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bleepbloop's review against another edition
4.0
Pretty sweet and heartwarming. Read like a Mexican nonfiction Master and Margarita, if that were a love story and not political satire.
sleeping_while_awake's review
4.0
An amazing re-telling of a family's history that reads just like a fiction book. Yes, the writing is simple, but I don't think it detracts from the story.
I do agree with other reviewers that the last half of the book become repetitive with Juan Salvador's mishaps. Probably some of the events and people were exaggerated somewhat, but I think that is always what happens when someone is talking about their own past or the past of a beloved father, etc. I enjoyed the bit of religious "fantasy" throughout the book and to be honest I didn't care if everything was true or not.
I do agree with other reviewers that the last half of the book become repetitive with Juan Salvador's mishaps. Probably some of the events and people were exaggerated somewhat, but I think that is always what happens when someone is talking about their own past or the past of a beloved father, etc. I enjoyed the bit of religious "fantasy" throughout the book and to be honest I didn't care if everything was true or not.
sfahrney's review against another edition
5.0
This book shares the history of a family that transitions from Mexico during the revolution to Southern California area which is now Orange, County. Wonderfully written, and an inviting history of a family over several generations. His sequel, Thirteen Senses: A Memoir is also good, though not as compelling.
madlovetofuries's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-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? Yes
3.5
bazil's review against another edition
2.0
This book offers up an important story. Unfortunately, I found it poorly written and I only read 50% of it as a result.
leahagen's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
sofiaxaguilar's review against another edition
4.0
"Rain of Gold" by Victor Villaseñor follows the intertwining stories of his parents Lupe and Salvador, from their respective childhoods to their marriage at the very end of the novel. Covering three generations of each of their families, the story is layered with themes of greed, racial and colorist prejudice, religion, family and love. What makes it even more extraordinary is that everything is true, from the personalities and complicated relationships of the family members to the hard-to-believe miracles at the hand of God. It's a tale that gives incredible insight into the lives of Mexican immigrants, both the hardships and the joys.
"Rain of Gold" was recommended to me on Twitter by someone who I actually used to go to high school with, though he was a grade below me. He noticed similarities between my in-progress work "Lola" and "Rain of Gold" and told me that it was one of the best and longest books he'd ever read, so of course, I had to check it out for myself -- and took me nearly three months to finish! But it was strange; even though several weeks would pass between my reading the novel (because of my need to be ahead in my class readings), I'd still remember everything that had happened before, even though the story weaves together dozens, if not hundreds, of characters. However, in the end, it was all worth it and closing the cover of the book for the last time left me with an undeniable sense of accomplishment.
The writing in "Rain of Gold" was absolutely beautiful; though the dialogue felt forced and awkward at times, Victor Villaseñor's prose, on the other hand, was a force to be reckoned with. The blend of English with sprinkles of Spanish made his writing distinctive and even more interesting. I personally love inserting Spanish words into English, especially terms of endearment like nena, amor, mijita, etc. because it's an untranslatable part of Spanish that deserves to be shared, even if those unfamiliar with the language have to look up the words in order to understand. Some of my favorite sections of the book came from when Lupe, the main character, lived in Mexico with her family. The descriptions of the mountains and valleys, the unique way of telling time ("when the sun was three fists from the horizon"), it all made me nostalgic for Mexico. But Villaseñor doesn't always romanticize Mexico - he shows the reader its brutality and corruption, too, which I found both sorrowful but necessary in order to display the full realities of Lupe and Salvador's lives.
I enjoyed the way Villaseñor addressed social and political issues that are not always discussed in Mexico, or when they are, it comes from a place of misunderstanding and hatred. One issue he explored was colorism, the way that lighter-skinned, European-looking people are prioritized over darker-skinned, Native American-looking people, an issue that becomes more problematic when Mexicans of African descent are often not included in the conversation but that's for another time. Villaseñor brings it up again and again, especially in Salvador's family. Salvador's father is portrayed as someone who favored Salvador's brother Domingo because he resembled their father's with the red hair and blue eyes, while Salvador and his sister more resembled their dark-skinned mother of Native American descent. I've never seen a Latin American writer attack the issue so head on like that, especially considering the fact that most of Latin America don't like to discuss it. He explored other issues, such as the racism of white people against Mexican immigrants, which I also thought was done well, especially when he complicated the issue by portraying both Mexican and white characters as capable of racism, hatred, and villainy.
I haven't even mentioned how he portrays women, a topic that is very important to me when reviewing a novel or any piece of writing, for that matter. In this case, I found it absolutely fascinating. I loved the way both Salvador and Lupe's mothers are clearly the center of their households and are portrayed as strong, capable, and fearless. They both have seen the worst of the hardships of life and are hardened to an extent because of it, but neither of them ever lose their sense of maternal compassion and wisdom. I especially loved Lupe's mother's belief that women should be the one to handle financial matters instead of the men, a revolutionary thought for the time. In terms of Lupe, I definitely see her as a role model. Though much of her later life revolves around love and Salvador and children, her story is also about her dreams for her life, her ambition to become a bookkeeper and work in an office, which for her, throughout all her life, is equally as important as marriage.
Overall, I really enjoyed "Rain of Gold" and am so grateful to my old high school peer for recommending it to me. It's long, almost 600 pages, and confusing for readers unfamiliar with large casts of characters, reminiscent of Gabriel Garcia Marquez's work. However, it opens up so much about the Mexican culture that I didn't even know about, such as traditional marriage customs, the role of women in the household, and colorism that is acknowledged and criticized within the family. If you're looking for a book that'll keep you on its toes for the entirety of its 600 pages, I couldn't recommend "Rain of Gold" more.
"Rain of Gold" was recommended to me on Twitter by someone who I actually used to go to high school with, though he was a grade below me. He noticed similarities between my in-progress work "Lola" and "Rain of Gold" and told me that it was one of the best and longest books he'd ever read, so of course, I had to check it out for myself -- and took me nearly three months to finish! But it was strange; even though several weeks would pass between my reading the novel (because of my need to be ahead in my class readings), I'd still remember everything that had happened before, even though the story weaves together dozens, if not hundreds, of characters. However, in the end, it was all worth it and closing the cover of the book for the last time left me with an undeniable sense of accomplishment.
The writing in "Rain of Gold" was absolutely beautiful; though the dialogue felt forced and awkward at times, Victor Villaseñor's prose, on the other hand, was a force to be reckoned with. The blend of English with sprinkles of Spanish made his writing distinctive and even more interesting. I personally love inserting Spanish words into English, especially terms of endearment like nena, amor, mijita, etc. because it's an untranslatable part of Spanish that deserves to be shared, even if those unfamiliar with the language have to look up the words in order to understand. Some of my favorite sections of the book came from when Lupe, the main character, lived in Mexico with her family. The descriptions of the mountains and valleys, the unique way of telling time ("when the sun was three fists from the horizon"), it all made me nostalgic for Mexico. But Villaseñor doesn't always romanticize Mexico - he shows the reader its brutality and corruption, too, which I found both sorrowful but necessary in order to display the full realities of Lupe and Salvador's lives.
I enjoyed the way Villaseñor addressed social and political issues that are not always discussed in Mexico, or when they are, it comes from a place of misunderstanding and hatred. One issue he explored was colorism, the way that lighter-skinned, European-looking people are prioritized over darker-skinned, Native American-looking people, an issue that becomes more problematic when Mexicans of African descent are often not included in the conversation but that's for another time. Villaseñor brings it up again and again, especially in Salvador's family. Salvador's father is portrayed as someone who favored Salvador's brother Domingo because he resembled their father's with the red hair and blue eyes, while Salvador and his sister more resembled their dark-skinned mother of Native American descent. I've never seen a Latin American writer attack the issue so head on like that, especially considering the fact that most of Latin America don't like to discuss it. He explored other issues, such as the racism of white people against Mexican immigrants, which I also thought was done well, especially when he complicated the issue by portraying both Mexican and white characters as capable of racism, hatred, and villainy.
I haven't even mentioned how he portrays women, a topic that is very important to me when reviewing a novel or any piece of writing, for that matter. In this case, I found it absolutely fascinating. I loved the way both Salvador and Lupe's mothers are clearly the center of their households and are portrayed as strong, capable, and fearless. They both have seen the worst of the hardships of life and are hardened to an extent because of it, but neither of them ever lose their sense of maternal compassion and wisdom. I especially loved Lupe's mother's belief that women should be the one to handle financial matters instead of the men, a revolutionary thought for the time. In terms of Lupe, I definitely see her as a role model. Though much of her later life revolves around love and Salvador and children, her story is also about her dreams for her life, her ambition to become a bookkeeper and work in an office, which for her, throughout all her life, is equally as important as marriage.
Overall, I really enjoyed "Rain of Gold" and am so grateful to my old high school peer for recommending it to me. It's long, almost 600 pages, and confusing for readers unfamiliar with large casts of characters, reminiscent of Gabriel Garcia Marquez's work. However, it opens up so much about the Mexican culture that I didn't even know about, such as traditional marriage customs, the role of women in the household, and colorism that is acknowledged and criticized within the family. If you're looking for a book that'll keep you on its toes for the entirety of its 600 pages, I couldn't recommend "Rain of Gold" more.
minnow's review against another edition
2.0
I really wanted to like this book, but I could only get halfway through.
Certainly, there were parts that were interesting, but the writing style was a little over the top. Often over-dramatic, it just wasn't well-written. Poignancy is forced on the reader by characters doing a great deal of screaming and crying. The events are not allowed to speak for themselves.
I feel the story itself is good and book-worthy. I just didn't care for the writing.
Certainly, there were parts that were interesting, but the writing style was a little over the top. Often over-dramatic, it just wasn't well-written. Poignancy is forced on the reader by characters doing a great deal of screaming and crying. The events are not allowed to speak for themselves.
I feel the story itself is good and book-worthy. I just didn't care for the writing.
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