jknoxwhite's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
asolorio02's review against another edition
5.0
I found Laila Lalami's writing almost without fault. There's more stylistic and unique writers out there but Laila certainly knows how to tell a story. Structurally everything is where it needs to be. She doesn't go off on fluffy tangents and she allows her characters to tell the story. The pacing was a little slow, but it never got boring. Towards the end of the book things pick up quite a bit.
The ending was bitter-sweet, but perfect. It was a good surprise that I didn't catch on to till the last pages of the final chapter. This was a really well executed story.
The ending was bitter-sweet, but perfect. It was a good surprise that I didn't catch on to till the last pages of the final chapter. This was a really well executed story.
christar_123's review against another edition
5.0
It took me a little bit to get into this book, but I ended up enjoying it. I find it fascinating that Lalami based the story on a single line in the conquistador's account - the only mention of "the Moor." The story telling moved along, and the ways that the characters changed over time, or didn't change, was really interesting to follow. This perspective was a new one for me - I've read historical documents by the conquistadors, but I liked reading a fictional portrayal of this time period. I'm not saying that the story itself was always enjoyable - there were some gruesome, violent sections, as well as disturbing racism and violence -but I didn't feel that Lalami was gratuitous in her descriptions.
paloma_sanchezh's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
palomapepper's review against another edition
4.0
The Moor’s Account tells the tale of early European conquest of the New World from a new perspective: that of Estebanico, a black Moorish slave on the doomed Narvaez expedition. While fighting for survival among new lands and peoples, Estebanico navigates ambivalent relationships with the Spaniards, leading a precarious journey from slave to conquistadors' comrade.
Rapacious greed is the villain in in this story: the Spaniards (as well as Estebanico himself) fluctuate variously between a hunger for gold and a respect for universal human dignity. Estebanico emphasizes the power of storytelling, narrative, and names to wield power or to heal.
I had the pleasure of reading this book alongside its source text, Cabeza de Vaca’s [b:Adventures in the Unknown Interior of America|418301|Adventures in the Unknown Interior of America|Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1419178828s/418301.jpg|407450] - so I got to see what parts of Cabeza de Vaca’s narrative were challenged, omitted, or embellished by Lalami’s fictionalized Estebanico. Very well done, and very much in keeping with the tone of Cabeza de Vaca's account (which is to say: a little bit dry, with constant acknowledgement of the reader).
Rapacious greed is the villain in in this story: the Spaniards (as well as Estebanico himself) fluctuate variously between a hunger for gold and a respect for universal human dignity. Estebanico emphasizes the power of storytelling, narrative, and names to wield power or to heal.
I had the pleasure of reading this book alongside its source text, Cabeza de Vaca’s [b:Adventures in the Unknown Interior of America|418301|Adventures in the Unknown Interior of America|Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1419178828s/418301.jpg|407450] - so I got to see what parts of Cabeza de Vaca’s narrative were challenged, omitted, or embellished by Lalami’s fictionalized Estebanico. Very well done, and very much in keeping with the tone of Cabeza de Vaca's account (which is to say: a little bit dry, with constant acknowledgement of the reader).
dllh's review against another edition
3.0
I liked the book, but I got bogged down a bit as it bore on, so I slowed down a lot in the last third or so of the book and found it easier and easier to prioritize doing other things. I can't put my finger on why, exactly.
dominika_benmichael's review against another edition
5.0
Loved this book. Lalami's creation of this vivid, immersive story from a single sentence in an historic document is a testament to human creativity. Mustafa is a fantastically written main character/narrator; his voice is clear and convincing, and he grows in a credible, satisfying way.