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Alburquerque
"Alburquerque is a rich and tempestuous book, full of love and compassion, the complex and exciting skullduggery of politics, and the age-old quest for roots, identity, family. . . . There is a marvelous tapestry of interwoven myth and magic that guides Anaya's characters' sensibilities, and is equally important in defining their feel of place. Above all, in this novel is a deep caring for land and culture and for the spiritual well-being of people, environment, landscape."--John Nichols, author of The Milagro Beanfield War: A Novel
". . . Alburquerque portrays a quest for knowledge. . . . [It] is a novel about many cultures intersecting at an urban, power-, and politics-filled crossroads, represented by a powerful white businessman, whose mother just happens to be a Jew who has hidden her Jewishness, . . . and a boy from the barrio who fathers a child raised in the barrio but who eventually goes on to a triumphant assertion of his cross-cultural self."--World Literature Today
"Alburquerque fulfills two important functions: it restores the missing R to the name of the city, and it shows off Anaya's powers as a novelist."--Alan Cheuse, National Public Radio
". . . Alburquerque portrays a quest for knowledge. . . . [It] is a novel about many cultures intersecting at an urban, power-, and politics-filled crossroads, represented by a powerful white businessman, whose mother just happens to be a Jew who has hidden her Jewishness, . . . and a boy from the barrio who fathers a child raised in the barrio but who eventually goes on to a triumphant assertion of his cross-cultural self."--World Literature Today
"Alburquerque fulfills two important functions: it restores the missing R to the name of the city, and it shows off Anaya's powers as a novelist."--Alan Cheuse, National Public Radio
286 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 1992
103 people are currently reading
1445 people want to read
About the author
Rudolfo Anaya
88 books472 followersRudolfo Anaya lives and breathes the landscape of the Southwest. It is a powerful force, full of magic and myth, integral to his writings. Anaya, however, is a native Hispanic fascinated by cultural crossings unique to the Southwest, a combination of oldSpain and New Spain, of Mexico with Mesoamerica and the anglicizing forces of the twentieth century. Rudolfo Anaya is widely acclaimed as the founder of modern Chicano literature. According to the New York Times, he is the most widely read author in Hispanic communities, and sales of his classic Bless Me, Ultima (1972) have surpassed 360,000, despite the fact that none of his books have been published originally by New York publishing houses. His works are standard texts in Chicano studies and literature courses around the world, and he has done more than perhaps any other single person to promote publication of books by Hispanic authors in this country. With the publication of his novel, Albuquerque (1992),Newsweek has proclaimed him a front-runner in "what is better called not the new multicultural writing, but the new American writing." His most recent volume, published in 1995, is Zia Summer.
"I've always used the technique of the cuento. I am an oral storyteller, but now I do it on the printed page. I think if we were very wise we would use that same tradition in video cassettes, in movies, and on radio."
from
http://www.unm.edu/~wrtgsw/anaya.html
and
http://www.gale.cengage.com/free_reso...
"I've always used the technique of the cuento. I am an oral storyteller, but now I do it on the printed page. I think if we were very wise we would use that same tradition in video cassettes, in movies, and on radio."
from
http://www.unm.edu/~wrtgsw/anaya.html
and
http://www.gale.cengage.com/free_reso...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 137 reviews
December 14, 2015
3.5/5 I'm a little mixed on how I feel about this one. While I did enjoy all of the cultural aspects of the book from the rights of Native Americans to growing up mixed race, I didn't really care for the way the female characters were portrayed. Their only purpose seemed to be guiding the men along and supporting them. Even though there are several potentially strong female characters, they all seem to be diminished or demeaned by men in one way or another. I haven't really read a lot of Chicano literature, so it would be interesting to see if that's a theme that carries over to other novels in the genre of if this is an outlier.
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May 13, 2021Ich habe das Buch gelesen, weil wir ein Aufgabenblatt mit Fragen dazu bekommen haben und hätte sonst nicht danach gegriffen, um ehrlich zu sein(weil ich Chicano Literatur auch nicht kannte vorher...). Es war eine interessante Geschichte über einen jungen Mann, der erfährt, dass er adoptiert wurde und dann auf die Suche nach seinem leiblichen Vater geht. Dabei verheddert er sich in der dreckigen Politik New Mexico's.
Ich hatte einige Probleme mit dem Buch, Sexismus war eines davon. Die männlichen Charaktere, aber auch die weiblichen Charaktere kennen weder Skrupel, noch Loyalität und können ihren Partner:innen absolut nicht treu sein. Vor allem Frank Dominic war einfach ekelerregend, dennoch war es angenehm zu lesen, dass er am Ende das bekommen hat, was er verdient. Insgesamt ein interessantes Buch und ich denke, dass eine Hausarbeit über toxic masculinity und Sexismus mit Fokus auf Frank Dominic als Repräsentant beider Themen sicherlich nicht uninteressant zu schreiben und/oder lesen wäre...
Ich hatte einige Probleme mit dem Buch, Sexismus war eines davon. Die männlichen Charaktere, aber auch die weiblichen Charaktere kennen weder Skrupel, noch Loyalität und können ihren Partner:innen absolut nicht treu sein. Vor allem Frank Dominic war einfach ekelerregend, dennoch war es angenehm zu lesen, dass er am Ende das bekommen hat, was er verdient. Insgesamt ein interessantes Buch und ich denke, dass eine Hausarbeit über toxic masculinity und Sexismus mit Fokus auf Frank Dominic als Repräsentant beider Themen sicherlich nicht uninteressant zu schreiben und/oder lesen wäre...
April 2, 2014
I read this book for a class called Life and Literature of New Mexico. Rudolfo Anaya is a powerful Chicano writer and his book, Bless Me, Ultima is one of my favorites. I thought much of the character development and dialogue in this book ran on the shallow side but the themes of multiculturation and the intermingling of past and present are forefront in this book. This is a must read if you appreciate Southwest or Chicano lit.
November 13, 2023
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I’ve read a few negative reviews on this book - something along the lines that it can’t hold a candle to Bless Me, Ultima. Lucky for me, I haven’t read that one yet and I really enjoyed Alburquerque. The story is set in 1990’s New Mexico. It encompasses a number of themes - economic progress vs the old ways, bigotry against the Chicano people vs the Anglo politicians who cater to the white well-to-do. It’s also a love story.
Abran is the main character, born of a Mexican father and a gringa mother. A quote from the author: he “was the new Chicano, and he would create his own image, drawing the two worlds together, not letting them tear him apart.”
I also enjoyed the Southwest feel of this book. I’ve only been to Santa Fe once in my life and only for a couple of days. It made me want to go back and spend more time there.
ATY Goodreads Challenge - 2023
Prompt #47 - A book related to a geometric shape
I’ve read a few negative reviews on this book - something along the lines that it can’t hold a candle to Bless Me, Ultima. Lucky for me, I haven’t read that one yet and I really enjoyed Alburquerque. The story is set in 1990’s New Mexico. It encompasses a number of themes - economic progress vs the old ways, bigotry against the Chicano people vs the Anglo politicians who cater to the white well-to-do. It’s also a love story.
Abran is the main character, born of a Mexican father and a gringa mother. A quote from the author: he “was the new Chicano, and he would create his own image, drawing the two worlds together, not letting them tear him apart.”
I also enjoyed the Southwest feel of this book. I’ve only been to Santa Fe once in my life and only for a couple of days. It made me want to go back and spend more time there.
ATY Goodreads Challenge - 2023
Prompt #47 - A book related to a geometric shape
November 16, 2023
One of the great joys of reading fiction is when you get a novel that makes want to read on after you finished it. There are a lot of novels I have enjoyed reading, but once I close the book or eBook (these days) then I’m done with it. Well, Alburquerque by Rudolfo Anaya is one of those few novels I wanted to continue reading on after completing the last page.
It is the story of Abran Gonzalez, a young boxer from Alburquerque who is brought to the hospital to see his biological mother, Cynthia Johnson, for the first time. Johnson is a wealthy Anglo artist and reveals on her deathbed to Abran that she is his mother. Abran learns his mother had a relationship with an unknown Mexican man that his grandfather wanted to be kept a secret. Abran is determined to find out about his biological father and true identity.
His journey takes him into the world of city politics, big business, and puts his love to the test with a young woman whom he believes is his soulmate. Anaya writes a love letter to his hometown of Alburquerque (this is the original spelling of the city’s name before the first “R” was dropped) and brings the city’s tri-cultural heritage of Indian, Hispanic, and Anglo to light.
I lived in Albuquerque for five years from March 1998 to September 2003 and reading Anaya’s novel brought back a lot of memories and why I will always have a special place for the Duke City. Also, I knew about the desire from various businessman and politicians to make Albuquerque a great city of the Southwestern United States and on the same stage as Phoenix, Las Vegas, and Denver. Anaya does a superb job highlighting Albuquerque’s place as the big city in New Mexico, and its rivalry with Santa Fe (I lived there for 4 years).
Rudolfo Anaya was known for his modern classic, Bless Me Ultima, and rightly so. I would add that Alburquerque is his other influential novel and deserves to be widely read. We are in the midst of Hispanic Heritage Month and I would highly recommend Albuquerque as a must read.
It is the story of Abran Gonzalez, a young boxer from Alburquerque who is brought to the hospital to see his biological mother, Cynthia Johnson, for the first time. Johnson is a wealthy Anglo artist and reveals on her deathbed to Abran that she is his mother. Abran learns his mother had a relationship with an unknown Mexican man that his grandfather wanted to be kept a secret. Abran is determined to find out about his biological father and true identity.
His journey takes him into the world of city politics, big business, and puts his love to the test with a young woman whom he believes is his soulmate. Anaya writes a love letter to his hometown of Alburquerque (this is the original spelling of the city’s name before the first “R” was dropped) and brings the city’s tri-cultural heritage of Indian, Hispanic, and Anglo to light.
I lived in Albuquerque for five years from March 1998 to September 2003 and reading Anaya’s novel brought back a lot of memories and why I will always have a special place for the Duke City. Also, I knew about the desire from various businessman and politicians to make Albuquerque a great city of the Southwestern United States and on the same stage as Phoenix, Las Vegas, and Denver. Anaya does a superb job highlighting Albuquerque’s place as the big city in New Mexico, and its rivalry with Santa Fe (I lived there for 4 years).
Rudolfo Anaya was known for his modern classic, Bless Me Ultima, and rightly so. I would add that Alburquerque is his other influential novel and deserves to be widely read. We are in the midst of Hispanic Heritage Month and I would highly recommend Albuquerque as a must read.
June 25, 2012
This was my second book written by Rudolfo Anaya and it was just as gripping as the first. His word-weaving is beautiful. So talented. Anaya has the ability to make the milti-cultural setting of New Mexico come alive in such a way that I wish I could see it the way he does. New Mexico is alive in his words. And I've never felt that way before - being from there. This is the story of a young man who finds out he was adopted and goes on a journey to discover who his father is when his biological mother dies with the secret. Parts of the story were predictible, but that didn't take away from the beauty of this novel. Please read this book. If you haven't been to New Mexico, you will ache to go. If you are from New Mexico, you will long to know it the way Anaya does.
April 7, 2023
I picked up this one (actually bought the e-book years ago and never got around to it!) as prep for this year's (2023) Santa Fe Literary Festival where we plan to attend a Rudolfo Anaya tribute. As many, I had only read Anaya's classic 'Bless Me Ultima,' so I was curious to read something else from him -- especially given his legendary status in my home state of New Mexico.
While Anaya's multi-cultural charm and the spirit of the Land of Enchantment is infused in this story of a young man's discovery that he was adopted and how that news gets entangled with the Albuquerque political scene, but overall it felt a bit dated and cheesy. Anaya nails the Hispanic male characters, but the white men and women feel like caricatures at times (particularly, the women vying for the attention of protagonist Abran).
That said, it was still a pleasant and easy read and more accessible if you may have found Anaya's magical realism a bit too much in 'Ultima' - though there is still a bit a mysticism and spirituality here, but again that's just part of New Mexico. Glad I read it, tho maybe it has tempered my expectations re: future Anaya reads. 3.5 stars with a Goodreads round-down to 3.
(BTW, the book's title uses Albuquerque original spelling -- the first 'r' dropped when non-natives arrived and couldn't pronounce it!)
While Anaya's multi-cultural charm and the spirit of the Land of Enchantment is infused in this story of a young man's discovery that he was adopted and how that news gets entangled with the Albuquerque political scene, but overall it felt a bit dated and cheesy. Anaya nails the Hispanic male characters, but the white men and women feel like caricatures at times (particularly, the women vying for the attention of protagonist Abran).
That said, it was still a pleasant and easy read and more accessible if you may have found Anaya's magical realism a bit too much in 'Ultima' - though there is still a bit a mysticism and spirituality here, but again that's just part of New Mexico. Glad I read it, tho maybe it has tempered my expectations re: future Anaya reads. 3.5 stars with a Goodreads round-down to 3.
(BTW, the book's title uses Albuquerque original spelling -- the first 'r' dropped when non-natives arrived and couldn't pronounce it!)
June 19, 2023
The story is pretty good but it’s appeal is parochial and the Audible reader has all the local accents wrong; the natives in this area do have a distinct sound, but they don’t sound like people who recently crossed the border. The Pueblo’s accent is completely off.
Anaya’s depiction of the conflicts in this story sound borrowed from John Nichols’, “Milagro Beanfield War,” which, on its face sounds ok, but it is a haggard line.
The sex is gratuitous and I could never imagine a Norteño talking to a future son-in-law about having sex with a “bear.”. moreover, I would never imagine parents condoning - even encouraging their daughter’s premarital sex with her suitor.
Abran and Lucinda’s almost immediate falling in love is incredulous at best and bullshit at worst. Anaya dipped his toe too far into fantasy when he should have developed that part of the storyline.
While this story hints at magical realism, it lacks sufficient depth to make any of the allusions credible.
I absolutely disagree with the portrayal of women in this book. They seemed weak and apologetic. Anaya had an opportunity to develop the characters but instead opted to make females susceptible rather than resourceful. The “strong” female characters came across more as tokens rather than character studies. What a missed opportunity.
Moreover, Anaya completely glazed over New Mexico Latino’s often blatant bigotry toward Mexicans (from Mexico) Anglos, Jews, and Native Americans. Contrary to his descriptions he offered up, we Nuevo Mexicanos can be insular, cruel and bigoted.
And, for that time period, New Mexicans never referred to their communities as “barrios.” Doing so was tantamount to delve-identifying as “Mexican.” Call any Native Latino a Mexican in those days, and you would have a fight on your hands. But this is a story fir another day. suffice it to say that Anaya painted everyone with a slightly too gratuitous paint brush.
Because of that, this story and it’s sloppiness run the risk of being a pastiche; so much more could have developed such that it would have stood as a standard for a new genre, but it went the easy route. and the story paid for it.
Two stars would be generous.
Anaya’s depiction of the conflicts in this story sound borrowed from John Nichols’, “Milagro Beanfield War,” which, on its face sounds ok, but it is a haggard line.
The sex is gratuitous and I could never imagine a Norteño talking to a future son-in-law about having sex with a “bear.”. moreover, I would never imagine parents condoning - even encouraging their daughter’s premarital sex with her suitor.
Abran and Lucinda’s almost immediate falling in love is incredulous at best and bullshit at worst. Anaya dipped his toe too far into fantasy when he should have developed that part of the storyline.
While this story hints at magical realism, it lacks sufficient depth to make any of the allusions credible.
I absolutely disagree with the portrayal of women in this book. They seemed weak and apologetic. Anaya had an opportunity to develop the characters but instead opted to make females susceptible rather than resourceful. The “strong” female characters came across more as tokens rather than character studies. What a missed opportunity.
Moreover, Anaya completely glazed over New Mexico Latino’s often blatant bigotry toward Mexicans (from Mexico) Anglos, Jews, and Native Americans. Contrary to his descriptions he offered up, we Nuevo Mexicanos can be insular, cruel and bigoted.
And, for that time period, New Mexicans never referred to their communities as “barrios.” Doing so was tantamount to delve-identifying as “Mexican.” Call any Native Latino a Mexican in those days, and you would have a fight on your hands. But this is a story fir another day. suffice it to say that Anaya painted everyone with a slightly too gratuitous paint brush.
Because of that, this story and it’s sloppiness run the risk of being a pastiche; so much more could have developed such that it would have stood as a standard for a new genre, but it went the easy route. and the story paid for it.
Two stars would be generous.
December 4, 2017
What struck me about this book repeatedly is how weak the female characters are. They only seem to exist to serve men, in a man's world. They can be mothers, they can be sources of inspiration, they can be spiritual guides, they can be lovers- and yet their function in this book is about how they are of service to men. The way the author repeatedly talks about women bearing children for men, as if they were vessels of procreation and not full human beings, is disconcerting.
The story, itself, follows the typical trajectory of a hero's quest in a novel. The hero is trying to find out who his father is,. The reader finds out who his father is very early in the book, and so any suspense that might have been built around that part of the story is wasted.
I found that the scene about slaughtering pigs felt unnecessary, and brutal to visualize. I don't feel that scene contributed anything essential to the story and my empathy was entirely with the animals who were being slaughtered.
We don't really get to know the characters in depth. They seem to exist to move the plot forward, but did not become complex human beings who are revealed to the reader in a way that the reader can learn to deeply care about them.
The story, itself, follows the typical trajectory of a hero's quest in a novel. The hero is trying to find out who his father is,. The reader finds out who his father is very early in the book, and so any suspense that might have been built around that part of the story is wasted.
I found that the scene about slaughtering pigs felt unnecessary, and brutal to visualize. I don't feel that scene contributed anything essential to the story and my empathy was entirely with the animals who were being slaughtered.
We don't really get to know the characters in depth. They seem to exist to move the plot forward, but did not become complex human beings who are revealed to the reader in a way that the reader can learn to deeply care about them.
December 30, 2020
Anaya's writing astounds. the language sweeps across the page like a wave, and you as a reader are brought in and out like a tide. Leaving this book is hard, not because I felt connected to the characters or the plot, but because I never wanted to step out from his ocean.
Yet, I did. This is my second Anaya novel I have finished. Undeniably talented, this novel weaves personal growth, identity, and politics into a narrative about a boy discovering he is adopted. Anaya paints a beautiful picture of New Mexico here, depicting the mesh of Mexican, Spanish, and Pueblo Native American history that make up the city. It made me miss New Mexico all the more.
That being said, the plot felt flat and I did not feel connected to the characters. So, upon leaving this book I was sad to leave but it's not a story that will take permanent residence in my memory. Life will go on and this book will leave my mind too.
Yet, I did. This is my second Anaya novel I have finished. Undeniably talented, this novel weaves personal growth, identity, and politics into a narrative about a boy discovering he is adopted. Anaya paints a beautiful picture of New Mexico here, depicting the mesh of Mexican, Spanish, and Pueblo Native American history that make up the city. It made me miss New Mexico all the more.
That being said, the plot felt flat and I did not feel connected to the characters. So, upon leaving this book I was sad to leave but it's not a story that will take permanent residence in my memory. Life will go on and this book will leave my mind too.
December 19, 2016
Thank you to Open Road Integrated Media for reissuing this classic book about a young man’s journey to discover his true heritage and identity. Native American, Hispanic, and Anglo myths, folklore, and traditions are expertly woven into this captivating story. As someone who grew up in the Southwest, I appreciate novels that accurately portray this mix of cultures, and Anaya’s books are some of the best.
April 12, 2016
I may be a bit biased in my review. I am a Native New Mexican, and no other writer captures the spirit of New Mexico quite like Rudolfo Anaya. The racial divisions in Abq, both geographically and economically and the love that can bridge those divisions are the main theme of this story. The story is awash with the rich and unique culture of New Mexico, and stirred-up deep memories in me, of my history.
June 4, 2016
I am a big fan of Tony Hillerman and am pleased to rediscover Rudolfo Anaya. Don't let any less than favorable reviews keep you from reading this book. I found the descriptions colorful and the characters interesting. While some reviews thought the ending was predictable, I found the journey worth it.
November 4, 2008
Good people driven story marred by cheesy "must knowmy father" business and a too-male point of view.
March 8, 2009
So the reviews I read hailed this book as vastly superior to "Bless Me, Ultima" boy were they wrong. The book wasn't nearly as dense or complex. The characters were likable but fairly underdeveloped. The ending was too happy and the book was predictable overall. However, I did enjoy the book- books don't have to be classic literature to be good. I learned a bit about Alburquerque and it's history. I also felt connected to the truth of the book it was very believable and related to my knowledge of New Mexico and life living in the Southwest. I do recommend it but the book will only appeal to those who enjoy books set in the Southwest and exploring conflicting and balancing cultures.
February 10, 2020
This was a novel of a young man who finds out he is adopted when his mother reveals this when she dies. He searches for his father, and through the search finds love, political entanglements, and friendships. The writer incorporates the culture of the area - Mexican, Indian, Spanish and mixture of many of them. I found it fast paced and I didn't want to put it down. At times the writing was quite symbolic. I would like to read more by this author. I enjoy learning about the cultures of the Western area.
January 13, 2019
I enjoyed the book and liked reading a story set in ABQ. Familiar locations and streets made it come alive moreso than it might otherwise. The plot centers on a young man's search for his birth father. In this searching, he winds up as a pawn in the politics of the city & begins to lose touch with what he had considered important.
July 11, 2016
I struggled, often unsuccessfully, to keep from rolling my eyes throughout this book. It was an unpleasant compilation of pretentiousness, one-dimensional characters, and predictability all tied up in a story that had me repeatedly asking, "who cares?".
August 13, 2019
3.5 stars. Anaya writes captivating stories and I love the New Mexican history and folklore. The quality of writing in this book isn’t his best. Some of the dialogue is stilted and pedestrian. Nevertheless, a fun, quick read by a State and National treasure.
July 18, 2025
I bought this book on a whim at the used book shop, and noticed after I brought it home that it didn't spell Albuquerque the way I was used to spelling it. Oddly, the extra "R" doesn't figure too much into the plot line. Instead, the city's rich history and diverse cultural backgrounds are deftly applied to this story arc of a young man discovering that his family ties stretch farther than the barrio in which he was raised. Rudolfo Anaya tries his best to pay homage to the foster parents who raised our protagonist, Abran, and yet they get smothered by the high-powered characters that give this story its intrigue. I enjoyed this book, and would recommend it to anybody who has spent some time in the Land of Enchantment.
June 5, 2024
I liked the first 3/4ths, even if it wasn’t perfect. At one point a nurse says someone “conferred” with the doctor- how many people actually speak like that, and particularly this character. Flaws like that aside, I loved the explorational aspect of cultural identity- the influence of our cultural environment, who raised us, and what we identify as. But I thought the closing scene was cheesy, and nearly every single female character, except possibly one, was two-demential with a flat story line that followed the same singular motive of having kids. It was such a contrast to the male characters that had such a wide array of motives and depth to their internal dialogues.
April 8, 2025
I'm biased with this rating because I live in Albuquerque, and I fell in love with Anaya's words about the culture of my city and state. It is a beautiful tale of love and heartache interspersed with the history of our Native and Hispanic peoples and the Anglos who come along and think they should move out of the past. The food, the fiestas, and the religious rituals practiced throughout their lives show the richness of our different societies and how we have lived and fought amongst each other for over four-hundred years.
March 21, 2020
Pretty decent tale if you are into Chicano's culture added with a little bit of political twist and drama.
March 24, 2024
Love all his books! I will re read over and over!
November 10, 2024
Just what I needed….a well-told tale that ends well.
October 24, 2025
kind of weird uh. sex things? if you ignore the weird sex things its good
February 14, 2020
3.5 stars ⭐️
June 21, 2023
This novel was warmly written, and for me, new insights into the Latino/Chicano culture in the largest city in New Mexico. I live in Albuquerque so I recognized street names, neighborhoods, and the struggles between those who speak Spanish (mucho or poco) and those who don’t ever-ever care to learn. I found this novel vastly informative and well written to include a strong wrap-up of the character’s challenges & resolutions/new beginnings. Easily 5 stars.
March 15, 2016
This is one of nine of Anaya's books republished as ebooks by Open Road Media. Anaya is best known for his novel Bless Me, Ultima. Open Road are to be applauded for bringing more books by this Chicano magic-realist author back into circulation and I welcome the opportunity to read and review his work again
The book's themes are familiar ones - a young man trying to find out who he is, corporate and political corruption and abuse of the environment, a love interest, the contrast between the old ways of local peoples and the new ways of the white population. These are all themes we have seen in other magic-realist books. I was reminded of Ceremony by Leslie Marmon Silko in particular, which also features a native American Vietnam veteran.
Magic is definitely present, coming with a prescient traditional healer or curendara. The curendara at the beginning of the book gives Abran the answer to his question "tú eres tú" or you are you, but it takes him the length of a book to understand what she is saying. Ultima in Anaya's previous novel is also a curendara. This female archetype also appears in one of my favourite Chicano magic-realist novels The Hummingbird's Daughter. The second form of magic realism in the book is the way the characters of the novelist Ben Chavez have a life of their own. Many writers will tell you that their characters talk to them, well in this case they really do. And the last element of magic realism is the appearance of the Coyote figure from indigenous American tribal mythology. All of these elements work well.
It is perhaps the realism I have a problem with. There are times where it feels unreal, too much in the mode of popular culture, particularly at the end - the book climaxes with a boxing match a la Rocky Bilboa. The Hollywood treatment is popular but it is unrealistic.
I would have liked the characters to be less black and white, more complex and ambiguous. Looking back at my review of Bless Me, Ultima I realise it was an issue I had with that book too. The most important theme in the book to my mind is the importance of knowing one's roots. Does it matter? And where are your roots? Are they in the genes or are they learned? This question not only relates to Abran's relationship with his adoptive parents and his genetic ones, but also to the story's villain, Frank Dominic, who has reinvented himself. By making Frank Dominic a black-hat baddie, Anaya misses a chance to develop the theme. Neverthless it is a tribute to the book that I am thinking about the question.
I missed this book when it appeared and I am grateful to Open Media for contacting me about it. I received a free copy in return for a fair review.
The book's themes are familiar ones - a young man trying to find out who he is, corporate and political corruption and abuse of the environment, a love interest, the contrast between the old ways of local peoples and the new ways of the white population. These are all themes we have seen in other magic-realist books. I was reminded of Ceremony by Leslie Marmon Silko in particular, which also features a native American Vietnam veteran.
Magic is definitely present, coming with a prescient traditional healer or curendara. The curendara at the beginning of the book gives Abran the answer to his question "tú eres tú" or you are you, but it takes him the length of a book to understand what she is saying. Ultima in Anaya's previous novel is also a curendara. This female archetype also appears in one of my favourite Chicano magic-realist novels The Hummingbird's Daughter. The second form of magic realism in the book is the way the characters of the novelist Ben Chavez have a life of their own. Many writers will tell you that their characters talk to them, well in this case they really do. And the last element of magic realism is the appearance of the Coyote figure from indigenous American tribal mythology. All of these elements work well.
It is perhaps the realism I have a problem with. There are times where it feels unreal, too much in the mode of popular culture, particularly at the end - the book climaxes with a boxing match a la Rocky Bilboa. The Hollywood treatment is popular but it is unrealistic.
I would have liked the characters to be less black and white, more complex and ambiguous. Looking back at my review of Bless Me, Ultima I realise it was an issue I had with that book too. The most important theme in the book to my mind is the importance of knowing one's roots. Does it matter? And where are your roots? Are they in the genes or are they learned? This question not only relates to Abran's relationship with his adoptive parents and his genetic ones, but also to the story's villain, Frank Dominic, who has reinvented himself. By making Frank Dominic a black-hat baddie, Anaya misses a chance to develop the theme. Neverthless it is a tribute to the book that I am thinking about the question.
I missed this book when it appeared and I am grateful to Open Media for contacting me about it. I received a free copy in return for a fair review.
August 13, 2012
I was really disappointed with Alburquerque, especially because I am obsessed with the Southwest (where generations of my family are from) and because Bless Me, Ultima is one of my very favorite books! I still enjoyed the cultural aspects of the novel, including the historical perspective on how the city has developed, the politics, and the whole Southwest feel. I like the theme of self-discovery and always enjoy the spirituality interwoven through Anaya's work. However, I felt like the writing was simplistic and hit me over the head with what the major themes were--there was none of the subtlety that makes a reader think. Most importantly, I was angered by the stereotypical message resounding throughout the book that Chicanas are pure and meant to be mothers (think Virgin Mary) to men, that women have it all "figured out," while the men are the ones who go through a process of self-discovery. I get the sense that Anaya meant that theme to be complimentary to women, but putting women on a pedestal means that women are expected to be patient and forgiving, while men are allowed to develop into adulthood by making mistakes (and not being held accountable for them). This dichotomy is damaging to people of all genders. The book definitely took me back to my Gender/Chican@ Studies classes--and not in a good way.
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