phoebe_phorreal's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
slow-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
The last 40% or so of this book was pretty great, but this book could have been a lot shorter and still been impactful. The insightful things that Aguinis has to say about belief, family, ancestry, inheritance, and freedom of conscience as they relate to Latin American history are bogged down in the first three books by endless lists and needless exposition that makes the plot drag, and it's difficult to see what makes the characters tick. That being said, when the book finally gets going, it's excellent, if a bit heavy-handed in its symbolism (Aguinis wants to make it very clear that one particular character is a Christ figure- he basically performs the symbolic equivalent of repeatedly bashing you in the head with an ice pick). The characters start to feel a little less like caricatures and take on some sort of life of their own. Moreover, throughout the novel, it's clear that Aguinis has done his research- though in the earlier parts of the novel that can make it feel more like history dealing abstractly rather than intimately with people than historical fiction.
Solid 3/3.25 stars. I liked it, the ending is phenomenal, if a bit overwrought, and I do recommend it to people who have an interest in Latin American history and Crypto-Judaism. I'm definitely going to look up at least some of the names and texts that were mentioned. Just be prepared for a bit of a slog in between some beautifully written passages until you reach the last third of the book.
Solid 3/3.25 stars. I liked it, the ending is phenomenal, if a bit overwrought, and I do recommend it to people who have an interest in Latin American history and Crypto-Judaism. I'm definitely going to look up at least some of the names and texts that were mentioned. Just be prepared for a bit of a slog in between some beautifully written passages until you reach the last third of the book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Antisemitism, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Torture
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