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, […]
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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. […]
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At first, I was quite unsure about this book and felt that it moved very slowly. But after I got halfway through, the plot began to move much faster and I was captivated by the story. Initially, I was upset that Colometa would leave her fiance, Pere, for some guy who said he wanted to dance with her. And I…
Posted in Blogs, Rodoreda | Tagged with mental health, war
Why is it that older generations have stories of meeting their partners in the creepiest ways? When my grandmother met my grandfather, she said she hated him at first because he would follow her around her university campus and try to get on the same work schedule as her just to talk to her. Romance […]
Posted in Blogs, Rodoreda | Tagged with abuse, Domestic Violence, Symbolism, war
I guess I could start this blog off by mentioning how this was quite and enjoyable read, it seemed easier to digest than previous books, but there’s definitely a lot to unpack. One thing that particularly stood out to me while reading was Natalia’s per…
I guess I could start this blog off by mentioning how this was quite and enjoyable read, it seemed easier to digest than previous books, but there’s definitely a lot to unpack. One thing that particularly stood out to me while reading was Natalia’s per…
“I told him I was used to hard work.” This sentence on page 156 made me feel bad for Natalia. Throughout the book, Natalia is described as hardworking. Before her marriage, she worked at a pastry shop, but her salary was controlled by her father. The narrator describes how her father yelled at her when […]
Posted in Blogs | Tagged with The Time of The Doves, Uncategorized
I’ll be honest, I don’t think I took the disclaimer about Mercè Rodoreda’s The Time of the Doves being dark as seriously as I should have. Knowing it was set in the Spanish Civil War, I wasn’t surprised to see that there were bombs and hunger and death. But the fact that most of it […]
Posted in Blogs, Rodoreda | Tagged with book-reviews
This is my favorite novel so far! I really like how the story is told in a straightforward way, without constantly jumping back and forth between the past and the present. The narration feels simple, but also very comfortable to read, just like the protagonist Natalia herself. She is an ordinary woman, but she feels […]
Posted in Blogs | Tagged with gender, memory, relationships
I’m feeling a frenzy of emotions right now, I don’t know what to write about. Maybe because I’m in forestry where they don’t believe in heating??? My hands are frozen but I’m kinda sweating too? And I’m hungry. Really craving baby octopuses right now but I’ll settle for some Tims hash browns. First thoughts were […]
Posted in Blogs, Rodoreda | Tagged with awful husband, poverty, war
