A Rainha do Sul

by Arturo Pérez-Reverte, Helena Pitta (Translator)

O novo romance de Arturo Pérez-Reverte tem como personagem principal uma mulher: Teresa Mendoza. Uma mulher solitária que constrói um império a partir do nada, num mundo implacável inteiramente dominado por homens, o mundo do narcotráfico. Uma história de corrupção, amor e morte que nos revela o que de melhor e de pior existe no ser humano. Teresa vê-se forçada a fugir do México quando o namorado, que trabalhava para um cartel de droga, é assassinado. Este vai ser o momento de viragem da sua vida. Pobre e analfabeta, estava longe de imaginar que acabaria por se converter numa lenda do narcotráfico espanhol. No final, aquela que regressa à sua terra natal para ajustar contas com o passado será uma Teresa muito diferente da que fugiu doze anos antes.

Genres: Fiction, Thriller, Historical Fiction, Crime, Spanish Literature, Spain, Mystery

440 pages, capa mole

First published January 1, 2002

About the author

Arturo Pérez-Reverte Gutiérrez, is a Spanish novelist and ex-journalist. He worked as a war reporter for twenty-one years (1973 - 1994). He started his journalistic career writing for the now-defunct newspaper Pueblo. Then, he jumped to news reporter for TVE, Spanish national channel. As a war journalist he traveled to several countries, covering many conflicts. He put this experience into his book 'Territorio Comanche', focusing on the years of Bosnian massacres. That was in 1994, but his debut as a fiction writer started in 1983, with 'El húsar', a historical novella inspired in the Napoleonic era.

Although his debut was not quite successful, in 1988, with 'The Fencing Master', he put his name as a serious writer of historic novels. That was confirmed in 1996, when was published the first book of his Captain Alatriste saga, which has been his trademark. After this book, he could leave definitely journalism for focusing on his career as a fiction writer. This saga, that happens in the years of the Spanish golden age, has seen, for now, seven volumes, where Pérez-Reverte shows, from his particular point of view, historical events from Spanish history in the 16th century.

Apart from these, he also penned another successful works like Dumas Club and Flanders Panel, titles that, among others, made Pérez-Reverte one of the most famous and bestseller authors of Spanish fiction of our era.

Reviews

[Ninoska Goris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Español – English

Hace muchos años cuando dieron la novela, una vez a la semana veía algunos capítulos con mi madre. Me gustaba, pero no tanto como para verla regularmente. Siempre he estado orgullosa de no ver novelas, entiendo que en la mayoría de los casos embrutecen a las mujeres, aunque en los últimos años eso ha cambiado un poco con las nuevas temáticas que casi nunca son de la típica mujer pobre que se enamora del hijo de la casa donde trabaja.

Ahora bien, el libro es otra cosa. Esto tiene de todo y nunca deja de ser entretenido. No me aburrí un solo segundo.

Teresa Mendoza Chávez es la novia del narco Raimundo “El Güero” Dávila Parra, piloto, transportista de drogas cuando lo matan y esta tiene que huir de Sinaloa, México para que no la maten también. Son las reglas del narco: nunca se dejan sobrevivientes.

“Sonó el teléfono y supo que la iban a matar”.

Llega a España y allí trata de vivir una vida normal, aunque solitaria hasta que conoce a Santiago López Fisterra, narco y transportista de drogas también, pero por agua, con quien ella entra a trabajar en ese mundo como su asistente en los viajes en lancha.

Todo va viento en popa hasta que un día les dan caza y Teresa es atrapada. Es enviada a la prisión El Puerto de Santa María por tráfico de drogas y allí conoce a Patricia “Pati” O’Farrell y toda su vida cambia para siempre.

El libro está narrado por la propia Teresa y además por un escritor que está escribiendo un libro de la historia de La reina del Sur. Esto nos da la posibilidad de conocer a todos los muchos personajes que forman parte de esta trama que dura doce años.

No lo dejen de leer.

--

Many years ago when the series was on tv, once a week I saw some chapters with my mother. I liked it, but not enough to see it regularly. I've always been proud of not seeing soap operas, I think that in most cases they brutalize women, although in recent years that has changed a bit with the new themes that are almost never the typical poor woman who falls in love with the son of the house where she works.

Now, the book is something else. This has everything and it never stops being entertaining. I did not get bored for a second.

Teresa Mendoza Chávez is the girlfriend of the narco-trafficker Raimundo "El Güero" Dávila Parra, pilot, drug carrier when they kill him and she has to flee from Sinaloa, Mexico so they do not kill her too. These are the rules of the narco: they are never left survivors.

"The phone rang and she knew they were going to kill her."

She arrives in Spain and tries to live a normal life, although lonely until she meets Santiago López Fisterra, drug trafficker and drug dealer too, but for water, with whom she goes to work in that narco world as his assistant in the trips by boat.

Everything goes smoothly until one day they are chased and Teresa is caught. She is sent to El Puerto de Santa María prison for drug trafficking and there she meets Patricia "Pati" O'Farrell and her whole life changes forever.

The book is narrated by Teresa herself and also by a writer who is writing a book on the history of The Queen of the South. This gives us the opportunity to meet all the many characters that are part of this plot that lasts twelve years.

Try to read it. It’s amazing.

[Mizuki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Smuggling and double-crossing, were in-se-par-able.

"Why should I tell you no, when the answer is yes?"

You are still one smart hijo de puta, she thought, and I'm glad. I want you to understand why. All my men had died knowing why.

If I can give this book 10 stars, I would gladly do it! One of the best books I'd read in 2011!

Outline of the story: Teresa Mendoza was on the run for her life after her boyfriend was caught double-crossing his boss. She ran from Mexico to Spain to start things over, and the hardship she'd endured transformed her from a girl who was more or less dependent on her boyfriend to a much hardened woman. As her fortune and influence on the drug traffic business grew, so was the danger she faced.

I know next to nothing about Mexico and the drug trade but I do like how realistic the story and characters feel when I read the book, I also like The Count of Monte Cristo references in the story a lot.

As to the ending, I like how the only person who remains loyal to the heroine in the end was her bodyguard and how the heroine came to realise she had done running, she'd came back to her hometown to face the Challenge, to overcome what was likely going to kill her

An insightful review by Sarah here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are three books to be found within this book, three major storylines to follow. One is mostly well done, one is middling, but has issues, one is rather ridiculous, occasionally mildly offensive, and out of place.

The first, which I found mostly well done, is Perez-Reverte's homage to the high adventure stories of the 19th century, specificially his modern update of The Count of Monte Cristo. The Count is remade into a Mexican woman of the 21st century, who is tied to the Mexican drug cartels through her drug running pilot boyfriend. She is set on the run for a crime she did not commit, and runs off to Spain, and we watch the relative naif follow the torturous path of Dantes, a path that is perhaps even more painful than his. It is a clever idea to cast the Count as a woman- it adds to the tale many obstacles and possibilities of obstacles that Edmund Dantes never had to face, and it complicates the progression of our main character to the triumphant protaganist that we all know is coming from the layout of the plot. I found the adventure story aspect of the novel all excellently done- there are several high speed boat chases that have the pages turning at a velocity to match the engines of the boats, there are unexpected shoot outs, there are moments with only one way out, gambles that hold the fate the characters in the palm of their hand to heart pounding effect. Perez-Reverte has always been able to swashbuckle his way into my affections, and this piece was no exception. However. And this is a rather annoying however- I do wish that he hadn't felt the need to constantly shove in our faces the fact that this was a version of The Count of Monte Cristo. He had characters refer to each other as their counterparts in the book. Really? You couldn't trust us to figure that one out, Arturo? Come on, man. I promise you, we're smart enough for that. The book becomes a major motif, and a jumping off point for the characters to make fun of each other for how much they are into it and how delusional that is. It was just a little too self-involved for me. It reads more like fan-fiction sometimes. It's lovely to see how giddy he is about Dumas' tale, and its life changing powers, but I wish he would just let us see it for ourselves rather than constantly insisting upon the truth of it and insisting that his characters enact his own fascination with it. It feels artificial, and sometimes a bit insulting. We get it. I promise.

The second story contained within the book (and I should probably say that there are spoilers from here on out) is the story of the transformation of a woman. Teresa begins the book a girl totally dependent upon the whims of others- especially her "narco," boyfriend, Guero. She sits at home and waits for him, takes care of him, puts him first in every way. She doesn't know much about his business, and she doesn't ask. When she is forced to go on the run after Guero is killed by his bosses for committing several indiscretions, she has to slowly learn how to become independent. Perez-Reverte is truly fascinated by the thought of a truly independent woman, you can tell. I've said time and again that he has a dark lady obsession- this book is entirely about that, in fact (though at least we get to see the world from her perspective, and see why she is mysterious), but I think this is really what the obsession is. He worships the very idea of it, though he doesn't seem to quite believe that it can be true, or that women can completely seperate from what he clearly believes are their natural womanly urges, which turned out to be a problem. While she was learning to rely on herself, use her natural gifts (she's gifted with a head for numbers, for instance) and her intelligence and rely on and trust no one, Perez-Reverte feels the need to frame it in terms of gender. By the end of the novel, she has assumed the role of her narco boyfriend in her relationship with everyone she knows, and coldly addresses her business partner (who is in love with her) as a "nagging wife," who believes "her husband works too much and neglects her." He also has problems writing believably inside the head of a woman, sometimes laughably so. He frequently has Teresa feel things, "in her womb," when he wants to emphasize that it is a real feeling. No, for reals. 'Cause apparently that's what all we women are, one big vibrating womb. However, that all said, I did like the attempt at rendering a woman who truly does not need anyone, and even when betrayed by people she trusts, does not descend into a weeping mess, but handles the situation. She gets herself out of the last, tense corners of the novel without one single man left to help her in any way. I really, really appreciated that. So, if the development was uneven and somewhat unbelievable, I at least was with him on his goal, and the last 100 pages of her development.

The third thing going on here, that was absolutely ridiculous, is Perez-Reverte's various personal opinions and feelings being put on display. I found it rather embarrassing, pedantic, and offensive, by turns. First of all, let's just note that there's a lot of weird attitudes towards ethnicity in this book. Yes, part of it is that he's writing about a world where people aren't exactly PC, but some of it comes from the omniscient narrator point of view (part of the story is told by a journalist trying to write a book about Teresa, part is told from her point of view). There's a really weird, somewhat twisted relationship with Mexico in the book. Perez-Reverte seems to be arguing for the fact that Spaniards shouldn't find their culture "superior" to Mexico in any way because Spain has just as many problems (which I didn't even know was a comparison that happened but okay). And yet, at the same time, he seems to be weirdly fetishizing, in a conflicted 19th century colonialist way, the Mexican ethnicity. At many points during the book characters tell Teresa that she looks best with her hair pulled back tightly and parted down the middle, "in the style of a Mexican peasant." Everyone who sees her is five times more attracted to her when she presents herself in as "Mayan" or "Indian" a way as possible (those are the descriptors used). And yet, she ends up being dressed up makeover style in a modern, more discreet European way. Everyone, including Teresa, looks down on the "garish" way that Mexican drug cartel people dress and live... and yet. The other Mexican character who is held up as an example refuses to let go of his "garish" ways, and listens to his "corridos" (songs about drug cartels) loudly and often. They are quoted frequently throughout the novel, seemingly as examples of poetry. It's this weird mixture of idealization and looking down his nose that I can't quite figure out. It just popped up uncomfortably often and I didn't quite get why that was there.

Anyway, this has likely gone on for long enough, but the point is- its a lovely adventure novel, and a good "coming of age," tale in its way, but not without a good deal of complication. This is my least favorite of his books, though it is still not bad or anything. Just not representative of what he is capable of. Perez-Reverte tends to do better with historical settings, or characters who look back towards the past. This looks back... but still in a modern setting. And his way of looking at the world, well, it's just sometimes a little jarringly old fashioned for the modern world.

[Daren · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are a lot of reviews available here which outline the plot, so I won't attempt to do so here, other than to say: cocaine smuggling, logistics, deals and double crossings, Moroccan hashish, fast boats, cargo ships, dirty politics, shootouts, Mexican drug cartels, the Colombians, indiscretions and revenge. Teresa Mendoza is our lead character. She starts off as a simple narco's morra, quiet and unassuming. Her boyfriend is murdered, and she is on the run.

It is a high speed read, almost a guilty pleasure read for me, and it was enjoyable - for the most part. There was the narration style, which was fairly annoying - half narrated by a reporter who interviews various people throughout the book. His sections set up the following sections where the action is explained from Teresa's point of view.

The story rolls out in various stages, and gathers momentum until the very end, where a conclusion is met. There are other things going on - a parallel to the Count of Monte Christo, which admittedly I have not read and therefore could not track, there is the Mexican cartels unwritten rules, there is the international smuggling, the deals the doublecrossing.

I haven't read other books by Arturo Pérez-Reverte, and I may pick up another if the opportunity arises, as I did enjoy this as a fictional romp, with some basis for reality, in the drug underworld.

4 stars.

[will · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm on holiday - hurrah! This means it is time to turn my attention to the (very important) task of learning Spanish. I made two "New Year's Resolutions". One was to learn some Spanish before the year was out, the other was to keep a running list of the books I have read on this here blog. So, time to work on one of my resolutions.

Instead of learning Spanish I have been reading! The Queen of the South by Arturo Perez-Reverte is the latest book that I have finished. The best way to describe it is "a page turner". On the opening page the heroine, Teresa Mendoza, receives a call on a phone, a phone that she has been told that: "If it rings start running. And don't stop running. Ever." The book covers the next twelve years of her life as she flees Mexico, ends up in Africa, spends time in jail, moves to Spain and then finally returns home.

It is really difficult to explain how much I liked this book. It's strange, I am sat here at the computer, reading as I type and I realise that I am being slightly "flat" in my description - which isn't fair to the book because it is a fast-paced, thrilling ride. Teresa starts the book as a girlfriend of a drug runner and ends up building a huge drug-running empire. The book is written in a very clever way, the author acts as an investigative journalist, writing the "biography" of "The Queen of the South" (as Mendoza becomes know). However, the book is written in such a way that at the end I googled Teresa Mendoza because I really, really thought she was a real person. The book includes many situations, many people that have happened or existed. And by the end of the book I had become so involved with the main character that I wanted her to be real. I wanted her to find the peace that she deserved. And yes, I realise that wanting a major drug runner to escape and live in peace is not the way I normally feel but the author makes you become invested in the characters. Hell, by the end of the book I had fallen in love with most of the drug runners and dealers and actually hated the authorities and their "witch hunts".

The other wonderful thing about this book was it gave me an insight into how Mexicans think and behave. Obviously I live with one (a Mexican that is) and have a small handle on her behaviour patterns but it was fascinating to discover that instead of Maria being a totally unique individual, she is also a product of her country. There was a lot of familiarity, for me, in the book. Place names, Spanish/Mexican expressions, a general understanding of "that's the way they think" and a total recognition of "that's the way they dress and wear their hair".

I loved this book. Because of the world I now occupy, drugs (running and dealing) are part of my life background - not because I am involved but because I come across it most every day, it exists in my life - and the history of drug cartels is something that I have become interested in. The fact that my nickname at Maria's office is that of a famous drug dealer might have something to do with my fascination. The fact that three times a week I cross the border knowing that as I do, there is a good chance that right next to me is someone smuggling drugs interests me.

This review probably doesn't do the book justice. I really enjoyed it, would recommend it.

[Metodi Markov · Rating 3 out of 5]

Струва ми се, че и на самия дон Артуро не му е била особенно симпатична идеята на Тереса Мендоса. Това обяснява донякъде, защо не е успял да разгърне потенциала си на романист и да извае пореден непреходен и силен женски образ, който да добави към вече съградените, в своя своеобразен пантеон.

Имам тази книга от почти двайсет години, а я прочетох едва сега - навремето бързо се отказах, поради липса на интерес към сюжета, "романтиката" на наркотрафика, лесните милиони и героите ѝ слабо ме интересуват по принцип...

Завършените образи в "Кралицата на Юга" са едва няколко - само тези на Потемкин Галвес и Сантяго Финистера. Всички останали, включително Тереса са по-скоро статисти, неизменна част от историята и все пак нереални и оскъдни.

Този микс от роман и документалистика е развит по-късно до съвършенство от дон Артуро в "Добри мъже", роман който аз препоръчвам силно и който много ценя!

Моята оценка - едва 2,5*! :(

Цитати:

"Правим снимки не за спомен, а за да ги допълним с остатъка от живота си."

"Книгите те извеждат на улицата. С тях се учиш, образоваш, мечтаеш, представяш си, живееш живота на други хора и умножаваш твоя хиляда пъти. Да видим кой ще ти даде токова много срещу толкова малко?"

"Мъртвият предмет от мастило и хартия оживяваше, когато някой прелистваше страниците му, минаваше по редовете му и оставяше там отпечатъка на съществуването си, на влеченията, вкусовете, добродетелите и пороците си."

"...че няма две еднакви книги, защото никога не имало двама еднакви читатели. Всяка прочтена книга е като всяко човешко същество, единствена, неповторима история и един свят сам за себе си."

"На човек, който познава себе си и останалите, защото умее да ги наблюдава и защото го е научил от книгите, училището, от живота и дори разбира повече от мъланието, отколкото от казаното."

P.S. Качеството на книжното тяло е отвратително, книгата се разпадна още при първоначалния ми опит да я прочета... А корицата ѝ е грозновата направо!

Има поне два сериала направени по книгата, но вероятно ще ги пропусна.

[Diana Stoyanova · Rating 4 out of 5]

Сурова, натуралистична книга, но какъв език, какъв женски образ в лицето на Тереса Мендоса... Страхотен стил и дълбочина от страна на Реверте.

Споделям няколко любими цитати, които отразяват частица от изяществото на езика на Реверте:


„Голямото предимство на морето е, че можеш да прекараш часове, гледайки го, без да разсъждаваш. Без да си спомняш. Можеш дори да накараш спомените да останат в дирята на плаващия съд с лекотата, с която те идват, да пресекат пътищата си с твоя без последици, подобно на корабни светлини в нощта. Това се случва само в морето, защото то е жестоко и егоистично като човешките същества, освен това в своята простота не познава смисъла на сложни думи като жалост, рани и угризения. Навярно затова успокоява болките. Можеш да се разпознаеш в него или да се оправдаеш, докато вятърът, светлината, полюшването, плисъкът на водата в корпуса извършват чудото да отдалечат, да успокоят всяка скръб, всяка рана и всяко угризение, докато болката изчезне.”


„Предимството на книгите беше, че можеш да се вмъкнеш в чужд живот, чужди истории и размишления, които обсебваха. И когато затваряше книгата, никога не беше същата, както когато я беше отворила. Много умни хора бяха написали тези страници. И ако си способен да четеш със смирение, търпение и желание да научаваш, те никога не те разочароват. Дори това, което не разбираш, остава в някое ъгълче в главата, готово в бъдеще да се превърне в красиви и полезни неща.”


"В затвора бе научила, че четенето, най-вече на романи, й дава възможност да си служи с главата си по различен начин. Сякаш размиването на границите между реалност и измислица й позволяваше да гледа на собствения си живот като човек, наблюдаващ нещо, което се случва на другите. Освен това се научаваха различни неща. Четенето помагаше да мисли различно, или дори по-добре, защото по страниците на книгите другите го правеха вместо нея. По-силно беше от киното и телевизионните сериали. Последните бяха конкретни тълкувания, с лица и гласове на актриси и актьори, докато в романите можеше да приложи своята гледна точка към всяка ситуация или герой.”

[Велислав Върбанов · Rating 3 out of 5]

„Кралицата на Юга“ е приличен криминален роман, но не ми допадна колкото очаквах. Мисля, че сюжетът и персонажите в него не са така добре изградени, както в други, много по-силни книги на Реверте... Авторът очевидно се е вдъхновил от „Граф Монте Кристо“, за да създаде тази съвременна история за отмъщение в бруталните среди на наркотрафикантите...



„И сега беше напълно убедена в нещо, доловено още в началото, когато обсъждаше с Пати О’Фарел перипетиите на злощастния, а впоследствие щастлив Едмон Дантес: че няма две еднакви книги, защото никога не е имало двама еднакви читатели. Всяка прочетена книга е като всяко човешко същество, единствена, неповторима история и един свят сам за себе си.“

[João Carlos · Rating 4 out of 5]

"La Reina Del Sur" - série televisiva - versão mexicana

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydrON...

O escritor espanhol Arturo Pérez-Reverte (n. 1951) constrói um espectacular thriller sobre uma personagem feminina – Teresa Mendoza - a “Mexicana”, uma mulher nascida em Culiacán, Sinaloa, enamorada de Guero Dávila, um piloto de aviação, o virtuoso do Cessna, o rei da pista pequena, um homem relacionado com o cartel da droga de Juárez.
Com a morte de Guero Dávila, Teresa Mendoza, tem que abandonar a sua cidade natal em busca de segurança e paz, refugindo-se na cidade espanhola de Melilla.
Numa terra desconhecida Teresa Mendoza tenta refazer a sua vida e o amor acontece, desta vez com o galego misterioso Santiago López Fisterra.
Arturo Pérez-Reverte ”o mestre do thriller intelectual” escreve uma obra inesquecível, sobre o negócio internacional de transporte e venda de droga; assim como, um retrato original e ousado de uma mulher analfabeta, solitária, misteriosa e obstinada, mas que domina o raciocínio numérico e possui uma intuição brilhante, capaz de se adaptar às mais variadas circunstâncias, evidenciando o triunfo pessoal - num mundo dominado por homens - através da coragem e de uma vontade indómita e inquebrável.
”A Rainha do Sul” tem uma dupla narrativa: uma parte é narrada na primeira pessoa numa crónica jornalística elaborada a partir de entrevistas – por um jornalista de que não sabemos o nome - e outra parte é contada na terceira pessoa, num thriller emocionante, repleto de referências literárias (Jean Rulfo através de ”Pedro Páramo” é uma delas) e musicais; e com muita tequila; num registo pormenorizado que vai do México ao sul de Espanha, do estreito de Gibraltar a Marrocos; numa obra literária detalhada e minuciosa na pesquisa, que nos cativa da primeira à última página.

[Lyubov · Rating 4 out of 5]

Забелязала съм, че писането на отзиви за книгите на любими автори е най-трудно. Колкото повече ми хареса един роман, толкова по-трудно събирам в смислени изречения възторга си. Защото хем искам всички да го прочетат, хем си давам ясна сметка, че всеки гледа на написаното през призмата на собствения си опит.

Артуро Перес-Реверте е мой личен огромен любимец заради желязната му ерудиция, заради прекрасните и толкова различни една от друга истории, които разказва и заради цялостната му биография на бивш военен кореспондент, обиколил света и отразявал конфликти в най-горещите точки на планетата (Тя сама по себе си заслужава отделна книга).

Целия си възторг този път излях в "Аз чета": http://azcheta.com/kralitsata-na-yuga...

[Emiliya Bozhilova · Rating 4 out of 5]

В света на картели, наркотици, убийства и пари Реверте ни запознава с една от най-силните си героини. Студена, но всъщност дълбоко прикрита, безмилостна като острие, и същевременно примамваща като сирена, която ще завлече поредния заблуден моряк в дълбините.

Почти публицистичният стил добавя още пластове студ и загадъчност, и в края на книгата не може да се каже, че Кралицата е станала по-позната и близка на читателя отколкото е била на първа страница.

Антипатична, енигматична, но запомняща се - жената-мечта на дон Артуро.

3,5 звезди

[José Alfredo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aunque al leer el libro, sobre todo, al final, los agradecimientos del autor, puedas pensar que la historia se basa en hechos reales, no. Es ficción, aunque algunos element... personajes casi que hasta los reconoces.

Es la historia de Teresa Mendoza, mejicana, novia de un pequeño narco de Sinaloa y de como pasa, casi sin quererlo, de ser una, segura y, colateral víctima de los ajustes de cuentas entre carteles en México a ser la reina del narcotráfico en el Estrecho y el Mediterráneo.

No puedo evitarlo, me encanta Reverte. Nadie como él retrata los bajos fondos, nadie como él perfila a personajes tan duros a la vez que perdedores.

"Siempre resulta fácil entenderse con un sinvergüenza. Lo difícil son los otros; pero de ésos hay menos."

[Isabela.]

Este libro no fue para mí. Al inicio me tenía atrapada pero con el tiempo sólo logró fatigarme. Quizá sea por los temas que trata. O por lo lento en que suceden las cosas, de cualquier forma, no fue el libro para mí.

[Madeline · Rating 2 out of 5]

I guess I'm glad I read this, if only to satisfy a long-burning curiosity about The Queen of the South that's been in the back of my head ever since my mom hid the book from me at age fifteen so I couldn't read the dirty parts. (for the record, Mom, I probably would have been able to handle it)

That said, it could have been a lot cooler than it is. And considering the book is about a woman who goes on the run after being targeted by Mexican hitmen and eventually becomes the most powerful drug lord in the Mediterranean, that's saying a lot. The story itself was really cool, and had a lot of potential - Teresa Mendoza starts out as just some low-level drug runner's girlfriend, but when he gets killed by his employers and they come after her (resulting in the single best opening line of any book, ever: "The telephone rang, and she knew she was going to die") she runs to Spain, gets involved with another smuggler, goes to prison, comes out, and then begins selling and shipping cocaine all over the place. Sex, drugs, and shooting ensues. It's good in a trashy, guilty-pleasure, living-vicariously-through-books kind of way.

My problem is the format of the book - it's partially narrated by a reporter doing a story on Teresa once she's become the so-called Queen of the South, and he butts into the story every few chapters so we can watch him interviewing people Teresa interacted with during her career. They hint at what is about to happen next in the story, and then it happens. As far as I could tell, the reporter served absolutely no purpose as a second narrator and all of his chapters should have just been cut out completely. Also Perez-Reverte is really, really terrible at writing from a female mindset, but this review is already long enough so I won't bother getting into that rant.

[Werner]

Update, May 28, 2016: I gave this one a second try, after a lapse of some seven years, only because a review of it was needed for another site where the movie and telenovela adaptations are going to be reviewed later this year. My first reading had gotten through Chapter 3; I'd quit reading because I didn't like it, but figured that if it got no worse it would be bearable to finish, so fully intended to do so this time. By the time I got into Chapter 7, however, for me the cumulative "Ewww!" factor was too high to continue. I promised a review to the site administrator at the other site, and I'll skim the rest of the text enough to write one (with an explanation of what I did); but it's going back to the started-not-finished shelf again, this time to stay there permanently. [My original comments start below.]

A friend of mine (who's not on Goodreads), who's reading this book, recommended it to me as one I might like. Whether or not I actually would, I don't know --I admire strong heroines, but not villainesses, and it sounds like Perez-Riverte's title character here would be more apt to be the latter. But I told him I'd give it a try sometime later on, so I'll give her the benefit of the doubt in the meantime!

Aug. 24, 2009
Well, I gave this book an honest try; but I'm not going to finish it, and will be putting it back on BookMooch where I got it. It has all the usual characteristics of the contemporary noir school (which effectively reminded me of why I don't like that school in the first place :-)): a general tone of moral cynicism, an unremitting emphasis on the sordid and the grungy, exploitative sexual content, and an off-putting plethora of bad language, including the f-word --which is probably highly unrealistic in the mouths of Spanish-speaking characters! While I didn't wish Teresa any ill, and felt sorry for her in much of what she went through, her drug use and her choice of a second drug-running boyfriend, after the first one was killed (the label "learning-disabled" comes to mind --though, granted, we're all slow studies at times, and we all make mistakes) made her hard for me to relate to, as did a certain distancing effect just from the author's self-consciously "literary" style. Perez-Reverte's books have gotten a lot of favorable notice in library circles, so I'm glad to have had the opportunity to investigate his work; but I wouldn't see myself reading any more of it. (Modified March 14, 2012.)

[inciminci · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a life! To think it was based on true events...

[Algernon · Rating 4 out of 5]

[9/10]

We take photos not so we can remember, but so we can flesh them out later with the rest of our lives.

It all starts with a snapshot wrinkled and falling apart, its pieces held together with tape crisscrossing the back. Taken in the blinding sun of Culiacan, Mexico it depicts a thin, dark-skinned young woman with full black hair and big eyes. . Tereza Mendoza hangs onto the arm of her handsome, daredevil boyfriend. Guero Davila is a hotshot pilot of small planes, which translate in Sinaloa as a drug mule for the cartels. Somebody has ripped his half of the picture from the old snapshot, and Tereza Mendoza of the present day looks nothing like the shy, fragile, insecure girl in the photo. We are about to learn about the transformation.

Arturo-Perez Reverte has chosen a documentary format for his novel about the drug traffic in Mexico and Europe and the result is spectacular. Chapters told from the perspective of the investigative reporter preparing a story on the meteoric rise of Teresa Mendoza from a nobody running away from contract killers to the controlling interest in drug smuggling for the Southern Mediterranean are alternating with the same events told from the perspective of the Queen of the South herself. The research done in Culiacan, in Gibraltar, Morrocco and Andaluzia is spot on, lending the story a very convincing tone, anchored in numerous evocative details about [facts, names, places] the infrastructure, the financial arrangements, the bribes to law enforcement, the struggle for control and the ruthless, vicious reprisals against real or perceived trespassing of the narcos code.

Briefly, Guero Davila is killed for double crossing and self-dealing in his drug smuggling business. Teresa, as his official girlfriend, is put on the hit list on the principle that families of traitors should also be eliminated. She manages to escape her killers and to flee Sinaloa with help from her godfather, a semi-retired trafficker. In Spain, she goes to Melilla on the African coast in order to lay low and reconsider her life, but falls in love with another daredevil named Santiago Fisterra, a fast-boat smuggler based in Gibraltar. After Santiago himself falls afoul of the Coast Guard and lands Teresa both in hospital and in prison, she decides that love is a pain in the behind, and she must take control of her own life. With help for her prison buddy Patty, she starts educating herself and on parole, she takes over her former boyfriend’s drug transport business with tremendous success. Her contacts with the Russian mafia in Europe through Oleg Yasikov and the financial advice from Patty’s lawyer named Teo Aljaraje complement the early skills she absorbed from growing up in a poor barrio in Culiacan. The Spanish press will soon nickname her ‘The Queen of the South’ but Teresa is still haunted by the past. It will come back to bite her in an explosive finale that should be left out completely from my review.

>>><<<>>><<<

I want to focus instead on the sneaky way mr. Perez-Reverte has managed to make his bloody thriller novel into a dialogue about self-awareness and self-improvement by way of literature and art in general. Tereza Mendoza starts as a product of her environment [ It’s a family tradition, to break the law ] dropping out of school to make money on the street and later to enjoy the high life with her smuggler pilot. In Spain she unconsciously repeats the mistakes of her past with her next boyfriend, also a drug smuggler. It is only in prison that she starts to analyse her own life, and this coincides with Patty urging her to read books.

Teresa had come to the conclusion that the treasure that belonged to the two men was simply a pretext for staying alive, dreaming of escape, feeling that they were free despite the locks and bars and chains and walls of the Chateau d’If.

In many ways, Teresa recognizes her own life story in the adventures of Edmond Dantes, betrayed by his friends and thrown into prison. Teresa too dreams of a treasure that would set her free and would allow her to take revenge on the people who wronged her. But there are more books to read beyond “The Count of Monte Cristo” . Her favourite soon becomes “Pedro Parano” even as she admits she finds it a very difficult lecture. But it spoke directly to her Mexican soul, awakening something she must strive to come to grips with.

The advantage of books, as she discovered when she was in El Puerto de Santa Maria, was that you could appropriate the lives, stories and thoughts they contained, and you were never the same person when you closed them as when you had opened them for the first time.
[...]
Fascinated, shivering with pleasure and fear, she had discovered that all the books in the world were somehow about her.

So yes, the novel has been compared with the movies of Quentin Tarrantino in its brutal depiction of violence and in its romancing of the criminal mind, but Arturo-Perez Reverte has included some worthy subtext here.
Let’s say a prayer to St Malverde, patron saint of Sinaloa drug traffickers, open up a bottle of tequila reposado, put on an album of norteno music by Los Tigres del Norte or Los Tucanes de Tijuana and listen to the corrido of Teresa Mendoza.

Who hasn’t known the betrayal
of a love affair gone wrong?
Who hasn’t gone into a cantina
for a tequila and a song?

[Kim Kaso · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fascinating and beautifully written book about so many things. On the surface, it is the tale of the unlikely rise of a young girl through the world of the drug trade, her survival and success. But, as in any book by Pérez-Reverte, it is meticulously researched and crafted, and gives the reader layer upon layer. Teresa Mendoza is a superb character, and the book uses everything from The Count of Monte Cristo to the narco corridos to illustrate both her examined and unexamined life.

I came to this book because of the excellent series on the USA Network, but after some initial similarities, the 2 stories went off in different directions. The one on tv decided to stay in the US & Mexico, while the original story moved to Spain and Morocco, which I thoroughly enjoyed...it added a fish out of water element and a homesickness to Teresa's character.

This book is a lovely example of how a great story can be told with the unlikeliest of elements, this book transcends genre. It is engaging & fascinating, & I found myself following each twist and turn of Teresa's rise, caring deeply for her complex character. Very highly recommended.

[Pau Lethani · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gran libro. Gran trabajo de investigación de Reverte. Gran final. Grandes reflexiones. Grandes diálogos. En fin, otra genialidad a la que nos tiene acostumbrados este autor. Hacía tiempo que no disfrutaba tanto de un libro, de sus personajes, su ambientación y su lenguaje. De la trama en sí, aún siendo un tema del que a priori no tenía ni idea. Recomendado para todo aquel que disfrute con novelas de acción con un trasfondo de ideas.
Gracias Reverte. Chale.

[Adina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sex, love, drugs and a bad-ass woman who becomes a famous drug dealer.

[Alma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Série

[Nicko D · Rating 3 out of 5]

Гангестерски убийства, пране на пари, преразпределяне на наркопазари, гърмежи и преследвания. Това е само част от фокуса на „Кралицата на Юга” – брилянтно завършен криминален роман от Артуро Перес-Реверте. Книгата отново е на пазара у нас, преиздадена от „Еднорог”, в превод на Боряна Дукова.

Всеки запален читател на кримки би се уверил, че жанрът в литературата съвсем незаслужено носи етикета „лековат”. „Кралицата на Юга” е изключително многопластов и богат роман, показващ моженето на автора да създава истории по удивителен и пленителен начин.

„Кралицата на Юга” разказва живота на Тереса Мендоса, която до вчера държанка на един от най-влиятелните наркобарони в Мексико, след смъртта му, трябва да намери своя път в живота. Възможно ли е обаче да хване правилния и да се откаже от лесните пари и 5-звездния начин на живот? Тереса се спасява от убийците на любимия си, напускайки Америка и заживявайки в Европа. Не след дълго обаче ехото на миналото я застига и полека-лека от държанка тя се превръща в ключова фигура в преразпределението на наркопазара.

Реверте успява да създаде един реален женски образ, без да прекалява с драмата и без да хиперболизира качествата на Тереса, умело превръщайки я в силна жена, която знае как да управлява лодката. Развитието на Мендоса следва напълно естествен ход, не я подминават нито любовите, нито перипетиите в живота. За възходящата й промяна обаче голяма полза изиграват книгите. След като по време на трафик на дрога между Африка и Европа тя и любимият й са заловени, Тереса попада в затвора, където попада и на хора, и на „Граф Монте Кристо”.

„Кралицата на Юга” изобилства от детайлни описания на пътя на дрогата и живота на трафикантите от най-ниското ниво до най-високото. Реверте описва прецизно кучите синове в безмилостната борба за власт и пари, наркокартелите и приятелите им по високите етажи на властта и различните политически фракции, замесени в сивия сектор. За способността на Артуро да бъде толкова напоителен и подробен вина има дългогодишната му журналистическа кариера. В началото на 90-те години той води нощната програма с иновативна концепция „Законът на улицата” по Испанското национално радио, която дава поле за изява на многобройни персонажи от различни сфери на живота, сред които и престъпници. Като военен кореспондент от 1973 до 1994 г. предава въоръжените конфликти от Кипър, Ливан, Сахара, Никарагуа, Чад, Либия, Персийският залив, Хърватия, Босна и пр. В Източна Африка той изчезва за няколко месеца и оцелява като по чудо. Еритрея е споменавана многократно в романите и статиите му.

Не са много криминалните романи, в които освен екшъна, да блестят и с житейска философия. Реверте обаче е изключение и сякаш вкараната от него философия прави кримките му са далеч по-реални.

„Приятелите се доказват само ако те посетят в болницата, в затвора или на гробището.”

„За какво да сваляш най-хубавата женска, ако не можеш да се изфукаш пред всички приятели.”

„Когато живееш опасно, няма друг избор, освен да работиш честно. Това обаче пак не е гаранция, че ще свършиш зле.”

Има сложни романи, които дължат много на мнозина. „Кралицата на Юга” определено е такъв и Реверте признава, че за да изгради толкова жив и достоверен сюжет се е консултирал с десетки хора, които по някакъв начин вземат участие дали в трафика на дрога, дали в борбата с него. С намигване „Кралицата на Юга” перфектно би паснала и като учебник за начинаещи трафиканти на дрога – с цялата проверена и изложена в нея информация.

[Allison · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a book for history-lovers. Anyone who wants the who/how/where/when/why will love the detail and precision with which every event in this book is told. Unless you truly grew up in the culture about which it is written, and know about drug runs and border crossings and vacuum-packing marijuana in bricks to stow away in speedboats, I would wager than Perez-Reverte could convince any reader that he has done his homework. And if you did grow up in that culture, perhaps that would merely strengthen this book’s case, because perhaps you would merely provide validation.

The problem is that writing a good novel isn’t just about convincing a reader that you’ve done your homework. It isn’t just including every minute detail to show that you know exactly how an operation is performed. The Queen of the South doesn’t “show off,” exactly, like some books do, but it does include more detail than I, a “what’s next!? what’s next!?” kind of reader, deem necessary

For me, all of the details get in the way. Sure, they made the book “authentic,” made the characters seem extremely knowledgeable, and helped Teresa grow as her knowledge grew, but as a reader who wanted to remain gripped in suspense, those long passages of who-did-what-where-how took me out of the “rush” of the novel. I often felt as though I were reading a history textbook, when I wanted to be watching an action movie inside my head.

The Queen of the South has definite appeal for a certain kind of reader: a patient, painstaking, detail-oriented reader who isn’t looking to necessarily be “swept away” and doesn’t mind interruptions in the flow of the story. This ability to tolerate interruptions is important because, aside from the frequently interruptive overly-detailed explanations, Perez-Reverte uses a very interruptive structure to tell his story: a seemingly dual point of view, coming firstly from an omniscient third-person narrator following Teresa Mendoza chronologically and secondly from an anonymous first-person journalist situated in “current time.” The novel would have flowed much more seamlessly without the “present-day” interruptions of the journalist, who seemed as unnecessary as he was intrusive.

All of this being said, Teresa’s story was a gripping one, and one worth being told. Perez-Reverte has a talent for creating mood in a scene while using very little in the way of “literary flourish,” and also for maintaining consistently believable, dynamic characters. Teresa’s various relationships with men and with her cellmate Patty all strike genuine and complex, even as Teresa herself reflects on them little and tries to block them from her mind.

It will be interesting to see what other work Perez-Reverte will produce after this novel.

[Христо Блажев · Rating 4 out of 5]

Кралицата на Юга – бегълката, която оглавява криминална империя: http://knigolandia.info/book-review/k...

“Телефонът звънна и тя разбра, че ще я убият”. Първо изречение като никое друго. И се започва едно бягство, което не спира през цялата книга, колкото и да се променят позицията и възможностите на Тереса в нейното протежение. В началото тя е приятелка на чаровен пилот-наркотрафикант, чийто самолет е направен на решето от недоволния му работодател, прозрял, че го мамят. Тереса знае, че щом телефонът е звъннал, значи любимият ѝ Гуеро е мъртъв и тя е следващата набелязана жертва, неумолимата логика на мексиканската наркодействителност го изисква (прочетете задължително “Пир в бърлогата” на Хуан Пабло Вилялобос). Тя се втурва да бяга. Не стига далеч, откриват я, но пред лицето на смъртта открива, че спасение има. И отлита далеч отвъд океана, където да започне начисто.

Издателство "Еднорог"
http://knigolandia.info/book-review/k...

[Maya B · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good, solid read. It reminded me of the Godfather series that I read years ago and loved. I recommend to any readers that like Mario Puzo. I did have an issue with the way the author changed up the point of view. I would have liked if the whole story was told by Teresa Mendoza (1st person) the entire time I was reading but the author switched it up. He had the reporter (3rd person) talking as well and I had to at times go back to re-read certain parts so I could keep up with who is talking.


I look forward to watching the spanish movie version, as well as the U.S. tv show

[OKSANA ATAMANIUK · Rating 4 out of 5]

Книга «Королева Півдня»
Артуро Перес-Реверте,
Видавництво «Фабула��, 2023 рік

У кожної королеви є свій почет та тернистий шлях до корони.

Це книжка про те, як Ситуація творить жінку, витягує з неї Дикість. Зміни заради виживання. Мексиканський колорит. Морські пригоди.

«Це ваша гра, подумала Тереза. Ви завжди грали так, а я просто обмінювала долари на вулиці Хуареса. У мене не було жодних амбіцій. Не я вигадала ваші кляті правила, але зрештою мені довелося прийняти їх. Вона починала сердитися, хоча знала, що не повинна робити в такому стані те, що мусила зробити.»

Жінка, що через бажання та помилки інших постійно втрачала себе.
Але потім вона змінилася.
Вона знайшла та втратила/вбила друзів.
Пішла на ризик і виграла себе.

Мені дуже імпонує, те як автор зобразив «зростання» Тересіти до рівня «Королеви Півдня» через читання книжок. Як вона читаючи зростала та підвищувала свій статус.

Не сподобалося те, що в книжці присутній персонаж мудрого наркодилера (руssкого), та пробігають по сюжету українки древньої професії.

Книга перекладена «до» та під час війни - окрема подяка перекладачу!

Після подій 24.02 вона мені сприймається, як досить реалістична. Ні, українки не стали королевами, але вони стали «валькіріями», «амазонками», «немезидами»…

[Димитър Цолов · Rating 4 out of 5]

Определено качествена проза, но историята ми се стори една идея по-развлечена и мудна - обемът на страниците (така го усетих, не знам...) спокойно можеше да се редуцира леко и пак да не се изгуби нищо съществено от сюжета. Все пак - началото и краят бяха епични, представени с кинематографичната детайлност на Куентин Тарантино. Със сигурност ще издиря споменатите мексикански (и испански) състави и певци...

Често образите и ситуациите на снимките не са завършени. Докато не дойдат следващите събития, те сякаш остават във въздуха, временни, за да бъдат потвърдени или отречени по-късно. Правим си снимки не за спомен, а за да ги допълним после с остатъка от живота си. Затова има сполучливи и несполучливи снимки. Образи, които времето поставя на мястото им, придава им същинския смисъл, а други отрича и те сами угасват, сякаш цветовете им избледняват с годините.

[Elizabeth (Alaska) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to admit I was a bit less than enthused at the beginning of this. Teresa Mendoza is the lover of a drug trafficker, a woman who I anticipated to be the title character. It wasn't as if she was ignorant of Guero's illegal activity. I wasn't sure I wanted to pin my hopes on people who engage in such despicable activity. Further there was violence and the illusions to sex were a bit more than just illusions.

But I persevered and was glad I did so. Teresa Mendoza was, indeed, known as the Queen of the South. Further description of how she came to be called that would be a definite spoiler. But there was something about this very gutsy woman that kept me reading. I walked a thin line, not sure whether I wanted her to succeed or fail. I simply looked on, turning the pages to see what might happen next, ready to accept the outcome either way.

This was different from the others I've read by this author, and I have read several of his stand alone fiction. At the end is a preview of the first in his series The Adventures of Captain Alatriste. I have read the first and it was such fun I hope I find myself in front of the next before I read too many other books. Yes, I am a fan. This title, however, is just 4-stars - probably in the middle of that group, though maybe barely rising to that level.

[Χρύσα Βασιλείου · Rating 5 out of 5]

Πάντα θα ευχαριστώ την καλή μου τύχη και τη μαμά μου,που διάλεξε να μου χαρίσει αυτό το βιβλίο για την Πρωτοχρονιά του 2010.Ήταν η αφορμή για να γνωρίσω έναν συγγραφέα,ο οποίος έμελλε να γίνει ένας από τους top 5 αγαπημένους μου ever.
Η ιστορία της Τερέζα Μεντόθα είναι ιδιαίτερη.Είναι η ιστορία μιας γυναίκας που ξεκίνησε από τις φτωχογειτονιές της Σιναλόα και κατέληξε να γίνει η βασίλισσα του εμπορίου ναρκωτικών σε 3 ηπείρους.Η πολυκύμαντη ζωή της σημαδεύτηκε από απώλειες και νίκες,χρήματα και αίμα,δάκρυα και πείσμα.Δεν είναι αγαπουλίστικο βιβλίο,είναι σκληρό σε πολλά σημεία του - όχι όμως βάναυσο,αυτό δε θα το έλεγα.Είναι η εν δυνάμει ιστορία όλων των γυναικών που οι άντρες τους ασχολούνται με τα καρτέλ των ναρκωτικών,είναι μια μάχη για επιβίωση σε έναν ανδροκρατούμενο κόσμο.Είναι μια ιστορία ωμά ρεαλιστική,που αφυπνίζει και προκαλεί τόσο προβληματισμό,όσο και θαυμασμό για την ηρωίδα..Είναι τόσο αληθοφανώς γραμμένη,που για αρκετό καιρό μετά την ανάγνωσή του επέμενα να πιστεύω πως πρόκειται για μυθιστορηματική βιογραφία ενός αληθινού προσώπου και είχα φάει τον κόσμο για να ανακαλύψω ποια είναι αυτή η Τερέζα Μεντόθα του βιβλίου!

[Hatice Çakır · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meksika'da başlayan, İspanya' da devam eden ( Tanca'ya Gece Feribotu'ndaki gibi Cebelitarık Boğazı'nın iki yakasındaki şehirlerde) ve yine Meksika'da sonlanan macera, uyuşturucu kartellerinin neden olduğu acılarla yoğrulmuş genç bir kadının dönüşüm hikâyesi!

Dedikodunun hasını yapan adamların ya da egoları ile suç örgütlerini kandıracağını düşünenlerin hayatlarına odaklanan anlatıları sevsem de bu kitapta beklediğimi bulamadım bir türlü. Oysaki Monte Cristo'nun kadın versiyonunun intikam hikayesi olacağı beklentisiyle hevesle başlamıştım. Belki farklı anlatıcıların zamanda ileri geri sıçramalarıyla çizdikleri Teresa Mendoza portresi ve karakterlerin çokluğu buna sebep oldu; belki de şiddetin dozu, bilemiyorum...Fakat Meksika narcocorridolarına ( uyuşturucu trafiğiyle uğraşan kişilerin hayatlarını anlatan geleneksel müzik türü) ve kiliselerine artık farklı bir gözle bakacağım:)

Yazar hakkında sağlam kaynaklardan övgüler duyduğum için diğer kitaplarına yönelmeyi düşünüyorum.