Wow. I found this novel to be quite explicit, nothing like the books we have been assigned to read before. The story about the assassination plot seems so full of hope and crazy at the same time. All the men who are involved in the plot are knowingly putting their families in danger. All their families suffer when the plan for the uprising doesn’t go through as planned. The part of the book where the conspirators are detained and tortured by Garcia is so graphic. The suffering and pain they go through is so intense. The bad guys are so sadistic! They don’t even want the information as much as the pleasure of having tortured the conspirators to death. When I read the part where the jailors feed someone his own son, I was so shocked and disgusted.

When reading Urania’s story I was also really shocked. Poor girl, how could her father do that to her, and for what? Just to regain favour with the dictator. How can anyone blame her for leaving her family behind and not talking to them for 35 years. I guess it’s hard to understand the thought process of a man who had served a regime for many years, only to wake up one morning and discover that he had fallen out of favour with Trujillo.

The role of women in this book was quite significant, lots of important female characters, but the women are treated so horribly! The wives of conspirators are arrested and tortured, even though they played no part of plan to assassinate Trujillo. Trujillo’s won attitude towards women is also vulgar. In his mind he assumes he can have any girl he wants, especially little virgin girls. What a crazy old man, 70 years old and sleeping with teenagers. yuck.

I love the first chapter of this book. Loved reading about how Urania is walking along the streets of Santo Domingo, it’s almost spell binding the way she remembers the city 35 years ago and what she sees now. I am also enjoying the fact that the main character (sort of) is a girl, especially since all the books that we have read so far are all about men. This novel has 3 main stories going on at once, Urania, The Dictator and the people who are planning to assasinate the dictator, can’t wait to read to and see how these stories come together.

Each new chapter of the novel is very different. The first and second chapters are like day and night. I found it a bit confusing at first that the time frame skips around a bit, but then as you read further it gets easier.

The dictator in this novel is very harsh, swears a lot. The nerve of this man! Going around to the visit the wives of all his ministers while they are away? Wow! I was in awe when I read that part, I can’t believe all the ministers still continued to serve that evil man. He is the complete opposite of the dictator we just read about, the old general Bolivar.

This novel is also set in a time period which is modern, unlike the previous novels we have read that were set 100 years ago. I think that it is easier to understand the characters in this modern setting.

I really enjoyed reading this book, Gabriel Garcia Marquez is a phenomenal writer.

The end of the novel is really sad, the poor General! His mind becomes so twisted. At the height of his power the General must have commended huge amounts of respect from his companions. When he is weak and obviously dying, his companions try to lie to him in order to lift his spirits and ease his passing. It’s quite sad to read about the dying General trying to win battles, even when he is so weak he refuses to give up.

I am not surprised that through out the novel the general is too stuborn to see any doctors. It’s easy to imagine that the general talks about the fact that he is sick and dying, but he refueses to admit it to himself. Only at the very end the general finally accepts his own death and takes care of his will, etc.

At the very end of the novel there is a reference to the labyrinth, finally! The whole book is about his twisted life, all the twisted stories and all the people, who pretend to be his friends, all the people who supporetd him and are against him. What a life! I guess you can no expect anything else from someone as great as Simon Bolivar.

I enjoyed reading this book a lot. I like how the author writes about this powerful dictator right at the end of his career. The general is old and sick and knows that his reign of power. When reading about the general preparing to leave, knowing that nobody cares about him anymore and none of the people on his country have much respect for him, I start to feel sorry for him. I sympathize with him! Poor guy.

The author doesn’t really get into the mind of the dictator, he writes about an old man, at the end of his life. I get the feeling that the dictator is trying to go into a self-imposed exile. He is running away from the life that he used to live, because he doesn’t want people to see him in his old age. The author shows Simon Bolivar as a human being, not as a powerful tyrant, which is different from some of the other dictator novels that we have read. There are constant refferences to the General’s failing health and his mental illness.

I find it fascinating that the General has so much love and respect for his Manuela, and that she still stays by his side and supports him when he is about to loose power. It’s quite moving.

I really enjoyed reading this book. It’s so twisted and sneaky! Asturias definatly knew how make the reader relate to exactly how the characteres may be feeling. At the end of the novel when Angel Face is arrested, one can really see that nobody in the republic is safe. Even the president’s favourite gets arrested and tortured, and the reason for his arrest is not even clear! Just like that Angel’s life is upside-down! I also get the sense that being the presidents favourite leaves absolutly no room for doing anything wrong, not even if it is as slight as marrying General Canales’ daughter.

Asturias also shows how the people in this republic are becoming just as ruthless as the president, they model their cruelty on him, i guess. For example, Angel is arrested by major Farfan, who shows him no mercy and beats him, even though Angel has helped Farfan in the past. Wow, I guess under a leader like the president described in this book you can’t trust anyone, everybody is trying to fend for themselves.

While reading this book I noticed the types od imagery Asturias uses. There are so many sequences when one of the characters is a dream-like state of panic. Sometimes difficult to read because the author bombards you with some many images all at once. I think this is very effective in portarying what the characters are going through, all the chaos and panic. A crazy whirlwind of thoughts that go through one’s mind when they know that they or their loved one is doomed. Love it.

 The actual president does not appear that often through out this novel, you never get into his head. For example I have no idea why he treated Angel so terribly, or even the lawyer who was framed for the murder of Sonriente. You don’t get to know why he did it. I also enjoyed reading about the elecetion! Re-elect the president for the sake of the republic, as if anyone dared to run against him.

This book is very enjoyeable to read, quite captivating. I like the way that Asturias tells the story from the point of view from many different characters, and how their stories become intertwined. What I liked the fact that even at the beginning of the book I got across the sense of corruption and fear that the people had for the president. I liked the fact that at the beginning of the book you don’t get know about the presidents inner thoughts, don’t know anything about him, only know that he is really cruel and sneaky, and the fact that his people fear him so much.

i enjoyed the way Asturias wrote about the common people. The way he desicribes them seems very true. Asturias shows the level of corruption in this country very clearly, especially with the secret police. I am not surprised when Asturias writes about the General’s house getting ransaked and the secret police loot everything while Angel kidnaps the General’s daughter! Wow, this is a crazy example of corruption, it seems like Angel isn’t really bothered by the fact that he kidnapped a 15 year old girl! I would asume that events like the one described above were regular occurances in this country under the rule of their president.

I am finding this book more capticvating than Facundo, and easier to read, it seems more like a novel. Instead of the reader being bombarded the tons of facts and large amounts of names and events, this book seems more like a real story.

Welcome to your new blog. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start blogging!

An email has been sent to you giving you details of how to log in to the administration section. From there you can change the design by clicking on the tab MANAGE and then click on the tab THEMES. If you have any questions, ask them in the forums — we are only too willing to help.