La Sombra del Viento

La Sombra del Viento (El cementerio de los libros olvidados nº 1) by Carlos Ruiz Zafón

In English this is known as The Shadow of the Wind. I tried to listen to it all in Spanish. At 3x speed, I wasn't grasping much. When I moved it down to 1.5x, I could hear and understand most of it. It felt I was understanding most of the words, but not quite grasping the meaning. I have trouble with gothic novels in English and trying a long one in Spanish was too much. A lot dealt with Penelope and her story along with many books and the writers that were discussed. If it were shorter, I would have slowed it down more to try to grasp it better. But with something this long, even 1.5x speed felt much too slow.

Feast of the Goat

The Feast of the Goat: A Novel by Mario Vargas Llosa, translated by Edith Grossman

Rafael Trujillo ruled the Dominican Republic as a cruel dictator. Near the end of his reign, there was extreme depravity. He demanded loyalty and killing of enemies. He enjoyed showing his virility by sleeping with girls, especially young ones. The novel covers much of this depravity as it tells the story of a senator and his daughter. The senator fell out of favor with the dictator and had everything taken away from him and is even forced to give his daughter to the dictator's pleasure. After the experience, she is able to leave to study in the US. Shortly after that the dictator is assassinated. However, the planned coup fell apart and eventually another strongman came to power. The framing story is that of the girl returning back home to care for her ailing father (the former Senator) and the current state of the Dominican Republic. This is interleaved with the many tails of the past and the terrors of the regime. It uses this fictional framing to provide a strong story of the terrors of the past regime.

The Unworthy: A Novel

The Unworthy: A Novel by Agustina Bazterrica, translated by Sarah Moses 

The novel gradually unfolds a post-apocalyptic pseudo-religious convent. The women aspire for various positions there and must adhere to strict rules in the process. We learn of the background of the narrator and the rules of the strict rules of the "convent". The world has fallen apart with places like Great Britain under water. The narrator lost most everything, including her pet. Later, she has a romantic relationship with another woman. After an upper-level woman dies, the narrator learns more negative secrets of the society. The story is short, with a dark, pessimistic view of the future world.

Malinche: Una Novela

Malinche: Una Novela by Laura Esquivel

Since this was in Spanish, I found I had to listen to at 1.5 speed instead of my usual 3x. The book is ostensibly historical realism. It focuses on Malinche, a native Mexican who served as a guide and spouse of conquistador Hernan Cortes. She was part of a neighboring group that had no love for the Aztec leaders. However, in this story, she feels she is brought along for the ride. She is concerned that Cortes has took things too far as he has conquered Mexico for the Spaniards. This is primarily a vehicle for a tapestry of magical realism. There is plenty of great imagery, but not a lot of historically accurate details.

There's No Such Thing as...Unicorns / No hay tal cosa como los... unicornios

There's No Such Thing as...Unicorns / No hay tal cosa como los... unicornios by Lucy Rowland, illustrated by Katy Halford

A girl hears from everyone that there is no such thing as unicorns. In the zoo, school and elsewhere the message is repeated. Finally, she looks in the sky and sees a unicorn. The book has a nice rhyming style in English, but the accompanying Spanish is just a literal translation that misses out on the structure.

Carta de Jamaica

Carta de Jamaica by Simón Bolívar

The Jamaica letter was something like a "declaration of independence" of South America. Bolivar had a gradualist approach to liberation from Spain. He saw the people as a "new" people that were part Spanish, part native. They were "slaves" to Spain. They would inevitably form their own countries of various sizes. Some were expected to gather large groups and form monarchies, but these monarchies are likely to fail. This short letter foretells much of the future of South America, but was perhaps too conservative in outlook.

The Daddy Book / El libro de los papás (Spanish and English Edition)

The Daddy Book / El libro de los papás (Spanish and English Edition) by Todd Parr

A simple book describes things that daddy does. It can lend itself to doing actions like tickling the kid. This version had text in both languages (but my kid did not want to hear any Spanish)

Hola, Hombre Mosca [Hi, Fly Guy!]

Hola, Hombre Mosca [Hi, Fly Guy!] by Tedd Arnold, translated by Madelca Domínguez

Buzz wants a pet. He finds Fly Guy. People say that he is not a pet. However, Fly Guy wins everyone over with his tricks and communication with Buzz. The translation is easy enough to understand even with some words that I had not known.

2666

2666 by Roberto Bolaño translated Natasha Wimmer

This is a long book that the author at one time envisioned publishing as multiple books. He died before it was finished and his heirs decided to publish it as one thing. The various sections of the book tell their own stories that are somewhat related together. There are sections discussing the life and romantic experiences of an author. One section goes back to World War II and talks about experiences in Nazi controlled areas and the experiences complying with Nazi policies and "taking care of" Jewish populations. A significant section of the book covers crime in a Mexican town. This starts with the experience of a African American journalist that is sent to cover a boxing match and then gets interested in the the cases. Then there is a section about the murders. There is a criminal that goes crazy in churches. Later there are women that are mysteriously killed. Most have few external connections. Their bodies are often discovered long after their deaths. Eventually an American detective comes in to help resolve the crimes.

I was most interested in the middle section of the novel. Scott Brick always does a great job narrating. Parts at the start and end were not quite as appealing.

Jorge el Curioso

Jorge el Curioso by H.A. Ray

This is Curious George in Spanish. It doesn't go easy with the words. Some I didn't recognize. (But perhaps I didn't know the dialect.) The pictures are all the same. It is fun to read out loud to practice Spanish reading. "Monocito" just has a nice ring to it.

Pedro Páramo

Pedro Páramo by Juan Rulfo, translated by Douglas J. Weatherford, forward by Gabriel García Márquez

A man promises his mother on her deathbed that he will go back to visit his father, Pedro. He goes back to the town and runs into somebody else that claims to have Pedro as his father. Then it gets weirder. It is not clear which characters are alive or dead. Some will even mention their own death. Bits of history are interspersed. There was involvement in a revolution. There are marriages, vast fortunes and estates and poverty. It is somewhat a novel of discovery of life and family in a disjointed fashion. The translation is short and easy to read. It includes an introduction and a translator's afterword. Looks like there are a lot of bits in the Spanish that would be interesting to read.

Dora's Rainbow Egg Hunt

Dora's Rainbow Egg Hunt (Dora the Explorer / Nick Jr., Play-to-Learn) by Kirsten Larsen (Author), Steven Savitsky (Illustrator)

Dora and boots hunt for eggs that match the colors of the rainbow. The book includes numerous "flaps" that are lifted to find the eggs as well as other things matching the colors. Alas, the back of the flaps is where the name (in English and Spanish) is, so once the flaps are lost, there is not much to show. The book has an odd shape and includes plenty of Spanish and English,

Still Born

Still Born by Guadalupe Nettel

What is motherhood? This book explores the lives of a few 30-something women. They have been devoted to their professional achievements. However, they find themselves drawn towards children. One goes through some challenges to conceive with her husband. Their doctor informs them that their child will likely not live and advocates an abortion. She decides instead to give birth at term (via a C-section.) She wants to see her baby for a bit before she dies. However, the baby lives. It has a condition that results in limited brain function. However, the baby is able to make more progress then expected. The mother has conflicting emotions. She expected the baby to die, not to live. She was prepared for that, but not taking care of it. She found others with children with similar conditions and works through therapy. The baby does make progress, but she has seizures that destroy the progress. They have a nanny that likes to be with young children (in part because she cannot have them of their own.) The mother has struggles with her family and the nanny. What are the boundaries? What about sex life with her husband? It is only through working through the challenges that she can repair her relationships and grow.

The narrator is a friend of the mother. She has a separate interaction with her neighbor. The 8-year-old child is often acting violent and screaming. The mother seems to do nothing. The narrator ignores this at first, but then befriends the family. The mother's husband had died in a car wreck. He swore a lot and that seems to be where the kid got it from. He claims to hear voices and is struggling with his demons. The narrator is able to help be a positive influence with the family, and is able to help calm the child after an exceptionally violent incident (after his mother talked about him going to other family members). She takes him in for a night and helps him board the bus away.

The focus is on the two women exercising their maternal instincts. However, there are also stories of mothers reclaiming their personal life. The mother of the violent child is finally able to go out and enjoy a night of clubbing after getting assistance with her kid. The narrator's mom resumes her life and interests that she put on hold after becoming a mother. What is the appropriate balance? Is the best mother self-sacrificing? Or does it require a mixture of self-interest? The case of the cuckoo is given as a bird that puts its eggs in another's nests to raise. The other bird cares for the bird that is not it's own. Is the bond of blood or the time together more important?

One Hundred Years of Solitude

I tried reading this in English rather than Spanish. I had difficulty following what was going on overall. However, the disjounted parts seemed quite interesting and worth reading. It is set mostly in the "real world", but there are some minor fantastical elements.

The Man Who Could Move Clouds: A Memoir

The author's grandfather and mother were both Colombian fortune tellers. They lived in chaotic Colombia that always seemed to have some battle going on. The fortune-telling and curative abilities relied on native traditions from a society that had been subsumed by the Spanish conquerors. 

The fortune telling and curing seem to go against the grain of "science", yet they are highly successful. Much of it revolves around knowledge that has been passed down for generations. There may be some special elements that are helpful. Even more important is the understanding of how people function. It is much better to guide people to find their own answers than to tell them. The fortune teller understands people, but more importantly helps them understand themselves.

There are also plenty of coincidences. The author looks scarily like her mother. They both suffered amnesia after an accident. A daughter was pregnant, but the ultrasound showed the fetus was no longer viable. The mother knew that a fetus was still alive, despite the ultrasound showing otherwise. Eventually a baby was born. (The dead fetus was one of a pair of twins.)

In addition the family story, the book provided background on Colombian culture. Records were lacking, but people knew who they were related to. Warfare was constant. Those with means were often in danger of being kidnapped. The author's family eventually left and she became an author in the United States.

El Amor en los Tiempos del Cólera [Love in the Time of Cholera]

El amor en los tiempos del cólera / Love in the Time of Cholera

27th edition from February 1992, published in Argentina. ISBN: 950-07-0320-3

Usually I try to finish a book before writing about it. However, after making it halfway through El Amor en los Tiempos del Cólera, I had to throw in the towel. My Spanish skills were just not up to it. I found myself grasping individual words and sentences, but not really putting it all together to comprehend the story. I think I need to start off with a shorter story that is more appealing. This story is that of two young lovers that go their separate ways, only to try to rekindle the relationship late in life. One marries a doctor, hence the pun in the title. 

I'll think about giving this one a try later after I brush up on my Spanish skills.

Collected Fictions

I like Borges' style. I expected something much more pretentious, but I was pleasantly surprised. Borges has a playful knack for blending fiction with "nonfiction". The characters in a story may talk with an author. He may also provide a backstory for events in fictional works or even describe how something really happened. Characters may suddenly have something "magical" happen in a realistic story. This seems to be at the roots of magical realism, yet it is also reminded me of Kafka. In this collection we get the famous "Library of Babel" as well as many other "stories". There are a few that fall flat, but even those have their redeeming points.

Don Quixote

Quick! How many Spanish novels can you name that are more than 100 years old? Yeah, I didn't get much past Don Quixote either. There is a reason it has survived and has been named one of the best books of all time. It is really good.

The modern version was actually written as two books. The first book contains the classic Don Quixote stories. He fights windmills and thinks he is a noble night and all that fun stuff. In the second book, most everybody has read the first book and is enthralled with the character of Don Quixote. We get many elaborate ruses created by people to allow Don Quixote to be his entertaining self. (Alas we also get a more rambling narrative.)

Reading the book in a modern translation is the way to go. The language is "fresh" and modern, similar to how it would have been to the original readers. Don Quixote himself, however, talks in a more flowery, archaic language. Sancho Panza is constantly quoting and misquoting popular sayings. It all makes for a very entertaining book that is easily accessible to the modern reader.

You can easily picture a Monty Python crew acting out some of the different scenes. The story has a slight plot, but that is really just a thread to hold together a series of crazy adventures. Sancho Panza knows that Don Quixote is mad. Yet, he follows him and participates in his crazy adventures in hopes of receiving wealth and positions. In the process he chances on just enough to keep him continuing on his quest (in spite of all the negative things that befall him.)

There are also elaborate sub-stories within the story. (The "man who was recklessly curious" comes to mind.) At one time Sancho Panza becomes a governor (as part of a Duke's ruse.) He does a surprisingly good job, dispensing bits of wisdom and resolving some difficult cases. (He uncovers coins hid in a cane in one story. On another, he asks a woman to defend her virtue as well as she does her purse.)

Throughout these adventures, some of Don Quixote's friends try to cure their friend's madness. However, many of their attempts end up backfiring as he win's mock duels or manages to complete quests. Finally, near the end of the book, a friend (dressed as a knight) defeats Don Quixote in battle and forces him to give up Knight Errantry. Don Quixote then goes home and "repents" of his madness - and promptly dies. Perhaps his madness was all that was sustaining him.

The episodes (especially in the first book) are tied together well in a narrative. (Most also stand alone quite well.) As entertainment, it still works well today. There is also plenty of commentary on human nature as well as the society of Spain of Cervantes day. Altogether, this remains a classic.

Crepusculo (Twilight in Spanish)

After hearing Paramore's "Decode" on an internet radio station, I decided I'd like to see Twilight. The song was really good, and even a bad movie with a good soundtrack can be worth it. (And it helped that my wife really loved the book and was eager to see it.) It turns out the movie was played as the second song in the closing credits - but we sat through the very end. The movie was ok. Things seemed a little disjointed, and the Edward's character did not seem all that interesting. (Though Bella seemed to be pretty good.) There also seemed to be a lot of holes in the 'Vampire-lore' that was spun around the story. My wife told me that the book was better and would fill in a lot of the wholes.
So, I went ot the library to get the book.
Only, they didn't have any copies in stock, and had a gazillion holds on every copy that was checked out. But, they did have a Spanish copy in stock. It had been a while since I read a Spanish book, but I figured a teenage fiction book wouldn't be too hard. (And it helped that I had already seen the movie!) It was actually a pretty easy read. I had to grab the dictionary for a few words. (And then it seemed those words were used over and over again.)
After reading the book, it seems that both leads were horribly miscast. In the movie, Bella was way too cute, and Edward was not nearly cute enough.
The script, however, seemed to do a good job of distilling the essence of the book in two hours. It somehow managed to also include just about all the key scenes from the book. (Though this probably led to the jumpiness in the movie - if you don't pay attention to minute details, you wont catch what's happening unless you have read the book.)
The book itself, I found somewhat tedious. It seemed to be overly repetitive. (Not necessarily in plot, but in the the way that things were explained.)
The vampire lore and the characters of Carlisle and Alice seemed to have a lot of potential to be explored in greater detail. Even more history of Edward could have really helped add to the book.