Reviews

Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya

floer009's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective sad fast-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

3.0

A very interesting and unique read. I felt thrown by the end or I would have rated it higher. Still, I think I would recommend as it created great discussion. I can see why it's a classic. 

pearamour's review

adventurous challenging mysterious sad 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? It's complicated

3.5

This book was recommended by a friend with flawless taste. In the middle of this book i honestly couldnt figure out why she liked it so much - it is slow, full of seemingly pointless exchanges between a group of young boys….but by the end i understood. It is a love letter to the people who show us who we are. And a love letter to a land. I also appreciated the lessons offered for being able to hold a complexity of beliefs and thoughts alongside one another - very valuable in this world!

Overall i feel this book is too long, often slow in parts, but it offers some real gems along the way. 

parineeka's review

couldn’t get into it I only really read at work
prob should revisit 

lizbethsotelo's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-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? It's complicated

5.0

gvorb's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad 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

4.75

forgetmenot's review

5.0

This was an absolutely beautiful book. I do not understand why anyone wouldn’t enjoy the story unless they’re sensitive to real life misgivings? The author has a beautiful way of describing nature that is often missing from today’s authors. I loved the culture and character development of Antonio. Beautiful book.

karingforbooks's review

adventurous challenging mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.0

I like the owl and the magical realism aspect of this. I think the religion v witchcraft/old ways was fascinating. I didn’t connect with Antonio so I didn’t really care what he did or thought, which is a me problem rather than the books problem but did impact my enjoyment. Overall, I think I don’t see the theme or the point in the book. User error because clearly there’s something here. But not a book I’d pick up again

pangnaolin's review

adventurous challenging emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

Lord. This book is so incredibly beautiful, I don't know where to begin. I'm not giving it five stars simply because I have a very strict criteria for my five star books (they have to be the most personally, emotionally impactful books of all time), but it truly does deserve it quality-wise.

Antonio is such a beautiful young character to follow, and the Anaya (through Ultima among others) expertly leads him to explorations of his beliefs and values while navigating those of the people around him. I was incredibly stunned by the beautiful symbolism within the novel, and just the imagery in general, whether it's the golden carp, the mermaid, the races with the Kid, the duality of earth vs. wind and rooted vs. free, Ultima's owl, or something else entirely. I'm constantly looking around me in every scene of the novel, wondering what different little things mean and feeling curious about every single choice and character.

There were definitely some weird choices with the way he wrote characters (I'm still sort of left confused about Bones and Horse), alongside some frustrating sexism (though I wonder how much is him painting an image of how Antonio and those around him perceive the world vs. how much of it is his personal perception of the world), but I still generally felt that the novel had incredible merit as is, and analyzing issues like sexism even add to my personal understanding of it, regardless of whether it was intended.

I also feel like, on a personal level, this book re-awoke my sense of magic. I've always felt it and never stopped believing it, but I feel reaffirmed and alive in that side of myself, and I'm excited to explore it again. Anaya brought me to a new world and I was able to explore alongside Antonio in the most beautiful of ways.

vnava8705's review

emotional fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

gloooo's review

adventurous dark mysterious reflective relaxing medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0