Victoria Hislop
Hardcover | Pages: 432 pages Rating: 3.83 | 9505 Users | 734 Reviews
Describe Of Books The Return
| Title | : | The Return |
| Author | : | Victoria Hislop |
| Book Format | : | Hardcover |
| Book Edition | : | 1st Edition |
| Pages | : | Pages: 432 pages |
| Published | : | June 26th 2008 by Headline Review (first published 2008) |
| Categories | : | Historical. Historical Fiction. Fiction. Cultural. Spain. Romance |
Rendition In Favor Of Books The Return
Beneath the majestic towers of the Alhambra, Granada's cobbled streets resonate with music and secrets. Sonia Cameron knows nothing of the city's shocking past; she is here to dance. But in a quiet café, a chance conversation and an intriguing collection of old photographs draw her into the extraordinary tale of Spain's devastating civil war. Seventy years earlier, the café is home to the close-knit RamÃrez family. In 1936, an army coup led by Franco shatters the country's fragile peace, and in the heart of Granada the family witnesses the worst atrocities of conflict. Divided by politics and tragedy, everyone must take a side, fighting a personal battle as Spain rips itself apart. Captivating and deeply moving, Victoria Hislop's second novel is as inspiring as her international bestselling debut, The Island.List Books Supposing The Return
| Original Title: | The Return |
| ISBN: | 0755332938 (ISBN13: 9780755332939) |
| Edition Language: | English |
Rating Of Books The Return
Ratings: 3.83 From 9505 Users | 734 ReviewsCriticism Of Books The Return
So this is really two books; a modern framework as a vehicle for telling a story about the Spanish civil war. The historical fiction part is really quite good; I would rate the middle section of the book a 4 star. The characters are real and the history is nice. I knew next to nothing about the Spanish civil war and besides getting a good history lesson, I liked the story. The modern framework, however is a 2 star. The characters are shells and the story is silly. Who cares about Sonia andIt's almost as if countries can have karma, like people do. While the rest of us Europeans were still in the Dark Ages, Spain was a multi-ethnic island of tolerance and excellence, safeguarding the legacy of the Greeks through Arab translations. Then along come Ferdinand and Isabella, chuck out the Jews and the Muslims in the same year as Columbus discovered America, and the upshot is a quagmire of bigotry and intolerance that is still going on in the 20th century in the form of the Spanish
I struggle to come up with an opinion about Victoria Hislop's The Return. It took me weeks to finish it, which isn't a good omen because she knows to write with a certain pace. The storyline is intriguing, because it deals with a partly forgotten war in the rest of Europe, the Spanish cival war. That by itself should offer enough drama, but the main part of the book, telling the story of the Ramirez family from Granada, feels different. As a reader I felt that I witnessed everything through a
Well worth 5 stars. A fantastic way to learn history, although very sad that none of the tragedy that surrounds the story of the main character is needed to be over-dramatised. Great story, well told.
There are many things to like about The Return, but also some things that were too predictable and required a willing suspension of belief. The good parts: the descriptions of flamenco were wonderful. I know so little about this dance and I learned a lot. I could tell that she definitely did her research about the Spanish Civil War, which is also an era of history I know too little about. All of my knowledge about this era comes from "The Shadow of the Wind" and the movie "Pan's Labyrinth."
The Return feels as if its almost told in two parts. In the present day you meet Sonia. Shes a middle-aged woman who is having relationship issues and is facing some tough decisions when it comes to her marriage. She is visiting Spain with a friend and they decide to take some dancing classes to celebrate her friends birthday.While on her trip she meets an elderly waiter at a cafe who tells her the story of the Ramirez family and the Spanish Civil War in the 1930s. Pablo and Concha Ramirez run a
I enjoy books with a historical aspect and seem to have read a few related to the Spanish Civil War recently and this one was enjoyable enough if not a little predictable. I also felt that i didnt connect with the characters in the same way as I did with The Island and didnt really care what was happening to them and the book lack something. Although dance was meant to be an integral part of the story I felt it added little other than added description. I felt there was lack of development in
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