Student Blogs

In The Time of Doves, Rodoreda tells a story of Natalia’s life entirely from her own perspective, and also reflects how the Spanish society was back in the time. This novel didn’t dramatize the confusion and suffering in life, but simply described the facts. I think that’s why this novel makes us feel moved. People […] read full post >>

In The Time of the Doves by Mercè Rodoreda, what struck me most was how ordinary everything feels, even when Natalia’s life is falling apart. The story never becomes dramatic in a loud or exaggerated way. Instead, it stays close to Natalia’s daily thoughts: what she notices, what she worries about, what she endures. That […] read full post >>

Question: How does this book view love and control, and how are they related? -LS read full post >>

First and most importantly, I think that Colometa/Natalia/Maria is so real. The way that the book is narrated is so relatable, as some of the things she says and thinks reminds me of some debrief sessions I would have with friends. Her narration of meeting Quimet, of how she broke Pere’s heart, and her feelings towards her […] read full post >>

To be honest, this was not what I was expecting from a book set during a war, but nonetheless, it was a pretty good read (it would’ve been better if Quimet died sooner and Rita didn’t marry Vicenç). Throughout the book, Natalia’s narration seems repetitive and confuses the reader, which represents the dizzying world she […] read full post >>

“The time of the doves” is interesting in the sense that we’re put in the shoes of Natalia, who seems to be emotionally confused at first and simply allows things to happen, someone does not seem to be in control of their life. She leaves her husband to be with Quimet, a charming personality that […] read full post >>

The Time of the Doves opens with a prelude quote by George Meredith: "My dear, these things are life". Looking back, this quote beautifully summarizes Natalia's extremely painful story. Throughout the novel, we follow Natalia as she encounters struggle... read full post >>

The Time of the Doves opens with a prelude quote by George Meredith: "My dear, these things are life". Looking back, this quote beautifully summarizes Natalia's extremely painful story. Throughout the novel, we follow Natalia as she encounters struggle... read full post >>

Reading The Time of the Doves didn’t feel like following a dramatic war story. Instead, it felt like being placed inside someone’s everyday struggle to keep going. The novel follows Natalia (often called Colometa), whose life is shaped not by political speeches or battlefield scenes, but by marriage, poverty, motherhood, and the slow exhausting life […] read full post >>

The pacing in the Time of the Doves was definitely different than other books I’ve been reading so far. At the beginning, nothing big seems to be happening. But as soon as you finish it, you realize, “wow, a whole life has really just passed”. I especially felt this at the beginning of the book. […] read full post >>

Hello…. Usually when writing my blogs I go back and look at my notes from while I was reading. This time… I see there is a LOT of anger. Which is actually pretty normal for me, but wow. So this blog is basically a running list of all the times Quimet pissed me off. plus … Continue reading DOVES read full post >>

feb 22, 2026 I loved reading Time of the Doves. This book might be my favorite one so far, it was just beautiful. I loved it on a personal level, I related a lot to Natalia’s feelings while reading especially with my experience of growing up under political unrest and fleeing political prosecution to come […] read full post >>

I loved this novel. It made me feel a lot of things. From the opening alone I was quite captivated by it. Natalia’s narration feels so raw and direct. Even when describing something small, it felt like it carried so much weight with it. I can’t really put it into words. Immediately Quimet pissed me […] read full post >>

The Time of the Doves by Mercè Rodoreda tells the story of Natàlia, a working-class woman living in Barcelona before, during, and after the Spanish Civil War. What stood out to me most was how quiet and emotional the story felt. Instead of focusing on big historical events, the novel shows how everyday life, relationships, […] read full post >>

Reading The Time of the Doves I kept noticing how Natalia’s life is shaped more by what she’s missing than by what she has. No one ever showed her what a healthy relationship looks like, so when Quimet appears she doesn’t really choose him; she just drifts into him. And Quimet? Major red flag. Immediately. […] read full post >>