Customer Reviews

Behind the Curtains

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When I read a novel so beautiful, I have a hard time writing a critique, maybe because I won't do it justic. One of the things that has amazed me the most is that, if I calculate it correctly, Carmen Martín Gaite was only 22 when she wrote the book. When I was 22 I was in limbo land. Her observation skills are incredible.

I am not sure that the story would sound flippant to some readers. Spain was like this in the post war years. Some scenes are so full of truth that they are scary. An example is when Ángel takes Gertru to a party, and he is holding her by the neck (why not put a bridle on while he's at it?). Another scene is when Gertru tells Ángel she would like to finish high school, and he replies that to marry him she does not need geometry or anything else. The Spanish macho, in all his splendor.

More scary scenes: the repressive aunt, fighting with her nieces who want to go to a party, "like crazy goats". The dialog between Concha and Mercedes is precious. I am sure lots of people would be surprised to read about women almost in their thirties having to put up with such humiliations, but unfortunately CMG was writing about reality, pure and simple. This novel helps you understand what was happening at the time and the repercussions in years to come. The Gertrus and Julias made sure their daughters had an education, so that they did not have to put up with stupidity from anyone, so that they did not have to go from the parents' dictatorship to the husband's dictatorship, so that they were free to do whatever they wanted. In the distance it sounds weird, but it is the Spanish postwar reality.

One of the things that disappointed me a bit was that there are some characters underutilized, like Goyita and Manolo Torre. It is strange, because Goyita appears in one of the first scenes, but later on she barely shows. Natalia is who starts the book, and although she is in the background for a good part of the action, at the end she appears and carries a good chunk of the story. When CMG wrote this book, she probably did not have an editor checking every comma and every period. In any case, I still marvel at the deep perception and accurate dialogs in this brilliant novel.