Marianela (Alba) [Paperback]

Benito Pérez Galdós (Author)

Book Description

Series: Alba | Publication Date: January 20, 2000

Provided in Spanish only.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Publicada en 1878, Marianela es una novela por la que Benito Perez Galdos --Los editores --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Language Notes

Text: Spanish --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 244 pages
• Publisher: iUniverse; Spanish edition (January 20, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 158348812X
• ISBN-13: 978-1583488126
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.3 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,698,583 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars La vision siempre es espiritual, no fisica, May 23, 2004

By 

El principe (USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Marianela (Leer en español nivel 3) (Paperback)

What is the actual implication of this fictitious work? Isn't there a serious, profound and truthful lessons in this love story so down-to-earth but yet so complex?

Marianela, a love story published in 1878 portrays a relationship between a blind man and his guide-- not beautiful a woman, whom he imagines attractive. Loving him she worries that once the man recovers his eyesight realizes she is not as pretty as he thinks her to be.

The author wisely crafts an interesting symbolism between the capacity to see, which is always spiritual and emotional, and on the other hand the human eyesight which can be inadequate, restrictive and misleading.

The implication that runs through the whole story is that adversity is a blessing in disguise, since blindness forces him to be humble enough to perceive the beauty she and others manifest. Once he recovers his eyesight and sees her for the first time with his human eyes, he rejects her.

Wasn't he in possession of real sight while blind than when he was able to recover his sight and to humanly see? Isn't Perez Galdos message, that the capacity to see and understand is mental, emotional and not necessarily physical?

Finally I can say this classic must be understood as a lesson on the spiritual superiority over the evidence presented by the human senses. This emotionally complex story has a symbolism, it will teach a lesson to whoever is receptive enough to its deeper meaning.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It was a sad but compelling short novel, January 6, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Marianela (Paperback)

Pablo fell in love with a small, scrawny shadow of a girl named Nela. He loved her with sincerity and was able to look past her exterior because of his blindness. But he doesn't realize that she was so hurt and afraid that if he saw her ugliness, he wouldn't love her. When he got his eyesight back, she died of lovesickness for him. It's sad but well written. So read it...in Spanish it has a better affect.

19 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Marianela, April 11, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Marianela (Leer en español nivel 3) (Paperback)

I am a young "Anglo-American" (white) girl living in a Texas/Mexican border town with a 98% hispanic community, and am on my way to learning the language fluently. I read this book in my Spanish class, and nearly died from the beauty of this book! It has helped me along with recognizing and comprehending Spanish along with leaving me a satisfied reader. Someday when I speak fluent Spanish, I will read this to my daughter and am sure it will be her favorite bed-time story. :-)