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rosekk's review against another edition
3.0
During the first chapter of this book I was convinced I would love it. As I read I discovered that the flashes of brilliance - of which the opening pages are an example - are sprinkled throughout the book, but not liberally or consistently. I think the thing that bothered me most was that the heroine was so consistently, determinedly selfish and stupid. There's never a moment in the whole book where it seems like she might get a hold of herself, so her descent is relentless and as a result, not as captivating. If it felt like there was a chance of her sorting her life out, there'd be more motivation to read on, and you'd feel more for her when she isn't able to beat the worst parts of her nature. It also means she's not every likeable, so sympathy for her is hard to acquire. For a book that seems to be attempting realism, she isn't a very believable character. Outside of her, though, the book shines a lot brighter. The rest of the characters are more varied in their individual moral capacities, so are more believable and likeable. All in all it was worth a read, but didn't live up to its potential.
misshonky's review
5.0
Isidora es pobre. Isidora quiere ser rica. Sus intentos por conseguir lo que ella cree que le corresponde son el meollo de esta novela, la primera de la serie de Novelas Contemporáneas de Benito Pérez Galdós. Aquí aparecen ya personajes que nos encontraremos en otros libros (la familia Pez, Augusto Miquis...), esos spin-off tan espectaculares que Galdós hizo a lo largo de toda su obra y que convierten al conjunto en un universo totalmente conectado y con sentido. Una historia con un final que adivinamos al poco de conocer a su protagonista y sus circunstancias, pero que ella, más testaruda que la realidad, es incapaz de cambiar.
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