krissyronan's review against another edition
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
I struggle liking books when I don’t feel like I can root for any of the characters. I pitied a few of the younger family members but they weren’t well developed so it was hard to fully embrace them. Offensive and outdated racial language was hard to ignore. Some stereotypical representation of African characters felt deeper than just an outdated perspective.
monicabfz's review against another edition
4.0
Me ha gustado bastante. Recomendaría esta novela a aquellas personas que hayan disfrutado con "Cien años de soledad" y "La casa de los espíritus".
books_n_pickles's review against another edition
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
jordanjor's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Spoiler
she kinda GoneGirl-ed the mf! and it was stunning! yummy delicious delectable ending!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape and Domestic abuse
dashes101's review against another edition
informative
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I was told this was a re-writing of Absalom, Absalom! by Faulkner, but you absolutely don't need to read AbsAbs to enjoy this book. The entire thing is set within Puerto Rico but follows Isabel tracing her and her husband's lineage to find anger, allegedly to save their relationship and analyze how they can do better. (allegedly is a strong word in here). The book's episodic nature made it easy to engage with and dive into each part of the story -- it reads kind of like House (the show); there are certain themes like politics and theme of narration and its consequences that trace through the entirety of the story but each chapter is a new 'case'. There's also lots of discussion around the idea of writing and what it means from two different sides -- Isabel and her husband, Quintin.
If you love unreliable narration, gothic conventions adapted to a tropical area, want to learn more about PR, or just want an easy read, this is the book for you.
If you love unreliable narration, gothic conventions adapted to a tropical area, want to learn more about PR, or just want an easy read, this is the book for you.
frederica49's review against another edition
emotional
informative
reflective
fast-paced
This was an amazing book.The author tells the story through the perspectives of the various characters and at different periods of Puerto Rico's history. It has strong feminist themes deftly interwoven with politics and racism. Highly recommend.
rexpostfacto's review against another edition
4.0
A family saga of sorts that gets into the nitty gritty of Puerto Rican history.
This was enjoyable – it felt a bit long + dry at times, but overall I was fascinated by the story + history.
CW: colonialism/imperialism, murder, abuse, sexual assault, racism, suicide, ableism, classism
This was enjoyable – it felt a bit long + dry at times, but overall I was fascinated by the story + history.
CW: colonialism/imperialism, murder, abuse, sexual assault, racism, suicide, ableism, classism
verityw's review against another edition
3.0
A multigenerational story about a Puerto Rican family, written by a warring husband and wife who each have a different view of their families's histories. I liked it, but didn't love it. Would make a good book club read.
nfinitepages's review against another edition
4.0
I picked this up after hearing two words - Puerto Rico. Being that's where my family is from and that I'm always trying to read more Hispanic authors, I was instantly drawn to it.
This is a story, translated from Spanish by the author herself, that deals with the historical events of Puerto Rico. It involves a women telling the story of her husband's family as well as her own through several years. It's multi-generational involving a lot of characters, many events, a long timeline and it's all worth it.
What I favored most in this book is Ferré's empowering look of women and their roles throughout the years. You have women who did what was expected of them such as raise a family and mind the home and those who did what was considered unacceptable things like read poetry, invest in art and fought the right to live their own life. Ferré does a great job on portraying feminism and how each woman was strong in their own way with the obstacles that crossed their path. I was completely engrossed and enjoyed many of the characters and the historical aspect, not just Puerto Ricos but how slavery was incorporated, the business aspect on importing goods, the economy, the relationship with the US, voting etc.
This is a story, translated from Spanish by the author herself, that deals with the historical events of Puerto Rico. It involves a women telling the story of her husband's family as well as her own through several years. It's multi-generational involving a lot of characters, many events, a long timeline and it's all worth it.
What I favored most in this book is Ferré's empowering look of women and their roles throughout the years. You have women who did what was expected of them such as raise a family and mind the home and those who did what was considered unacceptable things like read poetry, invest in art and fought the right to live their own life. Ferré does a great job on portraying feminism and how each woman was strong in their own way with the obstacles that crossed their path. I was completely engrossed and enjoyed many of the characters and the historical aspect, not just Puerto Ricos but how slavery was incorporated, the business aspect on importing goods, the economy, the relationship with the US, voting etc.