3.0
Doña Barbara
ByPublisher Description
Rómulo Gallegos is best known for being Venezuela's first democratically elected president. But in his native land he is equally famous as a writer responsible for one of Venezuela's literary treasures, the novel
. First published in 1929, it is one of the first examples of magical realism, laying the groundwork for later authors such as Gabriel García Márquez and Mario Vargas Llosa.
Following an epic dispute over a Venezuelan estate,
is an examination of the conflict between town and country, violence and intellect, male and female. Doña Barbara is a beautiful woman with such a ferocious power over men that she is rumored to be a witch. When her cousin Santos Luzardo returns to the plains in order to reclaim his land and cattle, he reluctantly faces off against Doña Barbara, and their battle becomes simultaneously one of violence and seduction.
is a suspenseful tale that blends fantasy, adventure, and romance. Bringing the Venezuelan plains to life—with their dangerous ranchers, intrepid cowboys, and damsels in distress—it has inspired numerous adaptations on the big and small screens.
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Meet readers like you in the Fable For You feed, designed to build bookish communitiesDoña Barbara Reviews
3.0
“Una novela clásica de la literatura latinoamericana. La historia de la “colonización” de los llanks, las peleas fakiliares, el amor…”
“It took me quite a while to read Doña Barbara, as it did not hold my attention for very long. It's a translated story from a 1929 book based in Venezuela, and I wanted to read this classic to get a glimpse into early Venezuelan culture.
Rómulo Gallego was also actively involved in politics in his native country, so his own personal experiences lends some insight into the thought at the time.
The story centers around el llano (the plain), as Santos Luzardo, a man educated in Caracas, returns home to the violent and relatively lawless country. El llano is largely run by Doña Barbara, a tough woman perceived by men to be evil. As she was raped and abused as a young girl, I don't blame her for hating men or being vindictive towards them. But the symbolism between the two is very clear.
There are a lot of characters, and it was often difficult to follow. It also uses outdated language and racist tropes -- very much of its time”
About Rómulo Gallegos
Rómulo Gallegos (1889–1969) was a Venezuelan novelist and politician who served briefly as the nation's first democratically elected president. After publishing Doña Barbara, he was forced to flee to Spain but returned in 1936 to hold a variety of political offices. He was again forced out by a coup d'etat in 1948, returned in 1958, then was elected senator for life.
Other books by Rómulo Gallegos
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