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A review by gxcons
The Seventh Veil of Salome by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
Rounded up from 3.5 stars
Silvia Moreno Garcia's "Mexican Gothic" was an absolute hit for me, so I decided to pick up her latest book, "Seventh Veil of Salome." This is a historical fic set in 1950s Hollywood, in the winding down of Old Hollywood glamor (starlets like Liz Taylor, studio domination, biblical epics). The book follows two unknown actresses, Vera and Nancy, during the filming of a movie about the Biblical/historical princess Salome, also intertwining Salome's own story.
What worked for me:
-My mom is fond of Old Hollywood, especially those historical and biblical epics, so the setting was an easy sell for me.
-Moreno-Garcia's writing is the perfect amount of descriptive and paints a full and almost wistful picture of both the 1950s and ancient settings.
-Also on the author's writing: the way she writes about music and dancing (the emotion, the technical details, the relationship with the audience) absolutely blew me away and might be my favorite aspect of the whole book.
-That devastatingly *gorgeous* cover.
What didn't hit:
-I wasn't bored by Vera like some readers, but I just couldn't gel with Nancy. She's not a particularly sympathetic character, but I could usually see her motivations and what made her into the person she became. But sometimes her mean streak and self-obsession, then later her motivations regarding the scheme at the end of the book, felt cartoonish and unbelievable. Think: Pearl's "I'm a staaaaaaar"
-Salome's story. I didn't dislike it, and I could see its purpose within the larger narrative, both the movie itself and the woman's similarities with both Vera and Nancy. But I think the story of Salome as told through Old Hollywood writing, complete with all the tropes, just didn't have so much of an emotional punch.
That last point might summarize my overall feelings on the book. For example, the novel is written through the perspectives of multiple main characters, then supporting characters in a documentary sort of style, the way a lot of recent, successful historical fiction is. I can see the purpose, and it's done well enough... I just don't feel strongly about it. Or, there's obviously one big life-changing event that the story leads up to at the very end. But I didn't feel a particular dread in the build-up, and when it does happen, there's not much time to absorb what's happened or feel much of anything. Just... oh, okay.
The story is compelling enough that I returned to the book each day over the course of several days, but I wasn't capable of emotionally connecting with it, which is a bit of a disappointment.
A special note regarding music:
I think this is the type of book that begs for a little immersive setting, which can easily be achieved by some background music. The playlist at the back of the book, as well as listed by Penguin Random's Spotify account, was so lovely. My standouts: "These Foolish Things" (Bryan Ferry), "Niña" (Magos Herrera, Brooklyn Rider), everything by Luis Miguel.
Silvia Moreno Garcia's "Mexican Gothic" was an absolute hit for me, so I decided to pick up her latest book, "Seventh Veil of Salome." This is a historical fic set in 1950s Hollywood, in the winding down of Old Hollywood glamor (starlets like Liz Taylor, studio domination, biblical epics). The book follows two unknown actresses, Vera and Nancy, during the filming of a movie about the Biblical/historical princess Salome, also intertwining Salome's own story.
What worked for me:
-My mom is fond of Old Hollywood, especially those historical and biblical epics, so the setting was an easy sell for me.
-Moreno-Garcia's writing is the perfect amount of descriptive and paints a full and almost wistful picture of both the 1950s and ancient settings.
-Also on the author's writing: the way she writes about music and dancing (the emotion, the technical details, the relationship with the audience) absolutely blew me away and might be my favorite aspect of the whole book.
-That devastatingly *gorgeous* cover.
What didn't hit:
-I wasn't bored by Vera like some readers, but I just couldn't gel with Nancy. She's not a particularly sympathetic character, but I could usually see her motivations and what made her into the person she became. But sometimes her mean streak and self-obsession, then later her motivations regarding the scheme at the end of the book, felt cartoonish and unbelievable. Think: Pearl's "I'm a staaaaaaar"
-Salome's story. I didn't dislike it, and I could see its purpose within the larger narrative, both the movie itself and the woman's similarities with both Vera and Nancy. But I think the story of Salome as told through Old Hollywood writing, complete with all the tropes, just didn't have so much of an emotional punch.
That last point might summarize my overall feelings on the book. For example, the novel is written through the perspectives of multiple main characters, then supporting characters in a documentary sort of style, the way a lot of recent, successful historical fiction is. I can see the purpose, and it's done well enough... I just don't feel strongly about it. Or, there's obviously one big life-changing event that the story leads up to at the very end. But I didn't feel a particular dread in the build-up, and when it does happen, there's not much time to absorb what's happened or feel much of anything. Just... oh, okay.
The story is compelling enough that I returned to the book each day over the course of several days, but I wasn't capable of emotionally connecting with it, which is a bit of a disappointment.
A special note regarding music:
I think this is the type of book that begs for a little immersive setting, which can easily be achieved by some background music. The playlist at the back of the book, as well as listed by Penguin Random's Spotify account, was so lovely. My standouts: "These Foolish Things" (Bryan Ferry), "Niña" (Magos Herrera, Brooklyn Rider), everything by Luis Miguel.