Reviews

Berta Isla by Javier Marías

khader's review against another edition

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5.0

"That is what usually happens to lives which, like mine and his, and like so many, many others, simply exist and wait."

maria_borges1507's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

pitipani's review against another edition

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reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character

3.5

pheeebz's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.5

Un livre qui prétend donner un portrait de la femme. Si c'est bien le cas, alors nous avons du souci à nous faire. 

Beaucoup de choses ont peu à peu transformé cette lecture en calvaire.
Non seulement, nous avons ici une femme totalement passive et soumise (soit) mais à cela s'ajoute que le lecteur ne l'a connait jamais réellement. C'est une description superficielle au possible dans le fond et dans sa forme. 
Le mâle gaze est ici omniprésent, elle n'est caractérisée que par sa beauté, sa jeunesse, sa sensualité. 
Elle n'est qu'un objet sexuel avec lequel il n'est pas nécessaire de développer les bases d'une véritable relation. 
Elle-même ne se perçoit que comme ça et ne s'inquiète que du désir qu'elle éveille chez les hommes. 
L'auteur, consciemment ou inconsciemment, qui sait, nous donne à voir son attitude à l'égard de la sexualité (dont il semble totalement obsédé) notamment lorsqu'il décrit des actes sexuels comme acceptables et normaux alors qu'il s'agirait plus de viols conjugaux. 
Toutes les actions, tous les personnages sont passés au filtre de la sexualité. 

Certains diront que ce sont des partis pris, parce qu'il veut donner une véritable image de la vie, qu'il n'a pas vocation à dénoncer... Blablabla. 
Pour ma part, je me tiendrai éloignez de ses prochains livres et ne les conseillerai à personnes. 

big_doz's review

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4.0

"And fear doesn't care about anything, it doesn't stop to consider what's good or bad, what's proportionate and disproportionate, what constitutes a crime and what might be the consequences, and, needless to say, it doesn't care about justice"


Although this was my least favourite Marias read to date, its still a Marias read, meaning, it's a fucking MARIAS read. There's something so satisfyingly addictive about the way Marias strings bite-sized philosophical observations together; surfacing life's nuances in full articulation. Marias's writing feels as if it's purely meant for the reader; boasting style and readability whilst evoking thought and curiosity.

tatianasoaresrosa's review

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1.0

Há muito tempo que não me aborrecia tanto com um livro. Talvez fizesse mais sentido esta obra ser intitulada "Tomás Nevinson", uma vez que o enredo gira à volta do homem e não da mulher. Repetitivo e exaustivo. Preferia ler a descrição do Ramalhete 20x.

mostrengo's review against another edition

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emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes

4.5

ambermain90's review against another edition

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slow-paced

3.5

puzzleguzzler's review

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2.0

This "spy" novel is kind of interesting, in that it's told in part from the perspective of the agent's wife. There are interesting observations to be sure, but the narrator's voice doesn't change between the husband and the wife's alternating chapters, leaving the feeling that I'm reading a book by an outdated man trying to imagine the effects this kind of life would have. (when the author mentions the "male gaze" from Berta's point of view, she "appreciates" it because she misses her husband)

mariags_00's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character

4.0