The Time of the Doves

by MERCE RODOREDA | Literature & Fiction |
ISBN: 9780915308750 Global Overview for this book
Registered by ajsmom of Quesnel, British Columbia Canada on 7/22/2008
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3 journalers for this copy...
Journal Entry 1 by ajsmom from Quesnel, British Columbia Canada on Tuesday, July 22, 2008
The Time of the Doves, the powerfully written story of a naive shop-tender during the Spanish Civil war and beyond, is a rare and moving portrait of a simple soul confronting and surviving a convulsive period of history. The book has been through over twenty printings in Spain, has been widely translated, and was made into a film.

For my birthday buddy, zzz!!

Journal Entry 2 by zzz from Rakovica / Раковица, City of Belgrade Serbia on Thursday, October 16, 2008
"The most beautiful novel published in Spain since Civil War" -- G.G. Márquez

Another great book I wanted to read for such a long time.
Thank you so much!

Journal Entry 3 by zzz from Rakovica / Раковица, City of Belgrade Serbia on Tuesday, March 30, 2010
on the photo is Mercè Rodoreda I must say that at the beginning I was a little bit baffled with this book. I mean when G.G. Márquez says how I’m holding "The most beautiful novel published in Spain since the Civil War." I expected I’d be blown away from the page 1. I expected novel profound as an ocean and equally demanding to sail thru... so I was floating page after page after page waiting for a storm and in my expectations ignoring the landscape that has been enfolding before me... until I finally notice that because of the forest I don’t see a tree.

This is one beautiful story about a simple girl during a horrible time; story about Natalia [Colometa], a girl who works in a pastry shop and loves her job; I dare to say not very bright girl; quite naïve; girl who doesn’t have ability to articulate her feelings in the that profound way I was expecting before opening this book. Even when she talks about unimaginable things; you have a feeling that behind each word is an entire abyss; you can sense its depth but never see it. You expect scream every second but don’t hear it; you feel the horrors but yet Colometa is playing her role of a cork perfectly:

"To me a cork was like a stopper...I was like a cork myself. Not because I was born that way but because I had to be. And to make my heart like stone. I had to be like a cork to keep going because if instead of being a cork with a heart of stone I'd been like before, made of flesh that hurts when you pinch it, I'd never have gotten across such a high, narrow, long bridge."

On the backstage of the novel is Spanish Civil War and of course its horror can bee seen everywhere but this is not story about the war. It’s story about simple little things of ordinary people; about their everyday struggle to survive; about their sacrifices; about they ways to turn yourself into a cork to stay alive yes, but much more to stay sane.

When I started to read this novel I talked with my dear friend José Antonio from Barcelona and he said that “Rodoreda is considered by many as the best writer in Catalan ever and her “Plaça del Diamant” [the original title of the novel] is a symbol (also against Franco’s regime) with its Colometa and her fight to survive during such a horrible time” oh and he also reminded me that Plaça del Diamant actually exist in Barcelona (it’s in the barrio de Gracia de Barcelona.)

Speaking about Franco and Spanish Civil War there is a great Translator’s (David Rosenthal) Note where he wrote small history about Rodoreda and her destiny as a writer who writes in Catalan during Franco’s regime. Of course I knew that then all other languages except Castellano (known as Spanish) were forbidden: Catalan, Gallego, Euskadi. What really stricken me is that Catalan, and probably books in other languages, were burned, newspapers suppressed and offices were hung with signs saying: NO LADRES, HABLA EL IDIOMA DEL IMPERIO ESPAÑOL which means: “Don’t bark, speak the language of the Spanish empire”. Of course Rodoreda has left Spain and moved to France.

Another curious thing is that shortly after I finished reading this novel I meet two new friend from Barcelona and just like José Antonio, they were full of admiration toward Mrs. Rodoreda and her work But then in the same time I’ve met two more friends from Spain, but they were from Madrid. They never heard about Rodoreda nor about the book.
How strange (and sad) that something which means so much to so many in one part means nothing in the other part of the same country.


Journal Entry 4 by zzz at BookObsessed.com, A book trading site -- Controlled Releases on Sunday, May 23, 2010

Released 13 yrs ago (5/22/2010 UTC) at BookObsessed.com, A book trading site -- Controlled Releases

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On it's way to Portugal. Hope you'll enjoy as much as I did.
Cheers!

Journal Entry 5 by butterfly-noir at Lisboa - City, Lisboa (cidade) Portugal on Monday, June 14, 2010
this is the first time I'm trying to make a je on the new site. lets see if works.

I'was very happy to snatch this book on he non-genre swap, cant wait to read it.

thanks zzz

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