Tuesday, October 02, 2007

The Spanish Bow
by Andromeda Romano-Lax

Published in 2007. 554 pages.


When I was a child, historical fiction was a favorite genre of mine, one which my mom encouraged me to explore. I've read less historical fiction in recent years, but I was excited to return to the genre with a review copy of this debut novel by Andromeda Romano-Lax.

First line: I was almost born Happy.

Brief summary of the plot: Beginning with his birth in Spain in 1892 and following his life through the Spanish Civil War and World War II, this is the "autobiography" of a fictional cellist named Feliu Delargo.

Connecting to history: I am not familiar with the real cellist Pablo Casals whose life inspired this novel. Neither am I very familiar with the Spanish Civil War. But Feliu's life intersects with a number of famous historical figures, including Pablo Picasso and Adolf Hitler, and I certainly learned some things about the history of Spain in reading The Spanish Bow.

Something I loved about this book: Romano-Lax's prose is lyrical, perfect for the tale of a musician. This book is beautifully written.

Something I didn't like as well: Toward the end of the book, my progress was slow. While I will readily admit that a week of long days at work left me with little time or energy to read, I did struggle through a section of about 100 pages when the story was focused more, I thought, on the politics of war than on Feliu's story.

A favorite passage from the book:

But those are financial details. What I remember best from those times is the music itself. When it succeeded, we took hold of the audience's attention, working it from a distracted, unshaped mass into spun beauty, passing the fine strands back and forth until we wove together something grander, not only music but memory, too - the particulars of past and present, stretched taut across a loom of timeless ideals. Harmony. Symmetry. Order.

For more information:
Check out the author's website here and a discussion guide here.

To share in the joy of a good book: I would love to pass my copy of The Spanish Bow to another interested reader. Leave a comment if you'd be interested, and I will randomly pick one lucky reader from those who comment by Monday, October 8.

2007.56

7 comments:

  1. Hi
    Sounds a good book, I love historical fiction. I saw you had The Historian in your reading list - that is a really good one. I can also recommend The Interpretation of Murder.
    Alix

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  2. I love historical fiction, too. Please enter me in your drawing. Thanks!

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  3. I got a review copy of this book as well. It has one of my favourite opening sentences that I've read this year. And I, as well, did struggle a little bit when the book was more political than anything else.

    What was interesting was a few weeks after I read this, I went to a concert (Loreena McKennitt) and one of the musicians played the cello. It gave it me a completely new appreciation for the instrument.

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  4. Oh, yes! My hand is raised and I'm wiggling in my seat just hoping you'll pick me. Love that cover and your review. Sounds like a good book.

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  5. Ohh... I just love historical fiction. It makes you feel like you are right there in the past. And being a musician makes it even more interesting. Please enter me. :)

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  6. This sounds really good, and the author's name definitely grabs my attention. I would love to be entered.

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  7. I am pretty new to the historical fiction genre and I'm excited about it because I've liked my selections so far and I feel as if there's a whole new world out there for me to read. I'd love to read this book. Thanks for the giveaway.
    doot65{at}comcast[dot]net
    Elizabeth

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