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Requiem for a Woman's Soul
In a town in an unnamed Latin American country, a Catholic priest--racked by moral doubt regarding the Church's social role--discovers the torn papers of a diary belonging to a woman arrested and brutally tortured for no apparent reason
116 pages, Hardcover
First published April 12, 1986
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134 people want to read
About the author
Omar Rivabella
1 book2 followersOmar Rivabella is an Argentinean writer and journalist. A strong advocate of human rights, he is the author of several essays and short stories published in Latin America. Between 1980 and 1983, he wrote three weekly columns for El Diario in New York City. His articles have also appeared in several American publications, including Penthouse.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
September 7, 2021
3.75 stars; I have changed my rating, after reading it twice and my review too has been updated (see below).
This is a good book, based on a true story. Requiem for Woman's soul is intense, raw, savage, and for many readers it will open and/or re-open wounds. The book takes us back to the military Argentinian dictatorship that was in power from the mid 70s to the early 80s. The abuses committed during this period were seen as part of the National Reorganisation Process.
It is important to note that in Requiem For A Woman’s Soul, Omar Rivabella prioritises the description of torture, the narrative is strong but could have been further developed. It has been established that the effects of state terrorism are not limited to the physical and psychological torture of those accused of terrorism; they affect the broader society and also those who work for the regimen (i.e torture centre guards, police, officers), who, in many cases, may not have other choice but becoming the abusers. While it is true that many of those involved may be naturally sadistic, there were others who did not enjoy inflicting torture even though they believed that it was justified for the ‘greater good’; this is something that at some point the books explores .
In all regimes there is a group of people who do not approve of the regimen’s methods but, which in the context for the Argentinian regime, knew that if they expressed any criticism or discomfort or decided not to follow instructions, their families would suffer the consequences of their disobedience. This book does not really explore the last escenario. Rivabella missed an opportunity to dwell in to the complexity of human nature and the limited choices individuals have in societies that face anomie. After all, humans are not robots and, more often than not, even the most evil people experience emotional conflicts. Accordingly, I believe that Rivabella could have offered a more interesting and insightful story by adding a slightly sympathetic character who represented the regime, and was conflicted about it. This is something that Mario Benedetti attempted to do in his work Pedro Y El Capitán, which translated to English is Peter and The Captain.
While reading this book I felt necessary to stop many times to talk about it with my spouse and child, because the level of violence was truly disturbing and I found myself in tears in more than one occasion. I am fully aware that this and even worse events have occurred not just in Argentina but all over the World. Torture is ubiquitous, and it is still more prevalent than we imagine. If you are one of those people who think that the violent scenes depicted on tv shows like Game of Thrones are just figments of a writer's imagination, think again.
Overall, in spite of its limitations this is a book that definitely recommend; especially to those who are interested in South American history but expect a very high level violence described in almost every single page of this book.
This is a good book, based on a true story. Requiem for Woman's soul is intense, raw, savage, and for many readers it will open and/or re-open wounds. The book takes us back to the military Argentinian dictatorship that was in power from the mid 70s to the early 80s. The abuses committed during this period were seen as part of the National Reorganisation Process.
It is important to note that in Requiem For A Woman’s Soul, Omar Rivabella prioritises the description of torture, the narrative is strong but could have been further developed. It has been established that the effects of state terrorism are not limited to the physical and psychological torture of those accused of terrorism; they affect the broader society and also those who work for the regimen (i.e torture centre guards, police, officers), who, in many cases, may not have other choice but becoming the abusers. While it is true that many of those involved may be naturally sadistic, there were others who did not enjoy inflicting torture even though they believed that it was justified for the ‘greater good’; this is something that at some point the books explores .
In all regimes there is a group of people who do not approve of the regimen’s methods but, which in the context for the Argentinian regime, knew that if they expressed any criticism or discomfort or decided not to follow instructions, their families would suffer the consequences of their disobedience. This book does not really explore the last escenario. Rivabella missed an opportunity to dwell in to the complexity of human nature and the limited choices individuals have in societies that face anomie. After all, humans are not robots and, more often than not, even the most evil people experience emotional conflicts. Accordingly, I believe that Rivabella could have offered a more interesting and insightful story by adding a slightly sympathetic character who represented the regime, and was conflicted about it. This is something that Mario Benedetti attempted to do in his work Pedro Y El Capitán, which translated to English is Peter and The Captain.
While reading this book I felt necessary to stop many times to talk about it with my spouse and child, because the level of violence was truly disturbing and I found myself in tears in more than one occasion. I am fully aware that this and even worse events have occurred not just in Argentina but all over the World. Torture is ubiquitous, and it is still more prevalent than we imagine. If you are one of those people who think that the violent scenes depicted on tv shows like Game of Thrones are just figments of a writer's imagination, think again.
Overall, in spite of its limitations this is a book that definitely recommend; especially to those who are interested in South American history but expect a very high level violence described in almost every single page of this book.
August 24, 2013
One of those real opinion changing books for me as it charts the brutality in a South American regime and is based on a true story. Not a comfortable read but a real eye-opener. Sobering if you like your tension and horror real. Has stayed with me for over twenty years.
February 21, 2013
Horrifying. Captivating. Powerful. Brilliant.
February 11, 2018
Wow! Paul Riviera really takes you inside the hideous walls of human torture. This book had a resounding, emotional effect on me. There are moments I had to put the book down just so I could better translate the horrors of what I read. Griping, disturbing, sad, and angry are words I would use to describe this book. And to think it takes less then a day to read.
I feel compelled to join or help advocate for human rights. Wow!
I feel compelled to join or help advocate for human rights. Wow!
November 15, 2017
This book is only about 100 pages, but it is the most difficult book that i have ever read. It speaks of Susana, a woman anticipating marriage and preparing a home for herself and her husband. Due to someone she knew in college, she is abducted by the government. She suffers torture and horrible living conditions. Her story is told by scraps of paper snuck out of the prison.
December 11, 2019
Unrelentingly brutal book. Unfortunately, likely completely realistic. Its a book about torture, of all kinds, everything else, characters or plot, come second. All of the content warnings.
December 30, 2025
Leído en 2021 gracias a que me lo prestara la misma amiga que me dio el libro "Asesino sin rostro".
Que decir de este libro, no sé en qué punto está bueno decir que me gustó, se entiende que no me gustó el contenido OBVIAMENTE pero la forma de escribir y describir con toda esa crudeza lo pasado en esa época fue muy impactante. No lo volvería a leer porque de hecho cuando lo estaba haciendo casi no lo termino de lo fuerte que me pareció pero creo que tendría que ser una lectura obligatoria en los secundarios.
Que decir de este libro, no sé en qué punto está bueno decir que me gustó, se entiende que no me gustó el contenido OBVIAMENTE pero la forma de escribir y describir con toda esa crudeza lo pasado en esa época fue muy impactante. No lo volvería a leer porque de hecho cuando lo estaba haciendo casi no lo termino de lo fuerte que me pareció pero creo que tendría que ser una lectura obligatoria en los secundarios.
July 6, 2019
This novel takes us back to the Military Argentinian Dictatorship that was in power from the mid 70s to the early 80s. It charts the brutality in a South American regime and is based on a true story. A Good book to read.
May 17, 2019
Great suspense but a little repetitive.
May 15, 2024
Read for a class. This will never leave you; I wish it was longer
July 9, 2019
I remember borrowing this book from a friend in 2012/2013. She had read it multiple times and thought of me when she read it the previous time, as I was very intrigued by real crime. I did not know what I was diving into when I picked it up that same afternoon I got it. I was supposed to make dinner, workout, shower and do homework, but ended up not moving from the very same spot on my bed I had sat down on, to just read the first couple of pages before starting my chores. It took me only a couple of hours from start to finish and I don’t think I have every experienced such an array of emotions in such a shirt time. I was astounded and have never picked up a better story and book since.
July 12, 2021
I don’t know how to rate this book. It’s about the ugly, horrible, and evil side of human nature. Brutal torture. I wish I could erase this book from my memory. It is necessary to know the stories of human brutality, but this one is excessive.
January 17, 2011
An easy but incredibly hard book to read. Not for the faint of heart.
April 17, 2010
Its a horrifying story, but so excellently told!
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews