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lesliebeach's review against another edition
5.0
Lo Real Maravilloso... the precursor to magic realism, or one of them. Alejo Carpentier takes the bizarre history of Haiti and imbues it with life and magic, all of which actually occurred or was believed to occur. It is vibrant and unbelievable, but he did his research carefully and is chronologically and historically perfect. And it's gorgeous prose.
meythegreat's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
jz_reads's review
adventurous
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.25
I don't remember much from this book except that there was lots of castle-building, people turning into animals, and the ending made me pretty sad :( too spiritual for my liking (religion in general...ick), but I can see how others would enjoy it. I, personally, did not.
laurarevelesg's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
careinthelibrary's review against another edition
2.0
Very post-modern, very edgy. I didn't enjoy the story, but it showcases an incredible moment in history.
brynn_kathryn's review
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
1.5
Read this for a college course about Magical Realism, and I could not get into it at all. There are some--very few, but some--parts that I found interesting, but I wasn't captivated at all. I found myself dreading reading this book, because I was just so bored with it. I didn't care about the various characters or the jumps through time and place. I was just...emotionless towards it.
athenameilahn's review
3.0
This was a gift & a fascinating glimpse of Haiti post revolution. Brutal, complicated, pithy. Lots of race, class, gender & vodou issues. It was hard to connect to the characters so it was a bit of a chore so I read it too fast which made it hard to connect...I’ll have to reread it and teach it as part of a Caribbean class.
ravenmaty's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Después de haber tenido pequeños acercamientos al realismo mágico que no tuvieron un buen resultado, me encontré con la sorpresa que supuso para mí este libro. No creo que esté capacitada para hablar de los sucesos que cuenta, pero sí del entretenimiento y el quizás misterio que aporta. Desde luego, me ha renovado las esperanzas en una literatura que creí que no era para mí y en la que quizás tengo que buscar más hasta encontrar libros que me enganchen tanto o más que este.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Death, Violence, Slavery, Sexual violence, Murder, and Torture
jpgaipo's review against another edition
4.0
Un libro y una historia alucinantes que ganaría si no se recrease tanto en el estilo y en gustarse a si mismo.
jbogerhawkins's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0