culture and charming illustrations only make this all the more likeable.

What a lovely classical story of peace. Ferdinand is a peaceful bull who loves to lie in the meadow and smell flowers. He gets stung by a bee at exactly the wrong moment (when the bullfighters are coming to pick a bull to take to the fights). So he is, of course, carted off to fight, since he is obviously the feistiest bull in the field. When he gets to the ring, no matter how mean the bullfighters are to him, Ferdinand just lies down and smells the flowers on the ladies' hats. This is such a beautiful story of peace and hope. Even though bullfighting is not promoted or accepted in the U.S., I think this is a beautiful classic story and I do recommend it for all ages.

the book and the cd were in good shape and the story was
similar to the one i knew when i was a child but not the
same. i was looking for a copy of the one i knew in the
early 50's, it was fun to listen to and it was funny.
there is another story of the flying mouse at the same
time, that i am looking for.

I loved this book as a child and my four children (14, 12, 11, 8) all enjoy this book as well. A great story to remind everyone that there is someplace for you in this world and its not always where you thought you would be!

I was delighted to find this childhood book on Amazon. So easy! Great service too.

I love this book!! could not put it down,it went everywhere i go,well written(i kept my dictionary close by)love the language,the playing with words,how the author made the characters come alive and made u feel like you were a part of the struggle,i went through different emotions reading this book and had to remind myself that this is modern time and what in the past is in the past.Now i am in the research phase buying products from amazon,and investigation how i can visit.
I raise my hat to you Kim,well done.
Montgomery Croker

MacQuarrie is a great story teller, and he pulls you right in.

He makes these historical events read like a novel. Part of the appeal is his presentation of Manco Inca and the Pizarro brothers. The author helps you understand the characters and once you do, you become absorbed in their times and troubles. Even the battle scenes, from which I normally cringe, are compellingly written. The contrasts in technology, religion, customs and values of the Spanish and Inca culture are marvelously described.

The "Last Days" parts stand in contrast to the beginning and the ending which are about the exploration of the areas and the re-discovery of the sites. While these are interesting tales, they pale before the story, which MacQuarrie tells so well, of the last days of the Incas.

I do not have much to add to what previous reviewers have said. I loved this book for its colloquial style and flowing narrative. The author did a great job detailing the life and deeds of Manco Inca, though, somewhat anti-climatically, he cut short the account of Gonzalo Pizzarro's (a major arch-villain) defeat and death. I personally recommend reading this book AFTER reading Prescott's account, in that it elucidates and magnifies the interwoven sories that make up this tragedy.
P.S. I STILL do not understand how could the Spanish have survived if 50,000 warriors would have just rushed them (rushing like a crowd in a burning movie theater) or thrown SIMULTANEOUSLY stones and javelins at them. I just don't get it.......

There are now three great English histories of the clash between the Spanish and the Inca in Peru. William H. Prescott published his History of the Conquest of Peru (1847) four years after his wonderful History of the Conquest of Mexico. Prescott's history remained the basic English text until 1970 when John Hemming published The Conquest of the Incas, still the definitive scholarly account (revised 2003) in English. Now Kim MacQuarrie has written a lively and dramatic version of the story without sacrificing historical accuracy, at least insofar as this general reader could discover by reading the three texts.

Pizarro was in his early 50s when he landed in "Viru" or "Biru,"; "eventually, the name of this tribe would be transmogrified and would come to refer to ... Peru -- home to the largest native empire the New World would ever know." Pizarro was the son of a respected soldier and a "common maid" who was "stigmatized by the fact that his father had never married his mother." He "had received little if any schooling and thus remained illiterate for his entire life," but he "instinctively understood both power and politics."

Pizarro brought Western inventions, institutions and religion to Peru which in the long run provided some benefits to the area. On the other hand the conquistadors slaughtered civilians and soldiers, pillaged treasures, murdered Inca leaders, destroyed many monuments and art works, and established a repressive political, cultural and economic system that persists today.

MacQuarrie writes that Prescott's "tale of Pizarro and a handful of Spanish heroes defying the odds against hordes of barbaric native savages not coincidentally mirrored the ideas and conceits of the Victorian Age and of American Manifest Destiny. No doubt this volume also reflects the prevailing attitudes of our time." MacQuarrie (and Hemming) clearly value the accomplishments of the Inca more than Prescott did, and have written a more balanced account.

MacQuarrie points out that historical accounts were written years after the events by people who either were not there or with failing memories. MacQuarrie finds many of those accounts closer to fiction than fact. And, from time to time MacQuarrie imagines events: "Hernando Pizarro, his horse snorting, presumably looked down his lines, then directly at Orgonez across the plain from him. Not taking his eyes from him, he then raised his sword on high, held it aloft for a moment, then quickly brought it down." MacQuarrie's cinematic training enlivens the story, but does not (in my opinion) contradict the historic record.

The basic elements of the story are clear. Pizarro established a base on the coast and then attacked the Inca Empire with 167 conquistadors, facing "an Inca army of perhaps eighty thousand warriors." He captured Atahualpa, the Inca emperor, then captured Cuzco, "the royal hub of the empire, a city that was purposely meant to display the ostentation of state power." He held Atahualpa hostage and executed him under the false impression that Atahualpa had ordered an attack on the Spaniards.

Atahualpa was "the equivalent of the king, the pope, and Jesus Christ all rolled into one." His execution established a pattern: Gonzalo Pizarro abducted the wife of Atahualpa's successor, Manco Inca; Manco was murdered by Spaniards, and Tupac Amaru -- the last of the emperors -- was captured and executed. "[T]he marauding Spaniards made no distinction between men, women, and children" as the slaughter continued.

In 1536, Manco Inca organized "a force of between 100,000 and 200,000 warriors -- a stupendous feat of logistical organization". The Spanish had enormous technological advantages including horses -- "animals that could carry a fully armored Spaniard and still outrun the fastest native" -- "steel helmets, armor, and chain mail," and "they could communicate much more efficiently through writing, thus being able to send and receive complex information between their often divided forces." Inca weapons "were designed for hand-to-hand combat with other similarly armed foot soldiers and consisted of an assortment of clubs." Eventually the Inca were able to devise strategies to offset Spanish advantages but but by then their forces were greatly reduced and the strategies unavailing.

MacQuarrie carries the story forward through the establishment of a stable Spanish government, and through the centuries as more and more of the accomplishments of the Inca were discovered. This extract captures the tone of MacQuarrie's history; here Hiram Bingham is on the verge of discovering Machu Picchu:

"'Picchu,' Arteaga had said, when they had first visited him the day before. The words were difficult to make out, filtering as they did past the thick gruel of coca leaves. 'Chu Picchu,' it sounded like the second time. Finally, the short peasant had firmly grabbed the American's arm and, pointing up at a massive peak looming above them, he uttered two words: 'Machu Picchu'--Quechua for 'old peak.' Arteaga turned and squinted into the intense brown eyes of the American explorer, then turned toward the mountain. 'Up in the clouds, at Machu Picchu--that is where you will find the ruins.' For the price of a shiny new silver American dollar, Arteaga had agreed to guide Bingham up to the peak. Now, high on its flank, the three men looked back down at the valley floor, where far below them tumbled the Urubamba River, white and rapids-strewn in stretches, then almost turquoise in others, fed as it was by Andean glaciers."

MacQuarrie has done a wonderful job of creating an exciting narrative from the major historical predecessors. He adds recent discoveries to the narrative. This is an essential book for anyone planning a trip to Peru, and a fascinating book for anyone interested in the history of the Inca.

Robert C. Ross 2008

12 years ago, motivated by a pictorial in National Geographic, I traveled to distant Peru. It was a fascinating journey, but after reading this book, I wished that I had it before I went (impossible, of course). I took it as a reverse travelogue, making sense of the places I had gone to and where they figured into the historical and exploratory narrative.

This book reads like a novel. In fact, I'd be surprised if it isn't ultimately converted into an HBO mini-series or the like. Interesting characters, from the puppet-turned-rebel Manco Inca, to the brash and vindicative Hernando Pizzaro, fill these pages and make them come to life. Revealed is an extra-ordinary account of the amazing conquest of a large and prosperous Empire by a small band of greedy Spanish outcasts.

Written in lucid prose, with numerous quotes, from Incas, Spaniards, and even outside philosophers, Kim MacQuarries does an excellent job of reaching out to the reader and creating a fascinating historical account. Well organized, the book even concludes with a complete description of the archeological work of the modern period associated with the recounted events and makes those almost as fascinating as the events themselves.

I couldn't recommend this book more highly.

Una novela que marca a todo el que la lee... el lenguaje en su máxima y más hermosa expresión.

La historia con Bèrthe Trépat, la carta de La Maga a Rocamadour, Talita pasando por el tablón y, claro, el capítulo 7 (toco tu boca...). Este libro me deja sin aliento. Nunca, pero NUNCA he leído nada de semejante belleza.

I really enjoyed this original book.

It has taken me years to sit down and finally make a serious commitment to read Julio Cortazar's "Hopscotch/La Rayuela." I cannot think of a better companion to devote a few weeks to, maybe even longer - hey, whatever it takes! It depends on your reading speed and the time you take to truly savor the poetry of the author's language. So, be willing to make a small personal investment in this very special novel, and the reward you reap will be a worthy one. Julio Cortazar will take you to places you have never been before in literature, and may never experience again. I read "Hopscotch" over this past summer, after a thirty year delay. I can be very stubborn about putting off what is good for me!! The author's imagination is boundless, his prose rich and luminous, his wit and sophistication rare, the dialogue brilliant, the plot...I won't attempt to describe that with a few adjectives. Wander through the extraordinary labyrinthine plot on you own - the way is yours to discover. I promise, you won't get lost!

I was introduced to "La Rayuela" about thirty years ago, when a close friend, with similar reading tastes, gave me the book. Enthused after just reading the novel, he told me that I reminded him of one of the characters, La Maga. (What a compliment...I think!). I was living in Latin America at the time. With personal interests at stake and much curiosity, I bought a copy in Spanish, which I read with some fluency back then. After experimenting with which way to approach the novel, and trying both ways, I gave up...and just read the parts about La Maga. I had little patience at that point in my life, and needed to acquire some, and to read slower, with more of a sense of play and participation. Cortazar wants his readers to participate - to make reading his book an interactive experience, not a passive one. I was and still feel touched when I remember my friend's comments regarding La Maga. She is a magnificent character and Cortazer's prose, his language, (Spanish), is exquisite. So, about a year later, I thought I'd give it another try, in English, perhaps with better results. None! I just wasn't ready, I guess. That happens to me with fiction occasionally. I have to be open to the experience. Yet, after all these years, I still thought of Horacio Oliveira and La Maga from time to time. And why not? They are truly unforgettable. As I wrote above, I did make time, at last. For an adventure of a lifetime, I recommend you do the same.

When Julio Cortazar published "La Rayuela" in 1966, he turned the conventional novel upside-down and the literary world on its ear with this experiment in writing fiction. He soon became an important influence on writers everywhere. "Hopscotch" is considered to be one of the best novels written in Spanish. The work is interactive, where readers are invited to rearrange its text and read sections in different sequences. Read in a linear fashion, "Hopscotch" contains 700 pages, 155 chapters in three sections: "From the Other Side," and "From This Side" - the first two sections are sustained by relatively chronological narratives and so contrast greatly with the third section, "From Diverse Sides," (subtitled "Expendable Chapters"), which includes philosophical extrapolation, character study, allusions and quotations, and an entirely different version of the "ending."

The book has no table of contents, but rather a "Table of Instructions." There, we learn that two approved readings are possible: from Chapter 1 through 56 "in a normal fashion", or from Chapter 73 to Chapter 1 to... well, wherever the chapters lead you. The instructions are all in your book and are extremely clear. At the end of each chapter there is a numeric indicator to lead the reader to the next chapter. One never knows where one will be lead. Due to its meandering nature, "Hopscotch" has been called a "Proto-hypertext" novel. Cortázar probably had this work in mind when he stated, "If I had the technical means to print my own books, I think I would keep on producing collage-books."

Horacio Oliveira, our protagonist and sometimes narrator, is an Argentinean expatriate, an intellectual and professed writer in 1950's bohemian Paris. He and his close friends, members of "the Club," do lots of partying, drinking, and intellectualizing, discussing art, literature, music and solving the world's problems. Oliveira lives with and loves La Maga, an exotic young woman, somewhat whimsical, at times almost ephemeral, who leaves behind her, like the scent of a light perfume, a feeling of poignancy and inevitable loss. La Maga refuses to plan her encounters with Oliveira in advance, preferring instead to run into each other by chance. Then she and Oliveira celebrate the series of circumstances that reunite them. Eventually, he loses La Maga, who loses her child. With her absence, Oliveira realizes how empty and meaningless his life is and he returns to his native Buenos Aires. There he finds work first as a salesman, then a keeper of a circus cat, and an attendant in an insane asylum.

As Oliveira wends his way through France, Uruguay and Argentina looking for his lost love, "Hopscotch's" narrative takes on an emotionally intense stream of consciousness style, rich in metaphor. Back In Argentina, Oliveira shares his life with his bizarre double, Traveler, and Traveler's wife, Talita, whom Oliveira attempts to remake into a facsimile of La Maga.

The game of hopscotch is only developed as a conceit late in the narrative. It is first used to describe Oliveira's confused love for La Maga as "that crazy hopscotch." The theme develops as a metaphor for reaching Heaven from Earth. "When practically no one has learned how to make the pebble climb into Heaven, childhood is over all of a sudden and you're into novels, into the anguish of the senseless divine trajectory, into the speculation about another Heaven that you have to learn to reach too." The variations on the children's game are described as "spiral hopscotch, rectangular hopscotch, fantasy hopscotch, not played very often." The allusions continue and include some beautiful passages.

"Hopscotch" is much more than a novel. Ultimately, it is best left for each reader to define what it is for himself/herself. Pablo Neruda in a famous quote said, "People who do not read Cortazar are doomed. Not to read him is a serious invisible disease." I don't know whether I would go so far. Remember, I put off the experience for many years. But this is one novel that should be read during one's lifetime. It is brilliant and it is fun!
JANA

Rayuela es, junto a otras obras como "El Túnel" de Sábato, una de las pocas muestras de literatura Existencialista latinoamericana. Y el resultado difícilmente pudo ser mejor, este libro de Cortázar fue aclamado por la crítica internacional y actualmente está junto con "Cien años de Soledad" ,y algunos otros pocos, dentro de las novelas latinoamericanas más renombradas.

En la primera página de "Rayuela", el autor indica que la obra es en realidad muchos libros y no sólo uno, pero que principalmente son dos libros (dos formas de leerlo). El primero se lee en forma continua, desde el capítulo 1 hasta el 56. El segundo se lee de acuerdo a un orden específico que da Cortázar, y abarca muchos otros capítulos, la totalidad de la obra. La palabra Rayuela se refiere a un juego, y algunos críticos consideran que esta 2da opción es también un juego, una broma del autor. Incluso al llegar a cierto capitulo (leyendo de la 2da forma), te ves dirigido luego al capítulo que leíste antes, formándose así un circulo de tal manera que la obra no tiene fin. ¿Cómo leer Rayuela? En lo personal la leí en forma continua, y no me arrepiento, aunque confieso haberle dado una hojeada a los capítulos no leídos.

No quiero contarles la trama de la novela, que si bien es muy valiosa, no es lo principal y no vale la pena conocerla antes de la lectura (como en casi todos los libros, en mi opinión). Basta con decir que narra la historia de Horacio Oliveira, un argentino de espíritu libre, sus años en París y en Argentina, y sus problemas existenciales. Como en toda novela existencialista, el principal atractivo es la profundidad de los personajes y la habilidad narrativa del escritor para envolvernos en la personalidad y mente de estos; en todo esto triunfa Julio Cortázar. En Rayuela, además de Oliveira, hay otros caracteres interesantisimos, como la famosa "Maga". La construcción de este personaje es una genialidad del autor, "La Maga" termina siendo una suerte de "Madame Bovary", una mujer a la cual ni Oliveira ni el lector podrán nunca olvidar.

Que más decir, "Rayuela" es un libro infalible, genial, de lectura imprescindible para cualquiera que disfrute leyendo a Sábato, Camus, Hesse, Sartre o Dostoievski. Pero es para cualquiera en realidad, pues es un libro verdaderamente extraordinario.

I purchased this book intending to get an unbiased view of the Spanish exploration of the New World. That is a difficult task given the nature of 20th & 21st Century academia.

This text, an eye witness account of what happened on real explorations, more than satisfies my objective. What's more, it's as exciting as can be... kind of like Star Wars... exploring new worlds, defeating the bad guys and establishing new alliances.

Excellent work.

If I could rate this work greater than five stars, I would. Not that it's the most erudite of tales but simply because it is the truth as Bernal Diaz experienced it. Almost certainly, it isn't one hundred percent accurate for Diaz' experiences are necessarily modified by the years separating his experiences from his writing of it. Nor was he, or any other member of the Cortez' expedition, an anthropologist, ethnographesr, scientist or even a particularly accurate observer. They were simple men--brave men, brutal men, trapped men--bent on plunder.

Still the Bernal Diaz memoirs are as good as it gets regarding the Conquest of Mexico and, as such, is an invaluable account. I find his account so important that I used it as my primary source in researching my novels--"Skull Rack" and "Hummingbird God"--on the Conquest of Mexico. I loved it when Diaz remarks towards the end of his account that, even in his old age, he wasn't able to sleep the night through. He "had to get up and look around." It's fascinating to note that basic human nature doesn't really change. Bernal Diaz del Castillo was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder induced by the fearful events of his two year battle in Mexico. Also, I loved it when he commented--also toward the end of his tale--that "although we robbed the Indiains, Cortez robbed his soldiers even more."

Cortez, for all his brillianace, luck and perseveranace, was, at the end, nothing more than a common thief.

Ron Braithwaite

When I first read the 1800 English translation, I could not put it down. Here are the first lines--a real grabbers! "In the year 1514, I left Castile (Spain) in company with Pedro Arias de Avila, who was then appointed governor of Tierra Firma (east Panama)...but afterwards suspicious that his son-in-law had an intention of revolting, he caused him to be beheaded."

Bernal's description of the Aztec city of Tenochtitlan is amazing: "To many of us it appeared doubtful whether we were asleep of awake; nor is the manner in which I express myself to be wondered at, for it must be considered, that never yet did man see, hear or dream of anything equal to the spectacle which appeared to our eyes on this day."

And how about this magnificent line: "And now, let who can, tell me, where are men in this world to be found, except ourselves, who would have hazarded such an attempt."

And here is the horrific vision the Spaniards beheld when they climbed to the top of the great Aztec temple-pyramid. Remember that nearby, and looming up like a nightmare, was the stupendous "tzompantli," or skull rack. By careful Spanish count, it contained the grinning remains of 136,000 human beings.

"In this place they had a drum of most enormous size, the head of which was made of the skins of large serpents: this instrument when struck resounded with a noise that could be heard to the distance of two leagues, and so doleful that it deserved to be named the music of the infernal regions; and with their horrible sounding horns and trumpets, their great knives for sacrifice, their human victims, and their blood besprinkled altars, I devoted them, and all their wickedness to God's vengeance, and thought that the time would never arrive, that I should escape from this scene of human butchery, horrible smells, and more detestable sights."

The Conquest takes on a different color when seen through the eyes of the Spanish. Yes, they were greedy and cruel, but the scale of human sacrifice practiced by the Aztecs was beyond imagination. It is said that some twenty thousand people were sacrificed for the dedication of the Temple of the Sun. The Aztec priests worked for hours on end cutting out human hearts. They worked until they collapsed from exhaustion.

Bernal's history is also interesting for another entirely different reason. Joseph Smith (born 1805), the Mormon prophet, came of age during the period of English translations of Spanish histories (Bernal's in 1800 in London, and 1803 in the US, and Clevigero's "History of Mexico" in 1806 in Virginia and 1817 in Philadelphia).

Therefore, the golden splendor of the Spanish conquests of Mexico and Peru was fresh on everyone's mind, especially because the Spanish colony of Florida had become an American state (1821).

Thus, any notion that Americans were unaware of the great civilizations of ancient America is without foundation in real history. Ancient civilizations in America were so on the mind of people that in 1816, Solomon Spaulding wrote a history about a white and dark race in ancient America. His novel, "Manuscript Found," had the white race of mound builders destroyed by a darker-skin race.

Read my review of Robert Silverberg's magnificent book, "The Mound Builders of Ancient America: The Archaeology of a Myth." A must-read for anyone interested in the archaeology and myths about ancient America. Click here: Mound Builders

First person historical accounts are generally the best way to read history and have it come alive in the mind of the reader. This book by Bernal Diaz is certainly no exception to that rule. Although Diaz wrote this much later in life, and doubtless his memory was not perfect, it is obvious that the experience of marching with Cortez in the conquest of the Aztec empire left innumerable vivid memories in his mind.

I am very sensitive to the fact that the conquest of the Aztec empire and other native empires in the Americas left a horrific legacy which is still felt dramatically throughout the hemisphere. Despite the fact that in many ways, the conquistadors should not be considered "heroes," I think we still can admire and be awed by their courage and fortitude in the face of unbelievable odds in facing the Aztecs and not only escaping with their lives, but eventually conquering the entire civilization. Diaz brings these events to life better than any history book I ever read, and I highly commend this book to anyone interested in the history of this period, of Mexico, or Latin America in general.

Diaz was one of the soldiers who accompanied Cortez to invade the Aztec Empire. His account is one of the best we have of the whole affair. It is not written with much bias and was written to discount historical myths after the invasion had taken place. It is very analytical at times and his analysis of what happened is given added authority since he was present at the events. If you want to understand what happened this is a great book to read.

Creo que uno de los libros mas lindos que he leido. Es un libro que podes leer a cualquier edad, tendo 18 años y recien lo lei.
Es una aventura muy linda que algun dia espero poder leer a mi hijos :)
Les recomiendo este libro a todo mundo.

It is definitely the best book I have ever read, and I read many great books throughout my life. I read it about six times, the first one when I was little. I still remember. Now I got it for my own children. It has amazing principles, and wonderful teachings. I wich we could all see life the way "El Principito" does. What a great lesson!

It's been one of my favorite books since I was in 6th grade, great life values in this story! Great for kids! and people of any age.

This is a lovely story, and I wanted to own the book to follow while I listen to the story in Spanish on my ipod. Children's stories in Spanish are a delightful way to study for the mid-level student.

T.William Waltrip, M.D.

A BOOK THAT INFLUENCED MY LIFE

The book that has influenced my life is "The Little Prince". This book iis basically about a little blond boy that meets an adult with who he will become friend, somewhere in the world, dunno where.He discovers, during a trip, adults, who will allow him to understand adults world and life on hearth In the begining of the story, the pilot crashes in a desert and thers were the story begings.This story has many characters, but the two main ones are the pilot (the narrator), and the little prince.One of the main settings are the dessert were the pilot meets the little prince, and the planet were the little prince lives, but this story has many settings.

I read this book because my mother told me that every kid must read this book, so she gave me the book and i read it when i was almost 12 years old. This book has influenced my life in many ways. Every time i read this book it makes me think, about pepole and friendship, it makes me cry, laugh, and be a better person and a better friend. It also makes me be more pacient, and this is a thing that im not so good at, but every time im in a cituation were i have to be pacient, since i read that book, I have teach myself to try to understand people, and why they are like that. This book is in a prose/chatter way written, in this way it was easier for me to understand the meaning of the words. This book you have to read it more than once to get the meaning of the words.



By Avira Arreola.

I bought this book for one story but it turned out all of the stories were great.

Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings always makes me cry. The other reviews of this book here describe it so eloquently and throughly that I don't feel the need to add to that aspect. The book has a strong emotional pull that made me cry and made long to go to Cross Creek and see it for myself. Rawlings is one of my all-time favorite writers, ever since my seventh-grade teacher read the newly published book The Yearling to her class, a chapter or two each day after lunch.

Wonderful view of an isolated place in FL (near Gainesville) circa 1930 written by a brave, independent woman.

Cross Creek is a series of entertaining if perhaps embellished anecdotes relating to Florida in the years preceding World War II told from the perspective of a educated emigré from the North. Some of the language, which was typical of the times, would no longer be considered politically correct and might be offensive to some. The book, however is totally delightful and gives some insight into life in rural Florida at the time. An excellent companion read is Tom Glisson's The Creek, which gives a native's view of the same time and area. Both books are a must read if you live or are interested in North Central FL.

Rawlings explores the lives and interations of the odd assortment of people living in Cross Creek, Florida in the early 1900s. It is often assigned reading for teens, but I doubt that most of them can appreciate it. Her accounts of neighbors feuding and subsistance living gives us many lessons in human behavior.
The lyrical descriptions of wildlife and the orange groves and wild landscape are very appealing. Your mouth waters as you read her essays on downhome foods like hush puppies. She turned those into a cookbook which I'll have to try out.
Modern readers squirm uncomfortably at her use of the N----- word and her characterization of blacks as irresponsible, drunken, immoral, etc. It is probably a faithful representation of common thinking at the time it was written, so recognize it as a snapshot of the times. Then move past that to luxuriate in the beautiful passages in the book. (I deducted 1 star for this)
The reader becomes absorbed in Rawlings' love of the land and the creation of a home. It gives much the same feelings as A Year in Provence or Under a Tuscan Sun.

I already read this book a few years ago, and like the other people above said, it`s an incredible history you can't not put down the book once you started reading, because you get involve into it. Personally I recommended, I was thinking to read it again...

A traves de este libro asombroso, Saramago pretende explicar que pasaria si a los seres humanos se les robaran la vista, una de las cosas que nosotros como seres humanos muchas veces damos por sentada. Una de las novelas mas humanas que he leido, los personajes al enfrentar la ceguera, llegan a ser meros animales, presos a las privaciones que surgen bajo la cruel perdida de la vista.

I read José Saramago's 'The Cave' about a year ago, and it is currently the best book I have ever read. Saramago's aptitude at illustrating human nature at its very worst is unsurpassed elsewhere. Also, his interesting, unconventional grammatical style (free of commaz, quotation marks, etc.), which is also found in his other books (Saramago is my favorite author, along with Pat O'Shea), is very interesting. He taught me that, in a way, grammatical symbolz can hold back a reader's experience by making them lazy, guiding them from sentence to sentence. His style forcez the reader to really think about what they just read, which is something I sometimez have trouble with when I'm putting alot of thought into any one part of a book.
Another great thing about Saramago's general style is how he truly makes it feel like a first-person experience. I remember when I first read the book that during and until about a month after finishing it I felt a need to feel my way through the house. I actually became physically more aware of my environment to this day, when I can memorize distance and I believe that the depth of the book caused me to gain much greater peripheral vision.
All-in-all, this novel is a tremendous read, and I recommend it to anyone literate in any language, as Saramago's literature is heavily-translated.

No creo que pueda decir nada que ya no se haya dicho sobre la trama de este libro, solo puedo agregar que apenas lei la primera pagina me enganche, y no pude soltarlo hasta terminar de leerlo. Ensayo sobre la ceguera es el primer libro de una trilogia, "involuntaria", de Saramago, y ya estoy esperando con ansia poder leer "Todos los Nombres" y "La Caverna", los otros dos titulos de esta trilogia. Saramago es un genio, que continua emocionandome, conmocionandome y ensenandome el lado obscuro de la naturaleza humana. En este libro Saramago hace una especie de denuncia de la desensibilizacion a la que hemos llegado los seres humanos, eso si, una denuncia escrita muy inteligentemente, con una sabiduria enorme y sobre todo con una humildad infinita. El estilo de Saramago obliga al lector a leer pausadamente, y a refleccionar sobre la profundidad de sus argumentos. Una fuerte critica social que no deja de sorprenderme.

Como uno a uno en el pueblo (sin nombre....) se fueron quedando ciegos debido a la plaga blanca.. el gobierno asustado por el contagio los mando de "internados" a unas instalaciones nada agradables para la vida cotidiana, poco a poco se fue llenado de ciegos, como empieza a hacer falta desde la comida hasta la misma agua...
que tanto tuvieron que dar algunos para recibir la comida, el precio de los otros por haberla cobrado, estrujante y maravilloso!

This is my first book by Perez-Reverte and I just loved it.
The easy flow of the story keeps you wanting more and more. Very realistic, when you are reading you are not sure whether is the description or real events (if any) it transports the reader to the different scenarios, fascinating, interesting. Also, i need to mention the use of mexican slang by the author made it feel extra real, like if you could hear their voices... BRAVO!
I will definetely would like to read all of his books!
Thank you i really enjoyed this book.

Este libro es muy super bueno. No pude parar de leerlo y ahora que lo termine me quede con las ganas de leer mas. Excelente!

No puedo recordar una novela que disfruté tanto. Lleva un exclente sentido de las dos culturas hispánicas...la de México y de España. La técnica narrativa se fascina y mantiene siempre curioso y entretenido al lector. Pérez-Reverte es un autor de los mejores, y este libro es prueba cierta de sus destrezas.

He aquí la historia de Teresa Mendoza Chávez, una mujer que tras la muerte de su amante se ve envuelta en una escalada de violencia, intrigas, uniones y traiciones a conciencia, una gran empresa, una inmensa fortuna y una grandisima soledad y miedo que casi siempre viene asociado al poder y el narcotráfico.
Una novela muy bien escrita en la que la vida de Teresa se desgrana poco a poco- muchas veces en forma de testimonios - a través de personas que la conocieron de una forma u otra y se completa con los pocos diálogos y las muchas reflexiones de la o las Teresas que se desdoblan en la trama; la mujer, la amante, la amiga, la compañera, la empresaria o simplemente la "narca" que compite con todas ellas por la supremacia.

Te compenetras demasiado en la cultura narco-mejicana. Viven al borde de la muerte en todo momento, impresionante. La historia es como una en un millon. Si vale la pena leerlo y recomendarlo.

The struggle to be free is a major theme of The Wild Man. The protagonist, a dashing bullfighter by the name of Antonio is a captive of familial expectations, professional obligations, and the strict gender roles of Spain during the last years of Francisco Franco's rule. Antonio shares the weight of these societal burdens with his twin sister, Josefina, a former marimacho (tomboy) who skirts the edge of propriety with her moderna ways. These forms of captivity are echoed by an entire society held in thrall by fascism and the imprisonment of wild animals for bloody sport.

Antonio begins the story as a well-known bullfighter from an aristocratic family. Though bullfighting is a decidedly blue collar sport, fans have embraced him due to his flair in the ring. I have to say that I am not a fan of bullfighting. Not in the least. However, Patricia Nell Warren's amazing descriptions of the technical and artistic foundations of the sport gave me an appreciation of the tragic beauty of the sport.

At first, Antonio is content to satisfy the "Big Hunger" of his desires with furtive encounters in other countries. Then a chance encounter with a peasant named Juan throws Antonio's world into turmoil. From the get go, the powderkeg of their class difference threatens the burgeoning romance as much as their sexual orientation.

Juan is brought to Antonio's under the pretense of tutelage. Juan, his junior by 6 years, will take his place in the ring. Or so the hope is. However, Juan's skills in the ring don't quite fit the plan. Unwilling to be the "kept man" of a landed lord, Juan abruptly breaks off their romance. However, Antonio isn't so quick to give up and hatches a plan to win Juan back. Usually these moments in romance novels get a shrug from me at most. But I was honestly not sure of how this would turn out, and my heart was racing as Antonio put his plan into motion.

Antonio's relationship with his twin sister was another cornerstone of the narrative. As young kids, they were inseparable. Climbing trees, riding horses, dreaming of bullfighting... the two twins approached life with a shared devil-may-care attitude. Antonio relished his twin sister's tomboy antics and refused to call her Josefina, preferring José.

Their conservative parents resented this bond and took steps to break it. When they were no longer allowed to sleep in the same room, the twins would use the branches of the mulberry tree outside their rooms to sneak around. Eventually their parents severed their immediate connection completely by sending José to convent school and Antonio to military school. Years later, though, both twins discover that their old bond remains.

"Dig you feet in." Those were the words José told Antonio as a kid, when he struggled to keep up with her while climbing trees. Don't give up, you won't fall, trust me. "Dig your feet in" becomes Antonio's battlecry. As the crushing vice of their society begins to threaten their very lives, the twins face the danger together, united once again.

Antonio's struggle to be wild and free, to love the man who stole his heart, opens his eyes to all the other forms of captivity surrounding him. He sees the shackles of feminine propriety forced on his twin sister and the socioeconomic barriers that hemmed Juan in. But Antonio's growth doesn't end there. He begins to make a connection between his own captivity and that of the bulls he routinely puts to death. The seeds of empathy slowly flourish, leading to a profession that he never would've imagined in his younger days.

I could go on about this story, but I want to leave you with some surprises. One tip, though. Buy the book, but don't read the summary on the back! It gives one major story element away immediately that I truly think would've worked best as a total surprise.

Set in late 1960s Spain that is struggling under the yoke of Francisco Franco's oppressive dictatorship, Patricia Nell Warren has woven a story of relationships, repression, and the human spirit's yearning to overcome. Author of The Front Runner, the novel that is generally considered THE breakout gay novel that has paved the way for all that have followed, Warren has exceeded herself in many ways with The Wild Man.

Spain, in all her rustic beauty, deep traditions, and centuries-old history of violent repressions perpetrated by the Catholic Church, the throne, and governments that often backed and supported it, the political background of The Wild Man is a vital part of this story. Warren, having lived and worked in Spain during the period that's depicted in The Wild Man, has imbued the story with nuances only a real understanding of the climate and history of Spain can render.

Antonio Escudero is The Wild Man. A fading bullfighter in the traditional style, battling an old injury and his own inner conflict, at thirty years old, he is edging towards retirement. Fueled by his crumbling conviction about the meaning of his art, he carries another burden. Living in a country known for its long history OF violent racial and ethnic cleansing of Moors, Jews, intellectuals, dissidents and homosexuals, Antonio is a maricón. He is a homosexual. He has dealt with his needs, "the Big Hunger," by seeking physical pleasures while abroad, and hiding his reluctance to marry in the accepted bachelorhood of the torero. With his confidence shaken from the old injury, with his yearning for a relationship rather than a tryst, and with the pressures to wed placed on him by his family, Antonio is at a crossroads.

As Antonio limps from the ring after a fight at Santander on Spain's north coast, a working-class man wearing bloodstained coveralls leans out and offers a drink to Antonio. He is one of the butchers employed to dress the bulls that are killed in the ring. Antonio accepts the drink and moves on. After the fight, as Antonio and his entourage are leaving the arena and getting into their car, a man reappears in the crush of people scrambling for a piece of the toreros. It's the man who offered Antonio the drink. As the crowd presses in, Antonio's feet slip, he loses his footing and the young man, Juan, grabs him. Hidden in the mob of screaming people, Antonio feels Juan press his hips against him, and the unmistakable hardness in his pants. As Antonio jumps into his car, he pulls Juan in after him so that he won't be arrested by `the Grays,' Franco's police, there to squelch the mob's enthusiasm for the fights that could, at any time, erupt into a political riot. Antonio thanks Juan and offers him money. Juan proudly refuses. Juan is driven to a safe place, dropped off, and vanishes into the night. Thus, do Juan and Antonio first meet.

Over the course of the next days and weeks, Antonio's obsession with the man he saw, overwhelms him. Under the pressures from within and those from without, he risks his twin sister Josefina's trust. Called José, she and Antonio have always been close, and are both viewed unfavorably by their family. Each in their own way, they rebelled against the old traditions. They are an upper-class family, and Antonio's choice to become a torero was not well received. José did the unthinkable when she moved, unmarried and alone to Madrid, and got a job as a journalist, reporting on the Bullfights. When Antonio breaks down and shares the secret of his homosexuality and his obsession with a stranger he saw briefly in Santander, José shares a secret of her own. She, too, is a maricona. She, however, is not without a secret love in her life. Her long-time lover is Antonio's soon-to-be fiancé, Serafita, a friend of his sister's long before she ever met Antonio.

The story follows Juan and Antonio as they fumble through misunderstandings and false starts. Throughout all are Juan's deep pride and his angry refusal to be bought by Antonio's wealth and status. Antonio and Juan share a love of their native land, of the flora and fauna, and this provides them a mutual meeting ground, and indeed, a way to secretly fulfill their desire. Paralleling, and closely tied to their story, is José's and Sera's. In time, the four come to an agreement, a pact: two marriages of convenience. Before this can be brought to fruition, events unfold that threaten not only their shared dream to live as they need, but their lives as well. In Franco's Spain, torture and death for maricones is a real possibility. Underlying the main plot and intertwined throughout is a subplot of an Old Spanish relic of archeological value. This becomes a vital element in the events as they unfold.

The Wild Man is first and foremost a beautifully written story of love. The characters are fully drawn, fully realized, and well crafted. Warren paints Spain with brushstrokes both honest and loving, portraying a place that is both physically beautiful and at times, brutally cruel. The subtleties of the political currents and old Spanish traditions, set against the human spirit's striving for fulfillment, is moving and tragic, horrific and hopeful, yet ultimately a story of promise and optimism. Indeed, with long strides, Spain today has overtaken the United States in tolerance and basic human rights for gays.

The Wild Man is an absolute work of art, a true masterpiece of gay fiction, or rather, simply, of fiction, set in heady and intoxicating Spain, whose passions are revealed at times, not only in what she proudly displays, but also in what she once tried to hide.

Patricia Nell Warren's first gay novel, THE FRONT RUNNER, is my favorite book. I read it back in 1975, and while I found her two sequels, and subsequent novels to be well written, thought provoking, and thoroughly entertaining, none quite lived up to that first amazing reading experience. That is until I read THE WILD MAN, published in 2001.

Both novels deal with well known athletic figures. Both men are gay, one a distance runner the other a matador. Each is searching to find, and hold on to, love in a hostile environment. This, however, is where the similarities end.

In THE FRONT RUNNER, the hero, Billy, and his lover, Harlan, try to live openly as a couple, in the early seventies, before such relationships were commonly accepted. In THE WILD MAN, Antonio Escudero lives in sixties fascist Spain, where an openly gay relationship could mean prison or death.

Antonio is a bullfighter in the classic tradition, but at thirty, and recently recovered from a near leg losing goring, his career is winding down. After a successful performance in the costal city of Santander, Antonio is almost crushed by an adoring crowd outside the bullring, but is rescued by strong attractive slaughterhouse worker, Juan Diano. The brief look and touch they exchange is enough for both to become obsessed with one another but, because of the society they live in, intimacy is all but impossible.

The secrecy required to be together isn't the only problem the men face. Antonio is an aristocrat from one of Spain's oldest families, and Juan is little more than a peasant. They are both proud Spanish men full of machismo, and they spend a great deal of time butting heads. Antonio wants to give everything to Juan, but Juan refuses to be bought. Also, neither man wants to admit his love to the other, but they will never give each other up.

This novel is full of Spanish history and tradition. It has wonderfully drawn characters and situations, providing a detailed portrait of life under the tyrant, Generalissimo Franco. It is a fascinating and often frightening story.

THE FRONT RUNNER had a profound effect on me when I first read it as a closeted nineteen year old boy. It was the catalyst that helped me come out as gay. I've read it dozens of times over that past thirty-something years, and it holds a very special place in my heart.

THE WILD MAN has had an equally profound effect on me as an older gay man, and, it's served to strengthen my pride and self respect. It is clearly some of Warren's finest work. I wish I had read it sooner, but I know, like THE FRONT RUNNER, I'll read it again many times.

amazon.com's editorial reviewer complains that The Wild Man too often reads like a romance novel. DUH! It IS a romance novel, among other things . . . the best romance novel I've ever read.

I can't say enough good things about this book. I'm about halfway through, and I love it, love it, LOVE IT . . . the mix of romance, religion, history, environmentalism, feminism, the bullfighting metaphors, and especially the underlying message that lesbians and gay men need one another to survive in a hostile world. The difficult love scenes between Juan and Don Antonio ring so true! I never dreamed women understood about gay men who refuse to kiss and who won't accept the sexually passive role because it isn't "manly," but Ms. Warren understands, and she dares to write about it here. And she is courageous in addressing physical abuse in gay relationships (i. e. the characters of Josefina and Sera). I picked up this book after reading James M. Cain's extremely homophobic novel "Serendade," which is set in Mexico. This book is the anecdote to that one . . . it's like a breath of fresh air.

I'm reading it now as a library lend, but I plan to buy The Wild Man as soon as I can afford to do it. It fairly cries out to be made into a movie! I can practically hear the flamenco guitars on the soundtrack.

Wow, I didn't think Ms. Warren could ever top "The Front Runner". But then comes "The Wild Man". Truly an amazing book, neck-and-neck with Mary Renault's "The Persian Boy". The best words to describe this book are in her book itself, so get it and read it. And don't make the mistake of passing over the Author's Prologue -- this little bit at the beginning of the book sets the stage for the entire novel.

I don't buy any of it, not for a minute. But, this is a much more enjoyable read than several of the so-called "thrillers" I've read recently. Just suspend your disbelief, dive right in, and be swept away!

Aline, Countess of Romanos has written a spectacular book. I had to keep reminding myself that I was reading an autobiography and not a work of fiction. Aline is an agent for the OSS during World War II. She blends into Spanish high society and manages to complete her mission and introduce the reader to the thrills and chills of being an undercover agent. She also gives us a glimpse of Spanish Aristocracy, bull fighting and the inner workings of a nineteen year olds dilemma of befriending people who may be targets of her investigation. I have read all of her books but like this one the best. It is full of action, drama, and even a touch of romance. I have recommended it to all of my friends.

I have purchased 4 books by Aline Romanos. I absolutely love them. The fact that there is truth behind the story and that she really was an upper-class lady as well as a spy excites me. I find myself wishing I lived an adventurous life. She has a talent when it comes to recreating her life and exploits. I could not put it down!

Written like a fiction novel, this factual, first-person account of a young woman spy during World War II is absolutely enthralling. You'll get a first-hand look into what it's like to be recruited and trained as a spy, then go on your first assignment, mingling with the highest Spanish society while secretly risking your life to uncover essential Axis secrets. The characters in the novel are rich and compelling, and you never know what's going to happen next to the protagonist/ingenue Aline.

I read this book in the '80s and have remembered it ever since. I finally found it again and reread it. It's just as fascinating now as it was then.

The only drawback: If you read at night, you won't get much sleep because this book is nearly impossible to put down.

The most respected historian in the field of espionage, Nigel West, studied all of Aline's spy books marketed as nonfiction and concluded "...all four of Aline's books should be regarded as fiction, and nothing more..." Read "Counterfeit Spies, Chapter 3, by Nigel West, 1998.