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ladislara's reviews
92 reviews
The Murmur of Bees by Sofía Segovia
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Torto Arado by Itamar Vieira Junior
adventurous
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Don Quijote de la Mancha by Miguel de Cervantes
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
The Break by Katherena Vermette
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Rape
Glory by NoViolet Bulawayo
adventurous
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
As veias abertas da América Latina by Eduardo Galeano
informative
inspiring
sad
tense
fast-paced
3.5
Eva Luna by Isabel Allende
adventurous
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
It's my first time reading Isabel Allende in English, but I must say that the translation is so good that the magic is the same.
Eva Luna tells the fantastic story of the life of a storyteller that goes through so many tales during her life that she ends up with rich material for her stories. Isabel Allende's writing style makes everything magical, and sometimes during the reading, I wondered if she isn't Eva Luna herself.
The book is a collection of fantastic stories that happen to the main character and the people that pass through her life. There's even a transgender character in the book (written in 1987!) that is beautifully portraited.
Eva Luna tells the fantastic story of the life of a storyteller that goes through so many tales during her life that she ends up with rich material for her stories. Isabel Allende's writing style makes everything magical, and sometimes during the reading, I wondered if she isn't Eva Luna herself.
The book is a collection of fantastic stories that happen to the main character and the people that pass through her life. There's even a transgender character in the book (written in 1987!) that is beautifully portraited.
The Story of the Lost Child by Elena Ferrante
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I'm still trying to wrap my head around this last book of the series, I'm really puzzled and fascinated about the confluence of actors in this story.
First, we have the true author, the one who actually put pen to paper to write the words in the book and uses the pseudonym "Elena Ferrante". We know almost nothing about them. Then we have Elena Ferrante, the pseudonym, an Italian woman who has born in Naples and has published several books. Then we have Elena Grecco, an 66 years old Italian writer who is the fictional narrator of the book we have in front of us and is writing it in light of the disappearance of her childhood friend. Then we have still Elena Grecco, the character of this story, that starts as a little girl and goes through all the tribulations in the book. And then on top of that, we have Lila, whose influence over the writing is always mysterious and at the same time subtle and undeniable.
That being said, I had different expectations for the ending, but I can see how this was an ending best fitting for this story. I loved book #3, but I'm not a huge fan of where the author took the story in this last book.
But nevertheless, I need to recognize Elena Ferrante's mastery in taking the characters on this journey and making them incredibly complex and deep. It's also really interesting to see Elena's -the character in the book- voice changing to finally become Elena Grecco, the narrator.
I think this was one of the things that surprised me the most, the puzzle of this person who's narrating the story. The true author had such a skill to grow these characters -the two Elena Grecco's- who seem so different in the beginning but in the end evolve to converge into each other.
First, we have the true author, the one who actually put pen to paper to write the words in the book and uses the pseudonym "Elena Ferrante". We know almost nothing about them. Then we have Elena Ferrante, the pseudonym, an Italian woman who has born in Naples and has published several books. Then we have Elena Grecco, an 66 years old Italian writer who is the fictional narrator of the book we have in front of us and is writing it in light of the disappearance of her childhood friend. Then we have still Elena Grecco, the character of this story, that starts as a little girl and goes through all the tribulations in the book. And then on top of that, we have Lila, whose influence over the writing is always mysterious and at the same time subtle and undeniable.
That being said, I had different expectations for the ending, but I can see how this was an ending best fitting for this story. I loved book #3, but I'm not a huge fan of where the author took the story in this last book.
But nevertheless, I need to recognize Elena Ferrante's mastery in taking the characters on this journey and making them incredibly complex and deep. It's also really interesting to see Elena's -the character in the book- voice changing to finally become Elena Grecco, the narrator.
I think this was one of the things that surprised me the most, the puzzle of this person who's narrating the story. The true author had such a skill to grow these characters -the two Elena Grecco's- who seem so different in the beginning but in the end evolve to converge into each other.
Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay by Elena Ferrante
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
This so far is my favourite book of the Neapolitan novels. Maybe because Elena and Lila are now close to my age and are going through some of the same struggles as I have, but also because it's really interesting to see Elena maturing as the years go by, and seeing her getting closer to the voice that's narrating the book.
Elena Ferrante has a great talent for giving voice to a woman's internal dialog, and the added theme of emerging feminism in the late '60s and early '70s makes it even more interesting.
In this 3rd book she also skillfully immersed the characters in the political turmoil surrounding Europe and was able to place both Elena and Lila as observers and actors in distinct positions in that scenario without taking away from the characters, but instead using this context to add even more depth and complexity to both women.
The ending was also breathtaking and will stay with me for a long time.
Elena Ferrante has a great talent for giving voice to a woman's internal dialog, and the added theme of emerging feminism in the late '60s and early '70s makes it even more interesting.
In this 3rd book she also skillfully immersed the characters in the political turmoil surrounding Europe and was able to place both Elena and Lila as observers and actors in distinct positions in that scenario without taking away from the characters, but instead using this context to add even more depth and complexity to both women.
The ending was also breathtaking and will stay with me for a long time.
Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah
adventurous
funny
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
4.5
This is the kind of book that you have to listen to it in audio format. Trevor Noah, used to the stage, is a great narrator, and hearing him mimic his mother's sweet, but firm voice, or even his own voice as a teenager is one the highlights of this book.
Growing up in apartheid in South Africa was surrounded by what we would call tragedies, but he makes most of it so funny that you'll find yourself laughing out loud in the middle of the street. And it's not just humor. His jokes are great, but the narrative is also very carefully constructed. It will leave you hanging until the very last part of the last chapter.
More than the story of Trevor Noah, this is also the story of his mom. After all, Trevor wouldn't exist if it wasn't for the tenacity of Patricia Nombuyiselo Noah. This is also the story of a girl who had to eat mud in order to survive and defied the apartheid by living her life on her own terms and having a baby with whom she wanted.
Growing up in apartheid in South Africa was surrounded by what we would call tragedies, but he makes most of it so funny that you'll find yourself laughing out loud in the middle of the street. And it's not just humor. His jokes are great, but the narrative is also very carefully constructed. It will leave you hanging until the very last part of the last chapter.
More than the story of Trevor Noah, this is also the story of his mom. After all, Trevor wouldn't exist if it wasn't for the tenacity of Patricia Nombuyiselo Noah. This is also the story of a girl who had to eat mud in order to survive and defied the apartheid by living her life on her own terms and having a baby with whom she wanted.