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abookishaffair's review against another edition
2.0
The Lady Matador's Hotel tells the story of several individuals who all converge in an unnamed Central American capital (my guess is Honduras or Guatemala) during a time of great upheaval. Some characters are more affected than others as they make their way through their roles and responsibilities in the city. Each chapter is divided up into vignettes about each individual character.
The author has a wonderful way of writing and I almost gave the book 3 stars instead of the 2 that I ultimately decided on.It had been awhile since I read anything in the realm of magical realism. I really liked that aspect of the book. Where the book lost me is that there didn't seem to be any overriding cohesiveness within the story. Some of the characters interact with each other but others did not. I found myself wondering what the author was really trying to convey with the story. Each man is an island? We're all affected in different ways by earth shaking events? I'm just not really sure.
The author has a wonderful way of writing and I almost gave the book 3 stars instead of the 2 that I ultimately decided on.It had been awhile since I read anything in the realm of magical realism. I really liked that aspect of the book. Where the book lost me is that there didn't seem to be any overriding cohesiveness within the story. Some of the characters interact with each other but others did not. I found myself wondering what the author was really trying to convey with the story. Each man is an island? We're all affected in different ways by earth shaking events? I'm just not really sure.
pturnbull's review against another edition
3.0
Enjoyable novel centered around a hotel. There's a large cast of characters; most, maybe all live shallow and empty lives, and each one faces challenges and disappointments as their story lines unfold. Though slight and short, this book references serious themes, and by the end, a few have entirely captured our sentiments, and we wish them the best.
mikolee's review against another edition
3.0
I picked this book up because the premise (unnamed Central American hotel with a mix of diverse people) reminded me of one of my favorite books Bel Canto. While it was nothing like Ann Patchetts great allegory about culture, it was still entertaining. I like Gracias quirky characters and particularly her strong and sometimes repellent women. A few days in a hotel and we meet a former warlord, a revolutionary and her ghost brother, an exiled Cuban poet, a sleazy international adoption lawyer, a Korean textile owner, and a regal hapa (Japanese, Mexican) lady matador from which the title is derived. Their stories intertwine and don't.
I was puzzled by the mysterious ending. I wanted more.
I was puzzled by the mysterious ending. I wanted more.
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