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lilymoon802's review against another edition
3.0
Far too friendly to Franco, and in need of a great deal of editing, but undeniably fascinating.
caroparr's review against another edition
3.0
It's fifty years old, so much has changed, not least that Franco finally died and Spain is more democratic than when Michener was there. He has a very male perspective, though his wife pops up at the end of the book. It's very long but quite readable if you take it all with a grain of salt.
kxu65's review against another edition
3.0
I thought this book all would be was Michener's travel through Spain, but no its more than half about the history, which is really boring to me, especially the way it was written into his travel by selection, so I could not get into the book. But I should have expected the history mixed in with his travel, since in all his fictional books about different locations it is basically a history of the location from the beginning of time on how the land was created to the present time.
teachergabi's review against another edition
5.0
I don't think I've ever read anything quite like James A. Michener's IBERIA. The book merged history, both personal and worldly, and travelogue in such a brilliant way that I was never bored, not for one page! Michener organized chapters by region, and Robert Vavra's glorious black and white photographs added so much to the experience.
It's weird but I do honestly feel as if I have a better understanding of my own country (and consequently... myself) after reading this book.
Michener has a fiery passion for Spain, which he visited for the first time as a college student, then kept going back over the course of 40 years (the book was published by Random House in 1968).
Before picking up this book, I had quite hostile feelings towards Spain (as any Filipino nationalist would). But now it's in the bucket list! To see and tread where Michener has gone, in search of the elusive authentic flamenco, paella, and toreador... to see its "poems of stone" in cathedrals Gothic and Romanesque, to make the pilgrimage along the Way of St. James, to witness the beauties of kingdoms where Muslims, Christians, and Jews lived side by side until torn asunder by intolerance.
There is much to learn from Mother Spain, as a warning as to what can happen when creativity and learning are stifled, when one way of thinking is brutally enforced and all critical thought stamped out. Spain's weakness was its prolonged inquisition. We look to its past, hopefully in time to change our own country's course.
Oh and I've finally learned who Juan dela Cruz is!!! Hahaha
It's weird but I do honestly feel as if I have a better understanding of my own country (and consequently... myself) after reading this book.
Michener has a fiery passion for Spain, which he visited for the first time as a college student, then kept going back over the course of 40 years (the book was published by Random House in 1968).
Before picking up this book, I had quite hostile feelings towards Spain (as any Filipino nationalist would). But now it's in the bucket list! To see and tread where Michener has gone, in search of the elusive authentic flamenco, paella, and toreador... to see its "poems of stone" in cathedrals Gothic and Romanesque, to make the pilgrimage along the Way of St. James, to witness the beauties of kingdoms where Muslims, Christians, and Jews lived side by side until torn asunder by intolerance.
There is much to learn from Mother Spain, as a warning as to what can happen when creativity and learning are stifled, when one way of thinking is brutally enforced and all critical thought stamped out. Spain's weakness was its prolonged inquisition. We look to its past, hopefully in time to change our own country's course.
Oh and I've finally learned who Juan dela Cruz is!!! Hahaha
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