Take a photo of a barcode or cover
A review by ninaprime
The Seventh Veil of Salome by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
dark
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
This novel felt very cinematic, which makes sense since it was set in old Hollywood. The main plot focused on Mexican ingenue Vera, newly discovered and finding her confidence and place in the world, and Nancy, a spiteful and racist extra whose fading star spurs her jealousy of Vera, who she believes stole her role as Salome and her rich musician boyfriend. A third POV is Salome herself, who falls helplessly in love with John the Baptist while navigating her stepfather's vicious court. In addition to multiple character perspectives, you get reflections of the characters in the present on the past, like a faux-documentary of what happened in the filming of "The Seventh Veil of Salome."
As often the case, certain plotlines were more interesting than others. I particularly found the Salome story, which I didn't know much about, intriguing as she defines the easy Madonna/whore characterization. It was a bit hard to tell how much Moreno-Garcia intended this narration to be what the actual Salome experienced vs. what the movie is trying to portray her as but it was critical connective tissue to the experiences of Vera and Nancy. Unfortunately the result of the feud, though heavily foreshadowed, made this story more like a torrid ID true crime feature than gripping tragedy.
As often the case, certain plotlines were more interesting than others. I particularly found the Salome story, which I didn't know much about, intriguing as she defines the easy Madonna/whore characterization. It was a bit hard to tell how much Moreno-Garcia intended this narration to be what the actual Salome experienced vs. what the movie is trying to portray her as but it was critical connective tissue to the experiences of Vera and Nancy. Unfortunately the result of the feud, though heavily foreshadowed, made this story more like a torrid ID true crime feature than gripping tragedy.