Customer Reviews

The Time of the Doves (La Plaza del Diamante)

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

In my opinion, this is one of the most tender and at the same time hard book written in the 20th century in Catalonia. It mixes love, passion, deep feelings among one of the most difficults times that we Catalans have lived and we still live: the represion in all senses of the Spanish Kingdom.

I would like to suggest to Amanzon, a shop that sells culture, to respect the Catalan culture and not to translate the Catalan book titles into Spanish. The title of this book is "La Plaça del Diamant" (Catalan) and not "La Plaza del Diamante" (Spanish) I am absolutly sure that Merce Rodoreda, a woman who lived the repression on the Spanish for writing, thinking and expressing herself as a Catalan, would appreciate a lot that you keep her titles as they are in bweten brackets: in Catalan.

Why it is not called Placa del Diamant in the English translation, I don't know. But the Time of the Doves is a beautifully written tale of hope in a hopeless time; of survival and the power of love (pardon the cliche). It is simplistic because it can be while still communicating these themes effectively, through the mind of the heroine, Natalia.

I first read this book and Rodoreda's other full-length novel, Camellia Street (now out of print in English), when I visited Barcelona three years ago, to give me a sense of place. Now that I live only four blocks from Placa del Diamant, I have re-read them both with the same pleasure. The statute there of Natalia fleeing the doves and the hold of her husband, serves to bring me back to this rich story.

I challenge a history book to provide a reader with a stronger sense of what Spain was actually like during the civil war and the desperation of the Catalan people.

The imagery in this book astounded me: it was fresh and new, very different from anything else I have found in books. My love of Willa Cather eventually led me to this book of Rodoreda's. Like Cather, Rodoreda's language is simple and wonderfully written, her characters are unique and the plot is so subtle.

I enjoyed how the passage of time is explored in the main character's life; from early womanhood through the ordeal of marriage and family to a quiet ecstasy of full maturity. While place plays a very important part in this novel, the setting transcends Barcelona. I sensed the history surronding the characters in the novel yet realized that this story could be set anywhere. I recommend this book for Cather-lovers and those who enjoy a book of the passage of time.

This book is a true masterpiece--an epic covering 30 some years in 200 pages. This means that not one word is wasted. The description is beautifully precise, allowing the reader to picture clearly every street, every room, every face, every piece of furniture or clothing; yet it never gets in the way of the action. Set in Barcelona from the late 1920s through revolution and the Spanish Civil War, followed by the Second World War, the style reminds me of Susan Fromberg Schaeffer's Anya. The author never intrudes on the story; everything is seen through the eyes of Natalia, the main character, looking both inward and outward. The title is that of the American translator; the original was La Placa del Diamant, the name of the open square where Natalia meets Quimet, her husband. The current title is much more appropriate. Natalia and Quimet spend much of the book raising and breeding doves; the irony enters in if one thinks of the dove as a symbol of peace. The doves bring just the opposite to the family, and throughout the book there is no peace, neither in Spain nor for Natalia--but I won't give anything away. If you like this book, Rodoreda's other two works in translation, Camellia Street and My Christina, are also well worth reading.

I have the feeling that any translation of this book is bound to be disppointing. I have read it in the original and it speaks to me of a place and time I once knew but that no longer exists. My family suffered during the spanish civil war and they never wanted to talk about it. I feel the same pain here when the author just touches on what happened here and there. I'm well familiar with the streets Rodoreda describes. I have walked them many times and they feel right to me. I recommend this book to anyone who is willing to be transported to another time and place. By the way, the translation of "coloms" into doves is a bit poetic. The real translation is "pigeons". Barcelona is infested with them.... Happy reading.

I would like to point out that the original title of this novel by Mercè Rodoreda, beautifully translated by David H. Rosenthal, is "La Plaça del Diamant", not "La Plaza del Diamante" as you mention in your listing, as it was written in Catalan and not in Spanish.

What a terrific story. Set during the turbulent years of the Spanish Civil War and dictatorship, of the 1930's and 40's, the novel traces the mediocre and often turbulent life of Natalia, nicknamed "Colometa", through difficult years of famine and depression, as a young mother and unskilled laborer in Catalonia.
We're not talking about an overtly political novel here: this is a story of the human condition, the suffering that any one of us endures at some point in our individual lives. The author scarcely mencions political struggle, nor does she take sides; the dominant theme here is the perpetual plight of a passive yet resiliant female who fights for survival in a brutal and depressed urban environment.
The first person narration creates a wonderful tone. The narrator is soulful, spontaneous, and often gutwrenching. Her language is extremely natural and authentic. The prose reads as if it were a transcription of someone's internal thought process: unpredictable yet familiar. The reader forms an intense emotional bond with the narrative voice that leads to an abundance of tear-jerking moments.
This is the kind of novel that you become attatched to, whether you are a casual reader or a literature scholar. I picked it up an couldn't put it down.
Lastly this novel represents a keen example of true minority struggle under the harsh conditions of a dictatorship. Its original language of publication, Catalan, was prohibited in 1939 by the Spanish government, and therefore, its mere existance is an act of rebellion.
Don't confuse this female story of survival with the sappy victimist writers of the Gloria Anzaldua type - "Colometa" is a real survivor, whose struggle inspires compassion and reflection.

Time of the Doves tells the story of a young woman who marries the wrong man and ends up dealing with a life of poverty, naughty children... and birds. Eventually things change, but her life is definitely not one to envy.

Good Stuff
- It is at times humorous and a bit random, but in a charming (not annoying) way. Like when the toddler throws the intestinal word the family was storing in a jar on the baby.
- The story flows well, weaving through the pivotal moments of the narrator's life.
- It was different as far as setting and time period for me, which I appreciated.

But
- It really felt that at times the translation was off; this really bothered me the most. Some of the words just felt... wrong. And, hence, the flow of the syntax seemed off at times.
- For me the end was a bit contrived and a little too happy for my liking.

All in all an interesting, enjoyable quick read.

I loved this book and was sorry it was over, even though it left me feeling happier and more alive in my own life. The way she notices and describes the details of daily things has an effect on ones own spirit. The poetry of her language comes through so beautifully, it's hard to believe it's a translation. Congratulations to David Rosenthal! A poet professor friend of mine was using it as a text in her classes. Since then I have read it four times, and continue to enjoy it every time. I savor the reading! I know I will read it again.

I bought my copy years ago, but my book group has since bought several copies from Amazon, so I hope this review qualifies. We all loved reading it and talking about it.

I can see how, in the eyes of some people, this book could be a great work of art. I can understand it. But it is definitely NOT for me. I just couldn't get over how naive and simple Natalia/Colometa was. The writing style (stream of conscious) was terrible. For the entire book I felt as though I was trapped inside the mind of a simple girl with simple thoughts. The end was pretty good, though. At least we can finally see her FEEL something. Anyway, I read it because I had to for summer reading. I'm definitely not planning on reading it again.