Laura ’s review of Berta Isla > Likes and Comments

Yay!! I must get to Marias soon!

Hi Ann - it's a long book. Many people have commented on his sinuous, 'Proustian' sentences - not at all - they need to 'get over themselves'. Marías is not difficult to read. He's an extremely interesting and sympathetic writer - with his heart and morals in the right place.

I so look forward to reading him (and long doesn't bother me!).

Hi Ann, I'm not yet ready to read - A Heart So White, but if you are still interested in a buddy read - I could do that. If not that's ok too - I will just look out for your review - of that, and this one also. :)

Wonderful review, Laura. I only want to make a little point into Tomas’s defence. He did have choices but he could not possibly evaluate their consequences then. And when the choice is made as you say it would be irreversible and their lives took a certain trajectory no one can possibly change. I guess it is quite a universal story, though normally the stakes are much lower. And in terms of protecting “realm” so to speak, I guess the calculations on those situations sometimes are akin to infamous shopping trolly dilemma. I am not trying to defend deep state, but it was the one of things Marias made me thinking about. The second part of this is written from Tomas perspective. It is his last novel unfortunately. But I am
Not sure how would you relate to Tomas:-)

Hi Katia - thanks for reading and commenting.
In relation to your point. I also said - "At that point in my reading I didn't take my own questions too seriously. It's only later ..." And I meant the first scene approx page 100. I also at that stage didn't know where Tomas' spy life would lead or the trouble it would cause etc. But surely at that later point p. 227 - it might at least have occurred to T to explain the "Why" of his involvement. The "murder" and his connection to it.
In a very comparable read - The Double by José Saramago - the writer makes it absolutely clear that the main reason Tertuliano is led down his solipsistic reasoning is that he refuses to discuss his discovery with anyone - not even his beloved mother - who could probably quite easily have raised several objections to the torturous and downward path T follows.
Marías also to do him immense credit presents serveral socratic dialogues between husband and wife but as Berta herself realises she is blind - so much is withheld from her - she has only conjecture and imagination on her side. But she is a fierce opponent because of her love for Tomás. I think what I enjoyed the most in Marías book is its beautiful structures. The wisdom of the female who fights only for those she loves - there's a nice little segue when she considers Miguel Kandálin and his wife Mary Kate - hunted down and executed. She tests herself - would she be sorry for them - most definitely not - but only because they had threatened the life of her child.

Yes - it's a very good book. I patiently read through the reveal at the end - but I had already considered that Janet was not dead.

Laura wrote: "Hi Ann, I'm not yet ready to read - A Heart So White, but if you are still interested in a buddy read - I could do that. If not that's ok too - I will just look out for your review - of that, and t..."
Laura - I think I may dive in to A Heart so White some time soon - whatever that means in our reading world with so many books on the shelf! Let me get a little further down the road with some life things this year, and I would really like to do a buddy read with you. Meanwhile, let's both think of what might be a good choice.

Hi Ann - I've signed up for a group read beginning 1st Feb and it's quite long. It could take about a week, 10 days depending on other stuff going on - so later half of Feb is ok for me. ?

This is a thoughtful and thought-provoking review, Laura. I'm not at all familiar with the author let alone the book, so maybe I'm reading it wrong, or going out on a limb, but what strikes me is how unethical it would be to get married after taking a job like that, unless you were able to explain openly in some detail to your prospective wife (or husband) what you were getting her into and give her an out -- but maybe she wouldn't have taken it; being in love is funny that way... I take it the man was somehow blackmailed/threatened into taking the job, though? Even though he ultimately had a choice? But he wasn't married yet, and that was another choice.
The first passage of your review (maybe intentionally?) read like a woman confronting her husband about an affair with another woman - !

I really appreciate all the time you took to write this detailed review and to ponder the interweaving of this book's plot and themes. I'm just wondering: How long does Berta's introspection last? Does it become too much long a ponderous monologue, slowing down the story?

Caterina wrote: "This is a thoughtful and thought-provoking review, Laura. I'm not at all familiar with the author let alone the book, so maybe I'm reading it wrong, or going out on a limb, but what strikes me is h..."
Yes - that question is probed on many occasions in Berta's section of the book - why she stays. And basically it's as you say - a love connection. Someone else quoted in their review that Berta chose Tomas early in their acquaintance and she was "determined" that he was her man. So, she commits herself to him from - high-school. And yes, Tomas marries her without forewarning her of the "job" he has taken on. He adopts the mindset of the S.S. which is that no-one must know - for their protection, for the people he works with etc. etc. etc. But - I mentioned in a comment above to Katia - that this sets up an enclosed world - in Saramago's book - his hero also refuses to share his secret with anyone - and that is his undoing.

Berta who, is highly intelligent - demands of Tomás that asking questions is essential - in order to establish accountability/responsibility - who asked for that order to be carried out and why? Tomás' answer - he works for military intelligence - orders are to be obeyed without question. "If everyone asked everyone above them 'why?' - then nothing would happen. He says it's the same for every hierarchical structure - a business, governments, the army etc. - a chain of command and it operates by subordinates accepting orders - without asking questions.

And yes - it sounds exactly like a husband/wife arguing over a mistress - (and of course Berta accepts Tomás sleeps with women to extract information).

It's an excellent book for a discussion group - because every reader is going to object to various different things - lots of questions - likely to be generated. There are many debates in Marías' text - a big one is where Berta says - but you are acting before events happen. You are basing your actions on what might happen - and you are justifying loss of life, deceit, betrayal based on prevention. Although she doesn't say it - her implication is - wouldn't it be better to work towards establishing TRUST - rather than this endless suspicious and defensiveness and maintenance of aggression.

It's a great book - totally relevant to what we see happening in the world now.

Fran wrote: "I really appreciate all the time you took to write this detailed review and to ponder the interweaving of this book's plot and themes. I'm just wondering: How long does Berta's introspection last? ..."

Hi Fran - the spy-story/the plot is the weak part - as far as I was concerned. Berta's story with it's sidelines- and debates and arguments - was for me - the real story. And yes - it is very clear that husband and wife - are stand-ins for a debate. They represent the two sides of valid arguments. It is Marías dedication to exposing all the holes - in both sides of the reasoning - that was the truly interesting part.

In the last section - we see a defeated Tomás - a man who has finally learnt the value of a woman who loves him - but does she still love him - he no longer knows. As I said to Caterina above - this book is excellent for discussion. I can see many women saying - "Why did she stay with him?" And MarÍas provides convincing arguments for that also. I think Berta fundamentally believes that he has been corrupted but that there exists still in the centre of Tomás the man she fell in love with - and it is that man she wants to see returned to her - she believes in his better qualities - and that his work as a spy is an aberration in his character - and I suppose she has guessed that he was coerced in ways - he cannot explain to her. It's a book about loyalty and trust - and forgiveness.

Taking the whole arc of the story however - it allows us to see that Berta does represent how it is possible for a person to accept a point of view in complete conflict with their own perspective. In Berta's case, to understand why Tomás made and lived by those decisions - over a period of 20+ years. Her fight for understanding and her tolerance represents - what it means to love another - and her ability to genuinely understand 'why' is what it means to forgive.

Something that needs to be applied at the individual as well as a national or political level.

Berta suffers immensely - but so does Tomás. Most people don't have to reconcile these sorts of extreme differences - but more and more, people are choosing conflict over resolution; choosing to hate rather than trying to offer understanding - and it is difficult.