Livro 3: Meus Queridos Mortos
Book 3: My Darling Dead Ones by Erika de Vasconcelos
When I first got this book in the mail I couldn't wait to read it. The cover jacket is wonderful--filled with old faded snapshots and letters (written in the 'original' Portuguese) that were tarnished and yellowed with age. I could hardly wait to dive into it, to start exploring the unconventional lives of these Portuguese women. I am sad to report, therefore, that the book was not as good as I expected it to be. (The saying 'don't judge a book by its cover' comes to mind.) Some of the novel's scenes seemed disjointed; it was difficult at times to keep track of the various male 'characters' (I hesitate to even call them that; this is clearly a book solely about women; there are no male characters in the conventional sense of the word) who walked in and out of these women's lives. Still, there were some good points. I very much enjoyed the chapter on Dom Pedro and Ines de Castro, one of my favorite Portuguese legends. (I once again felt my body reminding me to go visit their tombs.) Also, I rather enjoyed the chapter that contained excerpts from Magdalena's memoirs. And I liked the allusion to Rainha Santa Isabel. On the other hand, I didn't partucularly enjoy the ending, when Fiona meets Dzovig, the Armenian girl; I understand that Portugal itself is more multicultural now, but I would have rather she made a connection with a young Portuguese woman. I did like all the talk about Portugal and its stones, like the descriptions of the beaches, the ocean, the countryside. Somehow, I just think it could have been so much more.
*Recommended if you are you are interested in Portugal or the Portuguese in diaspora
1. A Thousand Splendid Suns - Khaled Hosseini (370)
2. Veronika Decides to Die - Paulo Coelho (210)
3. My Darling Dead Ones - Erika de Vasconcelos (195)
Total Pages: 775
[x-posted at 50bookchallenge: http://community.livejournal.com/50bookchallenge/9017419.html]
Currently reading: The Girls' Guide to Hunting and Fishing by Melissa Bank
When I first got this book in the mail I couldn't wait to read it. The cover jacket is wonderful--filled with old faded snapshots and letters (written in the 'original' Portuguese) that were tarnished and yellowed with age. I could hardly wait to dive into it, to start exploring the unconventional lives of these Portuguese women. I am sad to report, therefore, that the book was not as good as I expected it to be. (The saying 'don't judge a book by its cover' comes to mind.) Some of the novel's scenes seemed disjointed; it was difficult at times to keep track of the various male 'characters' (I hesitate to even call them that; this is clearly a book solely about women; there are no male characters in the conventional sense of the word) who walked in and out of these women's lives. Still, there were some good points. I very much enjoyed the chapter on Dom Pedro and Ines de Castro, one of my favorite Portuguese legends. (I once again felt my body reminding me to go visit their tombs.) Also, I rather enjoyed the chapter that contained excerpts from Magdalena's memoirs. And I liked the allusion to Rainha Santa Isabel. On the other hand, I didn't partucularly enjoy the ending, when Fiona meets Dzovig, the Armenian girl; I understand that Portugal itself is more multicultural now, but I would have rather she made a connection with a young Portuguese woman. I did like all the talk about Portugal and its stones, like the descriptions of the beaches, the ocean, the countryside. Somehow, I just think it could have been so much more.
*Recommended if you are you are interested in Portugal or the Portuguese in diaspora
1. A Thousand Splendid Suns - Khaled Hosseini (370)
2. Veronika Decides to Die - Paulo Coelho (210)
3. My Darling Dead Ones - Erika de Vasconcelos (195)
Total Pages: 775
[x-posted at 50bookchallenge: http://community.livejournal.com/50bookchallenge/9017419.html]
Currently reading: The Girls' Guide to Hunting and Fishing by Melissa Bank