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A Ilha Dos Amores Infinitos (2006)

by Daina Chaviano(Favorite Author)

3.79 of 5 Votes: 3

languge

English

genre

Romance

publisher

Editorial Presença

series

La Habana oculta

review 1: I don't know why some of the best magical realism books I have read are originally in Spanish. I'm not that interested in the Latin-American/Cuban culture per se, but this one blends cultural seeds, daydreams and interwoven plotlines so well I don't feel like reading an anthropology book (I particularly dislike fiction books that try to hard to "teach" people about the country's traditions and cultures).
review 2: "The Island of Eternal Love" successfully fulfilled my craving for a magic realist novel, and it taught me a great deal about the richness of Cuban culture (with roots in China, Spain, and Africa), but it was not a page turner. However, some of the characters were flat or inconsistent, especially the protagonist reporter, Cecilia, whose actions don't... more always make sense. For example, she briefly dates a superficial dud named Roberto (who she herself admits is a dud), then there is so much heartbreak and melodrama when he breaks off their short-lived courtship. I still can't figure out why she gets all tragic, "woe is me," and takes to her bed with a fever after that--silly. I enjoyed the stories of Mercedes and her mother and grandmother best, but I kept looking for some special meaning to the names duplicated between unrelated characters--the brothel owner Dona Cecilia and the Cecilia who is a reporter in present day Miami, the singer Freddy of a bygone era and Cecilia's friend Freddy--only to come up empty-handed at the book's end, which was disappointing. This novel is beautifully written, even at times reminiscent of Isabel Allende during her Magic Realist prime, but it also drags in places (even at the end), and there are too many loose ends. It was also difficult to follow since the transitions between the stories were not as smooth as they should have been. less

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