Máscaras del Tiempo

by Gabriel Marius

La madre de Anna se halla en coma, luego de ser salvajemente atacada. Entre las posesiones de su madre, Anna descubre rastros de un pasado oculto cuya investigacin la obsesionaba. La madeja abarca tres generaciones de la familia, a lo largo de cincuenta aos, en un verdadero laberinto de intrigas y un oscuro secreto que sigue poniendo sus vidas en peligro.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction

640 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1993

Reviews

[Jonkonfui · Rating 2 out of 5]

At the beginning I thought this one was goint to be my favourite book of the year: the "historical" plot was really interesting, the characters appealling, the pace not too slow, not too fast. No unending introspection to display the motives of the characters. No 12 pages long descriptions of a table. It was a book of action, the different plots all equally interesting... but then came "love" and with it everything changed...for worse!: the story became boring, the characters rather stupid, the writing "cheap".
I suppose Mr. Gabriel´s editor must have told him: "there is too much History in here, it needs a bit of flesh"... and then all starts going very wrong. At the end, all the wrongness of the book explodes in such an odd, absurd and easy ending. A Pity!

[Finnternational · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book until the last few chapters. I would've rated it higher if the ending was different. It had a great story and characters that all fitted together as you read on. When the characters figured out what was going on, it was interesting enough, going back to the war and things that had happened decades ago.
Enter some rattlesnakes and the whole thing goes downhill. I don't know if the author had that in mind all along or decided to add a twist at the end. Worth reading, most of the story is great.

[Frances Smythe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have just added to a personal dilemma....each time I finish a Marius Gabriel book I think its my favourite and having just finished The Mask of Time, this is my latest favourite! I really enjoyed this story and even though it covered 3+ generations, I found myself thoroughly involved with characters from each of those generations. You could easily sit and read this in one go without realising the time and I felt rudely interrupted every time I had to put it down to get off the train, cook dinner, turn the light off as it was past mid-night....! Great characters, full of suspense, mystery, twists and turns.

[Maggie womersley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Plenty of twist in this one

I like Marius Gabriel's writing and his characters are believable but this ending was too much of an unpleasant surprise

characters

[Edwin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dit luisterboek eerder na twee dagen weggedaan. Het was niet door te komen. Of eigenlijk, de eerste pagina's deden niets voor mij, en daarom maar weg gedaan. Op een gegeven moment had ik echter niets meer, en uiteindelijk toch maar weer dit boek geprobeerd. En ach... het viel uiteindelijk wel mee.

De vertelling van dit boek bedroeg ruim 27(!) uur, en af en toe raakte ik wel eens de weg kwijt in het verhaal, of viel ik zelfs in slaap.

Het boek was uiteindelijk zo/zo. Geen hoogstaand verhaal, maar ook geen boek dat je in de ramsj-bakken verwacht. Vooral het heen-en-weer gespring tussen de verschillende tijden in het begin maakte het boek wat lastiger voor mij om te lezen (luisteren). Het ene moment zat je in het 'nu' van de jaren '90, om daarna weer in het Rusland van de jaren '40/'50 uit te komen, met soms een uitstapje naar de jaren '60.

Het einde.. ach, dat was dus echt jammer. Het had mooier kunnen eindigen, maar de laatste hoofdstukken waren het niet.

Of de auteur het einde zo bedoeld had, of een plot-twist nodig had, weten we niet.

Deels is dit verhaal aan te raden, maar de seks-scenes kan je zonder problemen overslaan.

[Marnix Kerkhoff · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the beginning the different story lines didn't seem to have any relation to another. How surprising when they do come together and even more so, how surprising the end!
I really liked to read this novel and I was completely 'absorbed' it. The very different time phases and locations are very compelling and I would love to see a film of this book.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Didn't like the ending

The ending was a total surprise. I didn't like it. However the book grips you with wanting more right from the beginning. The humanity of people caught up in a war, those who are evil, those who are true heroes helping others

[Rocio · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an AMAZING book... Until Anna appears.

Every single character (except maybe the police officers?) Are perfectly narrated and get you super immersed in the story, especially the female characters, which I highlight for their originality, stark contrast between each other and immense strength each in their own ways. It's very refreshing to read good women characters written by a male author (and I think the men were also exceptional, but I'm not an expert since I'm not a man lol).

I learned a lot through the historical drama by delving a little bit deeper on the facts of the book. I'm now inclined to learn more about the Italian history in particular. The stories of tragedy and survival brought tears to my eyes at some point, and the romance got to me as well in some particular chapters.

The bad things this book has: the ending is rushed and boring, not in its facts, but in how it was written.

And of course Anna, ANNA. I hate her. I also didn't like Philip from the moment he was presented, but as he unveiled his story, I realised just how much potential he had that was stunted by Anna's presence. Anna is literally a lot more intelligent anf interesting at the very start of the book than at the end. She goes against everything that her women antecessors suffered to develop: independence, strength, healthy love, education, money. We have these whole stories of learning and self-fulfillment, and then Anna comes abandoning her job and dream; trying to steal her mother's identity somehow for some reason?; Being happier that she has credit cards than health or monetary stability; she does nothing for herself and instead throws everything onto Philip to do for her, even though he's an ABSOLUTE STRANGER.

Anna does so many stupid shit, and every time she appears the plot gets halted for the sake of sex, because sex with Philip is all she can care about and it's the only thing she does well in the whole book. I wouldn't mind her being so dumb and useless if she wasn't a damn protagonist! Like damn girl! You're there to CARRY the plot onwards!! Kate/Catarina was an amazing protagonist, I wished she had been the one to stay awake while Anna got busy being in her coma dreaming of credit cards and sex. Also how tf is she marrying Philip? It makes no sense.


Dumb shit about Anna: a small recompilation (because I really need to take this out of my system if I don't want to get rid of the book without hating myself for it).

- Insisting trying to have sexual relationships with a man that has told you "no" and pushed you away multiple times.

- Unprotected sex with a much older man that is also a complete stranger and whom everyone supects could be her mother's lover.

- Marrying a lover without even being partners first, right after she finds out he lied to her about his whole identity and purpose of being with her.

- Telling every single soul in Vail about her mother's secret vault behind the painting in the bedroom.

- Leaving ALONE in the bedroom the 2 workers that were supposed to open her mom's vault, without even knowing herself what was inside. You don't let a PLUMBER inside your home completely unattended to prevent a robbery, and this smart lady "doesn't like loud noises" so she leaves her mom's secret stash in hands of these guys whom she doesn't know at all.

- Anna is presented to us as a very intelligent and accomplished investigator for the newspaper, yet she doesn't investigate shit during he whole book and she's even called out about it.

- Being a rich bratty girl. She's called out about this too. She's also super rude to everyone, including the kind doctor taking care of her convalescent mother.

- She does the bare minimum of trying to find out who Philip Westward is (which proves to be as easy as making a single phonecall) at the end of the book instead of at the start of it, and then doing absolutely nothing about it when you find out it's a fake identity.

- Acting like a "witch" and saying you "feel" x or y thing is truth and going crazy when anyone tells you otherwise, because "your soul can feel it inside" instead of doing a minimum of investigation.

- Going to a murderer's house without a plan B or telling anyone of her whereabouts (and unarmed).

- Telling a stranger and murderer you know he has commited a crime just to "elicit an emotional response" because you're insecure about him not feeling as strongly as you, while inside of his home kilometres away from the closest police station.

- Abandoning her job and dream for sure once she decides she's gonna marry, because she "fell in love" with the millionaire guy that's still kind of a stranger by the end. I'm disappointed that Evelyn and Kate are just happy and envious of her instead of advising her properly by explaining her of their own previous experiences with rich, handsome men.

- Completely lack of character growth.

- Kind of racist at some points?

I could go on.

ANYWAY, the reason Anna makes me so mad in the first place is because, if it weren't for her, this book would be PERFECT and I'm trying to convince myself that it isn't ruined just because of her. Idk what in the world made Gabriel think she would be a good idea to add.

[Jeannette Modesto · Rating 5 out of 5]

My third book from this author and I loved this read.

[Andrew M · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book but was really disappointed with the weird conclusion.

[Karla-Mae · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is my third novel by Marius Gabriel and I have mixed feeling about what is my least favourite book by the author.

There are at least 3 different storyline that all converge towards the final third of the novel. I'd say for the first quarter of the book, the rapid overlap of these different narratives, over different locations and periods of time can feel a little overwhelming but if you keep going, it becomes more engaging. It may seem unnecessary to break up the narrative to a different character every couple of pages, but by the end you'll realise the story wouldn't work without this choppy narrative. However, for me it felt better suited to a film script than a novel.

The novel's description blurb isn't helpful, either. I've read other reviews which mention Anna's love life being a distraction, but confusingly it wasn't in my book at all so I think there may have been an edited version of the story? The book has a lot of typos in the final quarter, which was disappointing.

Without spoiling the story, it focuses on the lives and consequences of the actions of two partisan soldiers, one British, the other American during WW2. The setting takes the reader to Italy, the US, Latvia, Russia and the UK. The soldiers, David and Joseph are contrasted effectively, with the Brit David being a thoroughly selfish and unlikeable character and Joseph as the reluctant hero. Gabriel is usually a master at creating strong yet nuanced characters but a number of characters in this novel felt contrived and the dialogue at times didn't read as very believable. For example, Candida's conversations and actions seemed beyond naivety at times, and achronistic in other places. Would a village girl during a great war really behave in such a way? Likewise, Anna's is a pretty irritating and naive character (take note of some of the questions she asks other characters, alone in potentially dangerous situations. For a so-called investigative journalist, it is ridiculous) unlike the usual bold and strong female characters Gabriel usually creates. Evelyn does stand out as a stoic female character, though.

I disagree with other reviewers that the ending was not satisfying. It does provide closure, but the build up to the climax and denouement is rushed; weeks of important findings for the development of the story are summarised to a few pages. The build up to the ending is very violent and disturbing and I had to skip a few pages. Gabriel is very skilled at creating the same intense fear the character is experiencing in the mind of the reader, too. I also wasn't prepared for the plot twist at the end. Wow. It has led me to research how common such acts were after WW2.

Nonetheless, I didn't connect very well to most of the characters in this story unlike other Gabriel books. The choppy narrative and the amount of unpleasant characters was too much for me. The Seventh Moon by Gabriel is, in my opinion, a better WW2 read

[Mickey · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

My mother read this several years ago and rated it "very good." I guess I have slightly higher standards! This book was long, but it moved along well enough. It starts with a birth in an Italian mountain village in 1944 or 1945. The identity of the father is hinted at through the entire book -- it could be an American clandestinely working with the Italian resistance who was severely wounded and cared for by a local family, or it could be a brash British guy on the same team. The mother is smitten by the charming Brit and begins an illicit affair with him. Only after he tires of her does she turn her attention to the American. In any event, the mother dies in childbirth. The child, Catarina, is grudgingly raised by her grandmother. The only relative who truly cares about her is her uncle.

When Catarina is about 15, grandma is close to death and some other care arrangement must be made. Somehow the family contacts the Brit, David Godbold, who has married and is childless in England. Arrangements are made for Catarina to move to England, where again she really isn't wanted. She hates her father, but over time builds a bit of a relationship with her stepmother, Evelyn. She hasn't been in England long when she witnesses the murder of her father. The author leads the reader to believe that the murderer is the American, Joseph, and the act is revenge for having betrayed his location to the German authorities shortly after Catarina's birth. Joseph is eventually sent to the gulag system in Russia, where his history goes dark in 1959.

For some reason that I can't remember (maybe Evelyn spilled the beans?), many years later, Catarina -- now Kate Kelly, who has a grown daughter, Anna -- starts a research project trying to discover the true identity of her parents. Is her real father still alive, and does he want to be found?

My primary beefs with the book were (1) its descriptive sex scenes and (2) the relationship between Anna and Phillip (a guy who reached out to Kate because they seemed to be on the same quest). Phillip is about the same age as Kate, but how and why Anna falls head over heels in love with him is perplexing, even though the author goes to great lengths to describe how this is the best thing that ever happened to Anna. There is so much distrust sowed with this guy that, once he's finally painted as a good guy, it's hard to believe.

That said, I certainly enjoyed the romp of the hunt for Kate's real father. There were some pretty nefarious characters out to impede her progress, which made for an exciting read.

[Dani Patrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fantastic tale from Gabriel! I'm very pleased that I've enjoyed so deeply now two of his novels, despite their vast differences, they were both difficult to put down. For this story especially towards the end I was at the edge of my seat anxious to hear the conclusion.

The Mast of Time is told over three distinct time periods and over several different countries. Despite the changing periods and scenes, Gabriel made the story pieces very clear. In the modern era, a young woman searches for her mother's biological father, after her mother is beaten into a coma. Anna faces the same hitman as her mother and I found these accounts to be absolutely horrifying. Gabriel can so uniquely capture not only the fear but he can put his characters in the most fear inducing scenarios.

Through alternating chapters the story of Canida in Italy and her British lover, David. The reader comes to find out that David is not the true gentlemen we believed him to be. Instead her wounded charge, Joseph, truly love her and fathered her daughter. Joseph might still be alive and this is the grandfather that Anna searches for.

My favorite part of the story was the interactions between Kate and her believed father, David. Kate repeatedly calls David a murderer, and David reacts with uncalled for furry. Kate does not know that David is responsible for turning those in that helped him, Kate's own family and actual father. When David is killed the reader feels a sense of justice that Joseph has punished the immoral and selfish David. Sympathy is only found when the full truth is exposed.

Gabriel has quite the talent in creating deep characters that you develop an array of feelings for past just liking or hating them. I was wrapped in the story of "Joseph" as he struggled to survive the Gulags and death in the pit after being shot in the jaw. You really cheered as he continued to overcome all the obstacles in his path and then the shock at the ending. No one expected that he could be so evil, it tore at my heart.

This novel was difficult to put down and I was truly saddened at its conclusion. The Mask of Time was a wonderful, complicated and deep mystery.

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was really good. Gabriel used sophisticated literary conventions, like foreshadowing and characterization and alternating narrations.
There was one major flaw in the plot that doesn't become apparent until the denouement. I won't explicate it in this review in the interest of time and a desire not to include a spoiler. Nonetheless, if you employ suspension of disbelief, as most of us do while reading fiction, it shouldn't really bother you too much.

One major criticism I have is that the book was written from a historically compromised premise that basically seeks to reinforce popular but erroneous historical narratives regarding the Holocaust, Nazis, and Stalin. Take that up with the publishing houses though (in this case, Bantam Books), because we've all been snookered by these narratives, as we're now finding out during this Great Awakening period.

Great prose though.

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Marius Gabriel rights very compelling novels. The reader is drawn into the story so deeply that it is really difficult to put his books down. This one was no different. The book takes place in 1943 German-occupied northern Italy, in Russia and Latvia a few years later, and in Vail, Colorado in the 1990's. This is once again one of those books about WWII where people in the present are trying to solve mysteries from the past using clues. In this case, it all takes a very dark turn. The book was excellent, the characters compelling, and the writing masterful, although I'm not sure that I liked the storyline.

[Sheryl Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite the saga

At first, I found the book confusing and had a hard time remembering what was what. I knew that eventually it would all come into focus and it did. The story was interesting, but not as engaging as I expected it to be. I didn't feel the tension of what was happening until the very end. Still, the story overall is a good one with some interesting twists and, of course, the characters are excellent.

[Vivien FitzGerald-Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Extraordinary

An extraordinary if sometimes severely violent tale with an enthralling final twist. Marius Gabriel has once again excelled.
The early stages of the novel are rather difficult to follow as the characters, actions & locations follow a bewildering route. Only as you read do the connections become clear. The readers exploration follows that of the main character, Kate. It is well worthwhile persevering to the end.

[Joan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A captivating story plague by loose research

The multi generational story is interesting and captivating the characters richly drawn. But the obvious parallels of grandmother mother daughter are a little bit too obvious for a writer of this stature, and basic research yielded mistakes.

[Pat Park · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good story from Marius Gabriel.
He moves the characters around from one country to another at the start of each chapter.
Once you get used to this it is easy to follow .
The story line is good ,and the book is hard to put down . Marius intertwines the lives of characters
until it all makes the story complete . Some war, death , love , lust & intrigue .
I'll not tell you any more .
Read it .Its good.

[Alison Offerdal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intriguing....

In trying to discover her roots, Kate unwittingly draws herself and her daughter into the murky world of the Second Workd War and its secrets. A great read, full of twists and turns.

[Audion Audiobooks On Demand · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fantastic historic fiction

I really enjoyed this world war II historic fiction that alternates between history and modern times. Gabriel is an excellent writer and I always enjoy his work

[Brenda C · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Mask Of Time

Another fabulous story I highly recommend this book the characters are believable and exciting. The suffering is beyond anything imaginable to me . The evil in man is outrageous . Where will it end? 😡

[Parks Freeman Venture Account · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written dark story

One has to pay attention when reading this book. As it moves back and forth in time and locations, the story is built block by block. Strong characters, extreme situations, the ending was a surprise. A good read

[Nic · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great read!

There are no words otherwise I would reveal the plot .. suffice to say, I was hooked from the start.... read and read to find the answers..... and then... an unexpected ending.. even now said too much... highly recommended.... but don't believe everything you read!

[sally crowell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible Twisting Lives of War and Loss

Ingenious book of the lives of a family. Shredded by circumstances of lost love in an attempt to strangle their lives.
A yearning for the truth of a man who was loved.

[Lora Angelova · Rating 3 out of 5]

Нещо не ми достигна в тази книга, въпреки всеобхватната история и добре изградените персонажи. Историята беше увлекателна, но доста предвидима. Доста мудно начало, за мен лично историята набира сила след почти 100 страници. Хубава е, но няма да остане във времето, като нещо уникално и запомнящо се.

[Rebecca Sanders · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not quite a 5! I enjoyed it!

[Elizabeth Sharp · Rating 5 out of 5]

.

Surprising end to a great read. WW II has become my new book obsession. So much I did not know.

[linda beton · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great read

You need to keep turning the pages. I found it a satisfying not predictable ending. Excellent pace and writing. Would recommend.

[Mary Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked it a lot. A choppy beginning gave way to a twist at the end which I didn't like. It serves as an explanation, however.

Will definitely read more of his works.