El Plear de la Lectura: Mendoza’s Review & Spanish Literature
Here’s a breakdown of the text,summarizing the key information about each book:
1. War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
* Key Quote: Eduardo Mendoza highlights the book’s ”superhuman balance” and ability to seamlessly transition between different settings and themes (halls,battlefields,dialogues,beliefs,cavalry charges,etc.) without feeling jarring.
* Focus: The quote emphasizes the narrative skill and scope of the novel.
2. The Unfaithful Memory by Carmen Amoraga
* Key Quote: Eduardo Mendoza praises Amoraga’s ability to tell “true stories,with wisdom and tenderness,without sentimentality.”
* Plot Summary: Salomé receives news of her estranged mother’s death and is forced to confront their complicated relationship and her own past. The novel explores themes of motherhood, guilt, societal double standards, and the importance of viewpoint in forming self-image.
* Themes: Motherhood (“bad mothers”), job insecurity, memory, guilt, prejudice, and love.
* Awards: Finalist for the Planeta Prize and winner of the Nadal Prize.
3. The Sole of My Shoes by Gonzalo Suárez
* Key Quote: Eduardo Mendoza calls the chronicles “sensational” when read today.
* Focus: The book contains chronicles that are “living portraits of Barcelona in the 60s.”
* Author Note: Gonzalo Suárez (under the pseudonym Martín Girard) had a short but impactful career as a journalist.
In essence, the text is a promotional piece highlighting three books, each with a quote from Eduardo Mendoza endorsing their quality and summarizing their core themes.