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A review by justinlife
Havana Gold by Leonardo Padura
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
Havana Gold has a lot going for it, but ultimately falls short with some weird writing choices and a plot that's just... ugh.
What I like about Havana Gold is that Padura is continuing to show us the internal workings of Mario Conde, his detective. We see a man that's both stuck in the past and afraid of a future yet to come while not really figuring out the present. He's both sensitive and arrogant. Insecure and introverted. He is sad and at times dramatically morose. He's also only 35. I want to be like "gurl, calm down. It's not that bad." I also enjoyed Padura's Havana. The prose was more interesting this time around than the last. We get some new characters that add flavor to the world Padura is creating. The novel takes place 6 weeks after the first book. We continue see the structure of Cuban politics and how everyday people navigate them. Josefina, Conde's best friend's mother, continues to provide her son, Skinny, and Conde with exceptional meals. When the detective asks, she says every time "stop being a cop." The way people survive and maintain friendships in this political regime was very fascinating to me.
If it was just a meditation of a man in Havana, coming to terms with his legacy and past, the book would have been more successful, but the plot, revolving around the murder of a lascivious teacher didn't do it for me. Also, the focus on marijuana as the worst thing to happen was a choice that feels very much stuck in the past. While the translation improved from the previous work, it still wasn't ideal. There were moments when I continued to ask myself, "why that?" There was one sex scene in particular that I don't think I'll forget, not because it was good, but because it was so bad. Lastly, the publisher had on the cover that this was the final chapter of the quartet when in fact it was the second.
If you choose to read it, it's a pretty simple read and Mario Conde is an interesting character. It's not a bad read. I felt it was just ok. The series itself is more interesting as a whole (so far).
What I like about Havana Gold is that Padura is continuing to show us the internal workings of Mario Conde, his detective. We see a man that's both stuck in the past and afraid of a future yet to come while not really figuring out the present. He's both sensitive and arrogant. Insecure and introverted. He is sad and at times dramatically morose. He's also only 35. I want to be like "gurl, calm down. It's not that bad." I also enjoyed Padura's Havana. The prose was more interesting this time around than the last. We get some new characters that add flavor to the world Padura is creating. The novel takes place 6 weeks after the first book. We continue see the structure of Cuban politics and how everyday people navigate them. Josefina, Conde's best friend's mother, continues to provide her son, Skinny, and Conde with exceptional meals. When the detective asks, she says every time "stop being a cop." The way people survive and maintain friendships in this political regime was very fascinating to me.
If it was just a meditation of a man in Havana, coming to terms with his legacy and past, the book would have been more successful, but the plot, revolving around the murder of a lascivious teacher didn't do it for me. Also, the focus on marijuana as the worst thing to happen was a choice that feels very much stuck in the past. While the translation improved from the previous work, it still wasn't ideal. There were moments when I continued to ask myself, "why that?" There was one sex scene in particular that I don't think I'll forget, not because it was good, but because it was so bad. Lastly, the publisher had on the cover that this was the final chapter of the quartet when in fact it was the second.
If you choose to read it, it's a pretty simple read and Mario Conde is an interesting character. It's not a bad read. I felt it was just ok. The series itself is more interesting as a whole (so far).