A review by thebooktrail88
The Transparency of Time by Leonardo Padura

adventurous challenging mysterious reflective slow-paced

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

4.0

 

This is the kind of novel you read to learn something about the culture and country it’s part of, and to be entertained by a master of his craft.

I have read Padura in Spanish but wanted to read a translation to see what kind of language and imagery came from that. Kudos to Anna Kushner the translator as I feel this reads very well and captures the nuances of the Cuban- Spanish phrases. Padura msut be a tricky writer to translate as he’s not exactly glowing about Cuban society but you can tell it’s like a stern father telling off his child and then kissing his forehead out of love. He loves Cuba but isn’t afraid to be honest about its failings.

Mario Conde, the policeman in the story, is a buyer and seller of books so I immediately loved him.  He worked as a policeman and now still takes on the odd PI case. A friend approaches him saying that one of the antiques he buys and sells has been stolen from his house. It was a statue of Virgin de Regla, a Black Madonna who is much revered in the country. He takes on the case but it’s not clear cut by any means.

.Conde is suspicious that his friend has suddenly returned from Miami. This is a sore point for many Cubans as many of their friends and family have fled to the USA. Conde is nearly 60 and some of this is regret for the fact he has stayed and seen what his country has become.

The mystery of the Black Madonna was just the start in this book as it’s so much more. It’s a visit to Cuba at a time where a lot of happening politically and socially. We see it through the eyes of a man who loves yet criticises his country out of kindness and despair.  It felt like a personal tour through a nation and its trauma and I thoroughly enjoyed it