Reviews

Cubaanse Dromen by Cristina García

quiltmom14's review against another edition

5.0

OMG I loved this book! The story is great, but almost secondary to the writing. All the descriptions and magic realism here made me feel like words were blanketing me in sound and movement...It reminded me of Isabelle Allende’s older (and imho much better) books with their mellifluous language and vivid imagery. You will taste and feel this book as you read it....

situationnormal's review against another edition

4.0

This is the second time I've read this novel, and Garcia's way with words is just as pronounced the second time around, although the book seems to move more quickly than it has to, not drawing out scenes as much as I would like and playing too much in time. But Garcia's writing is so lovely that it almost doesn't matter.

trstn's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny reflective

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes

4.0

jpluff2334's review against another edition

dark emotional sad slow-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

4.0

 I struggled to get into this book at first but once I did, it blew me away. Dreaming in Cuban is one of those novels that contains the most beautiful sentences that make you pause and read again. I wish I had my own copy so I could have taken a highlighter and pen to it. It tells the stories of three generations of women in a Cuban family. LOTS of things happen to them. The trauma they endure is heavy and there is a large theme of mental illness and abuse. The book takes place during the Cuban revolution and it’s interesting to read how the political climate affects the characters in different ways. The relationship between Celia and Pilar was my favorite, the connection between a grandmother and her grandchild was unmatched. I just learned that Garcia came out with a follow up novel in 2023 so I promptly had to put a hold on it at the library. 

justplainbeth's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.25

emilymorgan02's review against another edition

2.0

This was interesting enough to keep my interest, but in the end, I didn't feel I'd gained anything from reading it...

gigua's review against another edition

2.0

1.5 stars because I feel bad giving just one.

I simply did not enjoy this book. I just kept reading it to get to the end and not because I liked reading it. There were some paragraphs I completely skipped and a few I quite *almost* appreciated.

The plot revolves around the life of three generations, from grandmother to mom and to daughter. Their story alternates Cuba and New York City as their background and we are like an audience admiring the show of their life.

There are a few reasons I did not love the book.
- The characters were poorly developed and I didn't feel sympathy for any of them. I was interested in maybe two of them at different moments, but I just didn't feel they were the right kind of characters is that possible? Or were they so real I did not enjoy their presence? I don't know.
- This book made me feel sad. I wasn't happy when I was reading, I didn't feel any kind of emotions. I think that is quite bad for a book, as I like to feel something, even if it is just anger or disappointment. I was just sad and not inclined on continue the story because of the story itself.
- I was expecting much more after reading the back cover. I was expecting a much larger presence of the two different locations, but it did not happen. I was just stuck with a lot of smaller details about them and I was like "Yes... and now what?!".

All in all, I struggled a lot whit reading this one. And I just kept pushing through because I do not like not finishing a book. Was it a waste of time? Probably.
At least, I can finally say that it's over. Onto the next book now.

jollene07's review against another edition

4.0

I was recently given this book by a good friend and I admittedly took longer than I needed to in order to finish it. The sadness throughout the tale Garcia wrote sometimes became overwhelming. On the one hand, I see how Junot Diaz is inspired by this writer, as she expertly uses the short story to create one master narrative. On the other hand, she is much more poetic than he in her telling of separation, devastation, yearning, sexual violence, generational trauma. I could see my own family's stories in hers.

Great read for a women-centered book that touches on love, migration, magical realism, and revolution.

zellm's review against another edition

3.0

This book had some great character moments, and I thought the exploration of family relationships, love, and politics was interesting. However, I felt that some of the characterizations were heavy handed, stereotypical, and a little disappointing. The interlude about the amusement park husband was also just confusing and felt unnecessary.

book_dreamblog's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-paced

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

3.0