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For being a fairly short book, it took me a long time to drag myself through this one. For one, I had to wonder if an editor had even glanced at this book. A lot of the writing and dialogue reads as if written by someone with English as a second language. Sometimes to the point of making the writing so cheesy, I had to stop and put the book down a moment and rub my head in exasperation. The story doesn't flow well, and sounds very contrived.
I couldn't help rolling my eyes at some of the characters. Primarily the side characters such as Antonio's school friends. A character named "Horse" that actually neighs and whose eyes roll back into his head when he's nervous? Not to mention that Antonio's friends seemed to have a vocabulary of about three words. "Damn." "Chin**da!"(The Spanish "F" word) and "Bullsh**t!" One of the primary reasons I avoid Chicano books is because authors tend to make the characters very obnoxious, and this book is no exception. It definitely doesn't help that you can literally count 20 exclamation marks on a single page. I don't believe I've ever encountered as many exclamation marks in my life as I have in the pages of this book. Virtually every single dialogue line ends in an exclamation mark.
On the whole, I'm assuming the primary reason this book gets such high reviews is because of the "thought provoking questions" the author brings up in the book. Though I feel it's hardly any more than a person would consider with a little introspection of their own. I honestly cannot understand why so many high schools have this as required/recommended reading for English class, of all things. Philosophy, social studies, something along those lines, perhaps, but this book does not belong in an English class.
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Antonio Marez is a young Hispanic boy whose family is marked by a basic conflict between his father's wandering vaquero life and his mother's religious farmers. He finds his life changed when, in the last days of WWII, the curendera from his father's llano moves in with the family. Elderly and wise, Ultima takes Tony under her wing, teaching him about nature, the spirit, and the world. Tony witnesses the killing of a soldier stricken by PTSD, starts school, and welcomes his three older brothers home from the war. The drama really starts, however, when Ultima is asked to cure Tony's uncle, who had been cursed by some local witches. Ultima's cure works, but when one of the witches later dies, her father promises to make Ultima pay. The conflict for Tony is harrowing and bloody, played out in the midst of a spiritual awakening and crisis as he questions the Catholic faith of his family.
I cannot believe that I have never heard of this novel or its author before I picked out the audio version, read by Robert Rodriguez. Apparently, this is a classic of Chicano literature. The back of the CD case compared the novel to Moby Dick, but I think a better comparison is To Kill A Mockingbird. Tony is an exceedingly likable protagonist who is trying to navigate the oftentimes harsh world he finds. The author presents the llano, the town, and the people with a vivid eye and an understanding of human nature. Tony is connected to a spiritual, mystical world, in which dreams foretell what will happen and witches exist. Some of the dreams are a little long, distracting, and somewhat pointless. But otherwise, the story flows well and the magical realism fits in well with the plot. Robert Rodriguez does an excellent job reading the story, and makes Tony a very appealing narrator. The only difficulty I had was with the use of Spanish here and there. A little bit of Spanish education did not help me understand it much, but the use was infrequent and did not inhibit my enjoyment. This is a book to be enjoyed, and a delight to listen to. This book is truly a classic.
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Bless Me, Ultima is an intriguing novel, taking place in Guadalupe, New Mexico. Based around values and morals, Rudolpho Anaya takes us through the young life of Antonio Marez, the six-year-old protagonist of the novel. Bless Me, Ultima shows his great interest and rare bond with the new guest living in his home along with his family hardships and challenges against his personal beliefs.
From the very very first day Ultima stepped into Antonio's life, he noticed an instant connection, and with their special relationship, young Tony would learn more than he could have ever imagined. Antonio reveals that Ultima, a women known to have healing powers and for her use of folk magic, is the old women from his dream and learns that she alone knows his destiny. Antonio and most of all his mother Maria, are eager to learn just what his destiny entails.
Witnessing horrific events such as the death of Lupito, a struggling World War II veteran, and the murder of the town drunk Narciso, Antonio becomes confused about his beliefs. Ultima turns out to be a guiding light for Tony, teaching him about proper morals and goodness, leaving you to wonder how he will take in all of her unique lessons.
Overall, Bless Me, Ultima is an great read. It keeps you interested because the storyline is not only excellent but it is also very detailed and even includes several phrases in Spanish. I thought Rudolpho was very clever in doing this because its something I've never seen before in other novels I've read. As you read, it keeps you guessing about events to come and how the characters may change. It's definitely a page-turner, especially with the help of the mysterious Ultima as one of the main characters.
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In this beautifully written coming of age tale, Anaya delivers part of the Mexican/American experience. The loss of innocence in the story refers to a religious quandry for Toni, a six year old boy. Should he adopt his mother's culture and become a priest or should he become like his father's family, the Marezes, and wander the plains as a cowboy? Should he accept the Catholic faith brought by the Spanish or the paganism, naturalism, and mysticism of the indigenous people whom they conquered. Both strains culminate in Toni, and he feels he must make a choice. This is pretty heady stuff for a six year old precocious though he was. His mother kept a Christian altar in her living room where she prayed every morning. She was a Luna(moon) who stayed in place while his father was a Marez (variation on the word for sea) who was always restless.
Then Ultima, the elderly community curandera came to live with them. She was a faith healer or shaman whose craft was handed down through the generations and had as its roots the belief in nature, superstition, and magic. She practices her craft and even saves Tony's uncle when western medicine has failed. She removes curses and is accused of cursing Tenorio's three daughters, two of whom die. There are many allegorical images in this book, and certainly Tenorio and his daughters represent evil. Ultima represents good.(pg.255). It is their final conflict in which Tenorio kills Ultima that forces Toni's hand.
Seeking some sort of resolution between his love for Catholocism and his love for nature, he asks why his friend, Cico, doesn't tell others about the golden carp he worships. "They would Kill him...The God of the church is a jealous god; he cannot live in peace with the other gods. He would instruct the priest to kill the golden carp."(pg. 237)...you have to choose,Tony,...you have to choose between the god of the church, or the beauty that is here and now.
Ultima represents his heritage of mysticism, magic, and witchcraft in the sense of a good witch. She teaches him the magic found in tree bark, herbs, and other plants which she uses to cure people of ailments and remove spells. But it is Toni's father that provides him an answer to the age old question of why bad things happen to good people. "Papa... why is there evil in the world? ...Most of the things we call evil are not evil at all; it is just that we don't understand those things and so we call them evil. And we fear evil because we do not understand it...sometimes it takes a lifetime to acquire understanding, because in the end understanding simply means having sympathy for people...Ultima has sympathy for people, and it is so complete that with it she can touch their souls and cure them...No greater Magic can exist...Ultima tried to teach me that the tragic consequences of life can be overcome by the magical strength that resides in the human heart." (pp.248-249) As she lay dying she gave Toni this advice "Love life and if despair enters your heart, look for me in the evenings when the wind is gentle and the owls sing in the hills. I shall be with you..."(pg.261). It is at this point that Toni very first addresses his mother as a man and not a boy. (pg. 259) In the end Toni doubts the faith of the Lunas and favors the faith of the golden carp, a symbol for the beauty in nature.
This novel has all the characteristics of very first rate literature. The language if not always lyrical is elegant. The sentence structure is simple and will appeal to a wide range of readers. The story is an engaging one set in a Mexican American community. However, it deals with the universal themes that challenge all cultures. The unique melding of the Catholocism of the Spanish invaders and the paganism/mysticism of the indian tribes provides a fresh canvas on which to paint these themes. This is not merely Latino literature, and to so characterize it would debase the universality of its themes. Read it as you would read the Catcher in the Rye even if you are not a WASP.
I am an afluent anglosaxon female raised in a large midwestern city, but I did know a good bit of Spanish when I read this. Much of the Spanish in the book is slang foul language. It is not central to the theme and even if you don't understand it, you will have no trouble reading this book. If you are curious, ask a Spanish speaking friend. Only the family surnames are of some importance. I was delighted to discover this fine writer and believe that he should be read in every high school as an example of high quality modern American literature. We are so lucky to have this giant melting pot. Where else could an affluent middle aged white woman such as myself get such an inside view of what it is like growing up hispanic in small town New Mexico. God ( or should I say 'Golden Carp') I love this country and her literature. This one is a classic. I can't recommend it more highly.
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I read this novel for two reasons: first, because I had not yet read this classic work of Chicano literature, and second, because I wanted to participate in "The Big Read" initiative within the community where I volunteer. For those of you who may not know about this initiative, it is sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts, and is an effort designed "to restore reading to the center of American culture." Communities can choose one of sixteen books, and then design a month of special programs and events focusing on that book. The idea is to get as many local citizens reading the same book, at the same time, as possible. From mid-March to mid-April 2008, "Bless Me, Ultima" is "The Big Read" for East Los Angeles, a primarily Mexican-American area near downtown Los Angeles.
"Bless Me, Ultima," by Rudolfo Anaya, is a lyrical and deeply spiritual coming-of-age tale. Set in New Mexico during the years just before and after the close of World War II, the novel is told from the viewpoint of the child, Antonio Márez. In his own eyes over the course of the novel, Antonio ages from an innocent boy of six, to a mature youth taking his very first faltering steps in an adult role at age nine. In between, the boy is exposed to four deaths. These and other events force him toward trying to fathom the mystical polarities of life, especially good versus evil, and forgiveness versus revenge. He struggles constantly with the antagonism between the Catholicism of his mother and the rich native paganism that is abundant in the local culture. The child also feels torn between four separate paths toward adulthood: one toward the rich earth-bound farming life of his mother, a second toward the free open-plains cowboy lifestyle of his father, a third toward the priesthood that his mother so fervently desires, and finally, a fourth path that his three older brothers take toward the unknown world outside his understanding and experience. Thus the book is Antonio's spiritual passage toward a more mature understanding of the world and his place in it.
Antonio's spiritual guide on this journey toward maturity is his loving paternal great aunt, Ultima, a famous "curandera" (healer) who comes to live with his family at the opening of the book.
I was disappointed with this novel, probably because I expected more from such a famous classic, but also because this book is being promoted by the National Endowment for the Arts to help "restore reading to the center of American culture." I wanted a better book for such a lofty goal. This is a good book, but it has many flaws. In particular, it is not a profoundly enjoyable book to read. There are just too many long stretches where event are described in endless boring detail. The author admits that the book is, in great part, a fictionalized autobiography. Obviously, he must have found it too difficult to edit out nonessential detail. If this book was chosen because it is a Chicano classic, then it does not seem to have enough Chicano meaning at its core, and frankly, there are better examples of Chicano literature that might have been chosen instead. On the good side, the writing is rich and lyrical, the characters are unforgettable, the violence is offset with many humorous incidents, and there are also countless heartwarming examples of deep friendship and family love throughout.
As a fanatical lover of good literature of all kinds, it pains me to see a book like this foisted upon the public as a piece of art that should be read by all. I am glad that I stuck with it and finished the book. There were times when I was sorely tempted to give it up. In retrospect, the book was more enjoyable than the process of reading it. I will enjoy hearing what others have to say about this book during upcoming events that are part of "The Big Read" in East Los Angeles.