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    Javier Cercas’s “Soldiers of Salamis” is a story which examines the human condition in wartime. From his own experience, he places the study in the context of the Spanish Civil War. A sparring match between fascist and socialist sides, it was a battle which was ultimately viewed as a precursor to World War […] read full post >>

The novel, “Soldiers of Salamis” by Javier Cercas is an interesting mix of war, memory, and imagination. I enjoyed the novel as a story, especially with its “happy ending” and open end. One of the main aspects of this novel would be its mix of reality and imagination. While it includes real people’s names and … Continue reading Week 11: Cercas’s “Soldiers of Salamis” → read full post >>

This week’s novel, Soldiers of Salamis written by Javier Cercas definitely felt like such a long read. Although, I was extremely thankful that I had a physical copy for this long novel because reading on a computer screen would definitely strain my eyes, and make the reading process longer. I found that it was interesting […] read full post >>

I found this week’s reading to be intriguing, really informative and pretty emotional. I haven’t really ever known much about the civil war in Spain and I found that through the interviews and piecing stories together I was able to … Continue reading → read full post >>

Using the Spanish Civil War as a narrative foundation, Javier Cercas’s Soldiers of Salamis illustrates the complexities of humanity vividly and touchingly. The novel takes a rather unusual narrative methodology through the point of view of a fictional author and journalist who also happens to be named Javier Cercas. He became interested in investigating a legendary story […] read full post >>

  When our original beliefs are defeated by reality, is it that we have changed, or is the society that is the way it is, it is only when we grow up that we realize the most primitive self. “Soldiers of Salamis” is a classic war novel. I like this book very much. Although I … Continue reading Review of Soldiers of Salamis → read full post >>

Soldiers of Salamis is a novel set during the Spanish Civil War and is probably the closest experience we have to reading historical nonfiction than any of the other novels and stories. Rafael Sánchez Mazas, an important figure in the actual Spanish Falange, is the main character we encounter in the novel as a fascist writer […] read full post >>

Reading Javier Cercas’ Soldiers of Salamis was filled with many different emotions. At first, reading about Cercas’ – the narrator – detachment from his literary career made me sad. However, upon quickly realizing that he had found a new impulse to write again, I felt excited for the narrator. This quote in page 55 resonated […] read full post >>

Reading the first few pages, Soldiers of Salamis, it was already a dark story filled with war and violence. One section that stood out was Machado’s death and his brother finding his last poem in his pocket. “These blue days, this childhood sun.” It was saddening to read this poem after him and his family […] read full post >>

I was not particularly expecting too but I absolutely loved this book. Part one and part three were definitely my favorite to read. It’s always such a thrilling experience to observe a character uncover pieces of a story bit by bit. It reminded me of a show I’m currently watching called ‘Inventing Anna’ where a […] read full post >>