Reviews

Alburquerque by Rudolfo Anaya

kent231's review against another edition

4.0

"Alburquerqueis a rich and tempestuous book, full of love and compassion, the complex and exciting skullduggery of politics, and the age-old quest for roots, identity, family. . . . There is a marvelous tapestry of interwoven myth and magic that guides Anaya's characters' sensibilities, and is equally important in defining their feel of place. Above all, in this novel is a deep caring for land and culture and for the spiritual well-being of people, environment, landscape."--John Nichols, author ofThe Milagro Beanfield War: A Novel ". . .Alburquerqueportrays a quest for knowledge. . . . [It] is a novel about many cultures intersecting at an urban, power-, and politics-filled crossroads, represented by a powerful white businessman, whose mother just happens to be a Jew who has hidden her Jewishness, . . . and a boy from the barrio who fathers a child raised in the barrio but who eventually goes on to a triumphant assertion of his cross-cultural self."--World Literature Today "Alburquerquefulfills two important functions: it restores the missing R to the name of the city, and it shows off Anaya's powers as a novelist."--Alan Cheuse, National Public Radio

spauffwrites's review against another edition

3.0

I enjoyed the writing of this novel, particularly the descriptions of New Mexico, the landscapes and the rich Chicano culture. The story follows several characters — a young boxer learning about his true parentage; three politicians all vying for election, all making promises for land and water rights; an author looking for a story and a Vietnam vet battling his hallucinations. However, some characters’ stories were more powerful than others, and unfortunately all of the female characters fell flat to me.

shanviolinlove's review against another edition

4.0

Anaya knows how to craft a narrative. His descriptions of the natural world are beautiful. He gets his reader invested in his characters deeply. This book especially shows the "before" and, if not "after," then evolution-in-transit of Albuquerque being repossessed and commercialized by modern-day colonial forces. We also see certain characters return to their ancestral roots, or, in some cases, appropriated roots (colonialism factors into fictionalized ties to Spanish nobility versus Mexican/indigenous/Jewish roots). Like some other reviewers, I wasn't as sure what to make of the placement of the female characters, as they all oriented around Abran's life (but then again, it's mainly his and his antagonist's story). It wasn't a dealbreaker for me, as the novel's many narrative strengths signified why Alburquerque, like Bless Me, Ultima, bears the same resonance of an American classic.

cloudjp's review against another edition

emotional hopeful mysterious reflective slow-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

5.0

brunonadamas's review against another edition

emotional mysterious reflective sad

4.0

Anaya is one of my favorites, and exception writer. Great read 

alwayslol's review against another edition

5.0

As I'm soon moving out of Albuquerque, I'm finishing up all of the books I meant to read when I arrived. This one is a classic and especially if you are familiar with Albuquerque, you can understand why. Not only a good, well-written story, but all the color and culture of Albuquerque thrown in. It's an excellent read whether you have ever been to Albuquerque or not.

98onboxing's review against another edition

adventurous emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

mokey81's review against another edition

5.0

This was my second book written by Rudolfo Anaya and it was just as gripping as the first. His word-weaving is beautiful. So talented. Anaya has the ability to make the milti-cultural setting of New Mexico come alive in such a way that I wish I could see it the way he does. New Mexico is alive in his words. And I've never felt that way before - being from there. This is the story of a young man who finds out he was adopted and goes on a journey to discover who his father is when his biological mother dies with the secret. Parts of the story were predictible, but that didn't take away from the beauty of this novel. Please read this book. If you haven't been to New Mexico, you will ache to go. If you are from New Mexico, you will long to know it the way Anaya does.

kidcolorado's review against another edition

4.0

Frankly, the book is a little bit messy, but it's so evocative of New Mexico that I don't even care. The prose more than makes up for some sloppy plotting.

dairine's review against another edition

3.0

*autographed* & then I bumped my coffee cup and got a wee-bit if coffee on a bit of the edges. Meh.

I have context with Anaya. As a semi-native of Nuevo Mexico, I have read Bless Me, Ultimata exactly once. It remember it’s being good, but I don’t remember
much of its “craft.”

I also have met Anaya at a dramaturge production of his first? play. My minute interaction with him was less than pleasant. I was left with a terrible feeling.

So, now you understand why I’ve lugged this ridiculous autographed trade copy around and haven’t yet read it.

So I read it. and I think it’s sloppy. It bandies about ABQ references smugly, features little continuity of tone, is loose with POV, had at least one plot flaw that need a proper edit and generally just annoyed me.

So I don’t like Anaya? Sue me.