CBR 16 Bingo – Vintage: Published in 1982
I read this book for my book club and probably wouldn’t have picked it up otherwise because it seemed somewhat interesting from the description, but it wouldn’t have been very high up there on my TBR. I will say, I’m glad I read.
This book follows the Trueba family, especially Esteban, the patriarch with political schemes and wild desires, and Clara, his wife, a clairvoyant that connects with spirits. It also follows their daughter Blanca, who is in love with a man her father deems unworthy, and Blanca’s daughter Alba, who is an ambitious girl with goals of a revolutionary future for her family and her country.
The book is extremely well-written, however it follows the character you are most likely to detest. Reading the book from Esteban’s perspective is infuriating and he’s honestly just an obnoxious character. Yes, he got a redemption arc, but I didn’t find him to be redeemable.
Otherwise, it’s a great book. The political comparisons, the writing style, and the magical realism are all exceptional. The writing style in particular was what drew me in and kept me engaged throughout the book. Other than Esteban, I liked the characters, and they were well-rounded and multidimensional. The plot was interesting and, although I didn’t like it in some parts, I generally enjoyed it. I will say, it bothered me that there were not very many paragraph breaks because it made it hard to read at some points. However, overall, it was a great book and I would recommend to people interested in politics, Latin American literature, magical realism, and fans of Gabriel Garcia Marquez.