I feel rather underwhelmed by this book, my first by Allende. This is a story about the making of Zorro, and it has all the incidents that we might expect in such an account. Shoshone shaman grandmother who concocts magic potions; mute Indian sidekick/ milk-brother; Barcelona fencing master who is also the head of a secret society; lovely but fickle love interest; evil, sneering antagonist; fat Sergeant Garcia; gypsies; and even pirates. Everything that should make this a fun, swashbuckling ride that Zorro should be are there, but Allende writes of them in the driest, most uninvolving way possible. The prose is bland, cliche-ridden, and the characters, including Zorro himself, are scarcely more than cardboard cutouts. The bits of history that the author slip in to provide background to the story are somewhat interesting, but this is not a history book. Zorro should be the literary equivalent of a rousing, action-adventure matinee offering; in this respect this book fails miserably. Or perhaps I was expecting too much from the union of a character who is essentially a pulp fiction creation and a respected South American author. I expected better of Zorro, and I expected better from Allende.

Un libro precioso, pero la última parte se me ha quedado corta.

(review in English below)

Uma boa história, com um sólido enquadramento histórico, que decorre na Califórnia (ainda espanhola) e em Barcelona, no princípio do século XIX.

Achei a narrativa demasiado descritiva (no sentido em que os acontecimentos são-nos contados duma forma distanciada, sem emoção) e acabei por só me entusiasmar a partir do meio do livro. Não gostei da forma como o narrador se dirige directamente ao leitor nem me fez grande sentido quando se descobre quem é. Acho que talvez tivesse resultado melhor se a autora tivesse usado esta personagem para nos contar a história na primeira pessoa.

No geral, foi um bom entretenimento.

A good story, with a strong historical background, that takes place in California (still Spanish at the time) and in Barcelona, at the beginning of the 19th century.

I thought the narrative was too descriptive (the events are told in a distant manner, without emotion) and I only got enthralled half way through the book. I didn't like how the narrator addressed the reader and it didn't make much sense to me when we finally find out who is it. I feel that maybe it would have worked better if the author had used this character to tell us the story in the first person.

All in all, it was good entertainment.

n  n

عزيزى القارىء المثقف العاشق للمغامرة والاثارة واجواء الشغف والسحر انصحك بقراءة هذة الرواية ... زورو الرواية الاكثر جمالا وابداعا وامتاعا للقراءة ، ان اردت بالفعل الاستمتاع بفعل القراءة لايفوتك زورو وقصصه والاحداث التى مرت به والمفاجأت التى ستدهشك بالكامل حتى نهاية الرواية الممزوجة حقيقتها بالخيال ..
الروائية تبهرك فى كل بداية فصل ونهاية الاخر سلاحها التشويق والاسلوب الرائع المتزن والتعابير الخلابة الساحرة والاحداث التى تشغل عقلك وتستدعيك لتكون بطل ضمن ابطال الرواية التى يقال انها حقيقية وان زورو شخصية عاشت بيننا يوما ما وبغض النظر عن حقيقية الشخصية من عدمها الا انك مع هذة الرواية ستكون بصحبة احداث ووقائع وشخصيات اغرب مما تتخيل .. وستشعر بمتعة ان تقرأ كل هذا الثراء بين صفحات الرواية التى تتحدث ف المقام الاول عن قيم العدالة والمساواة بين الناس وكيف كانت المقاومة من اجل تحقيق هذة العدالة وكان زورو احد الباحثين عنها وعن رغبة كبيرة فى تحقيقها ..
وتناولت الرواية الصراعات فى فرنسا واسبانيا ومزيج من الاحداث الكثيرة التى تناولتها الرواية
.. نصيحة للقراء عاشقى القراءة بتأنى وروية ان تكون هذة الرواية ضمن قائمة الكتب والروايات التى سيتم قراءتها هى فى الحقيقة وببساطة تستحق . وبما انى عثرت على كنز ثمين ومغامرات عجيبة مشوقة ومصطلحات واسلوب انيق رشيق مشوق حد الروعة داخل هذة السطور فكان لزاما على ان انصح الاصدقاء بها .. خمس نجوم قليل بشأنها تستحق اكثر
تحياتى
بقلمى /نسمة سراج
15/9/2020

ملحوظة /نسخة الرواية التى قرأتها pdf كانت من دار نشر الالف رواية وكتب عليها الترجمة الكاملة للنص الاصلى

El Zorro = Zorro, Isabel Allende

Zorro is a 2005 novel by Chilean author Isabel Allende. Its subject is the pulp hero Diego de la Vega, better known as El Zorro (The Fox), who was featured in an early 20th-century novel.

Allende's story is split into six parts, each part dealing with one stage of Diego de la Vega's life, with the last part serving as the epilogue. The novel chronicles Diego's upbringing as well as the origins of his Zorro alter ego. He goes to America to find his dream.

تاریخ نخستین خوانش: روز پانزدهم ماه آگوست سال2007میلادی

عنوان: زورو؛ نویسنده: ایزابل آلنده؛ مترجم: محمدعلی مهمان نوازان؛ تهران، انتشارات مروارید؛ سال نشر سال1385؛ در421صفحه؛ موضوع داستانهای نویسندگان شیلی - سده21م

دیگو دلاوگا، در «کالیفرنیای» جنوبی، در سالهای پایانی سده ی هجدهم میلادی، به دنیا آمد، او فرزند دو دنیای دیگرگونه است: پدرش، یک نظامی «اسپانیایی» اشرافی است، که املاک بسیاری دارد، و مادرش: جنگجویی بومی است؛ «دیگو» در شانزده سالگی، به «اسپانیا» فرستاده میشود، کشوری که به خاطر فساد حکومت ناپلئونی، در وضع بدی قرار دارد؛ او خیلی زود به گروه «عدالت» میپیوندد: یک جنبش پایدار زیرزمینی که به یاری افراد ناتوان، و نادار میشتابد و به آنها یاری میکند؛ بین دنیای کهن و دنیای تازه، کاراکتر «زورو (روباه)» شکل میگیرد؛ قهرمانی بزرگوار پا به میدان میگذارد، و افسانه ای شگفت آغاز میشود

نقل از متن: (او دریافت که آنها که بیشتر حرف میزنند، کمتر عمل میکنند، خودستایی نشانه ی افراد نادان است و چاپلوسان، معمولا بدجنس هستند؛ آیا واقعا باور دارید که زندگی منصفانه است آقای دلاوگا؟؛ نه استاد، اما میخواهم هر کاری را که در توانم هست، انجام دهم تا آن را منصفانه کنم.؛ عشق، شرایطی است که بر منطق افراد سایه میافکند، اما کشنده نیست؛ معمولا تمام چیزی که بیمار نیاز دارد این است که عشقش دوطرفه باشد، و سپس، از آن بیرون میجهد و شروع میکند به بو کشیدن هوا برای یافتن طعمه ی جدید)؛ پایان نقل

تاریخ بهنگام رسانی 10/05/1399هجری خورشیدی؛ 11/02/1401هجری خورشیدی؛ ا. شربیانی

This book in no way changed my life, but it was exactly what I felt like reading during a lengthy bout of flu in March 2017—a torturous end to a long and depressing winter.

Confession: This was my first-ever Allende. I know!

Zorro, what's not love, right? This is his origin story, and it's everything an adventure should be—exciting and funny and it never gets too serious, even when something legitimately fucked up happens. It also helps that it's set in my favorite time period, the early nineteenth century, and includes a fantastic set of locations: coastal California, Barcelona, New Orleans. There are Napoleonic Wars, pirates, dastardly villains, a sweet prison break, and lots of sword fights, obviously.

Other reviewers have said they found this book to have too much narration and not enough dialogue, character development, and emotional weight. I get that, but...this is Zorro, not Batman. He's supposed to be snappy, witty, and fun. I liked how the exposition kept the story moving and how nobody spent much time on feelings.

At the same time, it was heartening to have the example of a diverse set of men and women with so much moral and physical courage, ready to stand up to injustice no matter what.

ZORRO

Isabel Allende

Zorro is a captivating retelling of the Zorro legend by an author so adept at mixing history and reality this becomes a sensational look at a swashbuckling hero.

Diego de la Vega grows up in California, raised beside his wet nurses’ son, Bernardo. Despite the class differences they become “milk brothers” for life. Diego’s sense of justice and identification with the underdog has its roots in their friendship and his outrage over the exploited natives. Sent to Spain to go to school Diego’s mentor, Manuel Escalante recruits him into a secret society dedicated to fight all forms of injustice. This is the beginning of Diego’s secret alter ego, Zorro. Diego returns to California to reclaim his family’s estate that results in a breathtaking duel.

Throughout this charming portrait of Zorro, there are vibrant characterizations of real historic figures. Ms. Allende’s mastery in storytelling and interweaving magic, fiction, history, racial themes and alter egos is a testament to her brilliance.

This is an enchanting modern depiction of a famed legend.

a história contada por allende foge totalmente àquela que é a história original do zorro, escrita na década de 20, que oculta totalmente a infância e adolescência do nosso herói. fiquei reticente quanto a este livro, na medida em que conheço a obra de isabel allende num tom muito mais introspetivo e até filosófico, mas a obra logo me deixou presa.

em “zorro – o começo da Lenda”, a autora mostra-nos um lado seu aventureiro e fantástico, onde prevalecem duelos de espadas, lutas contra a injustiça e, principalmente, um amor de irmãos que ultrapassa qualquer outro romance presente no livro. recomendo muito.

«perguntava a si próprio como podiam ser tão diferentes e, contudo, gostarem tanto um do outro. enquanto a ele o destino lhe pesava nas costas, o irmão tinha a leveza de uma calhandra. Amália, que sabia decifrar os enigmas dos astros, dera-lhes uma explicação para as suas personalidades diferentes, embora tivesse nascido no mesmo sítio e na mesma semana. Diego era Gémeos e ele era Touro, o que determinava os seus temperamentos»

A fun, swashbuckling adventure story that imagines the youth of the hero, Zorro. I was unfamiliar with the different iterations of Zorro, and while I’ve heard the most comparisons to Robin Hood and Batman, I insisted on imagining I was reading about Puss in Boots’ youth. But beyond that, I enjoy stories that transport me to a different time or place, and Allende willingly takes me to the early 19th century and invites me on a sneak through Barcelona neighborhoods, on a trek along the Camino del Santiago, on a ship to New Orleans, and into the wilds of Alta California. Neat!

Ci sono due diversi stati d'animo con cui solitamente faccio una stroncatura.
C'è il sottile sadismo nel parlar male di qualcosa che ti ha fatto spendere inutilmente soldi e tempo e c'è invece il lieve malessere dovuto alla necessità di intaccare lo splendore dei cosiddetti "vecchi miti". Ecco, stavolta il mio disappunto riguarda proprio uno dei miei vecchi miti...
Ho cominciato ad apprezzare la letteratura sudamericana con Isabel Allende. Solitamente è un filone che si scopre cominciando da quel mostro sacro che è Gabriel Garcia Marquez, invece no, io ho iniziato da un libro prestatomi da una compagna di scuola, "La casa degli spiriti" della Allende.
Me ne sono subito innamorata. Adoro il binomio , tipico della letteratura latinoamericana, di realismo ed elementi fantastici intrecciati tra loro, il convivere di denuncia politica e atmosfere magiche. E allora li ho divorati tutti i libri della cara Isabel apprezzandoli tutti fino a quel struggente capolavoro che è Paula.
Poi qualcosa si spezza. Da Ritratto in seppia in poi, Isabel non è più la stessa. Non c'è ispirazione, non c'è rabbia, non c'è dolore nelle sue pagine.
Credo fossero questi due elementi a renderla grande: la rabbia per la sua condizione di cilena esiliata, il dolore per un paese sconfitto da una dittatura e quello terribile per la morte di una figlia.
Cosa rimane di una scrittura densa di immagini e di affascinanti personaggi femminili? Poco, forse niente.
Sentivamo la necessità di questo Zorro?
Il nuovo libro della Allende ripercorre gli anni precedenti alle vicende note di questo leggendario eroe. Sono gli anni dell' infanzia di Diego de la Vega e della sua adolescenza: il ragazzo cresce influenzato da due diversi mondi, quello del padre, un hidalgo spagnolo e quello di Toypurnia, la madre india.
Sono giorni passati insieme al muto Bernardo, quell'amico fraterno dalla presenza discreta, ma fondamentale.
La storia è praticamente un romanzo di formazione: il nostro protagonista, assistendo ai diversi soprusi compiuti verso i miserabili della società, affina una propria coscienza di giustizia fino a voler agire in prima persona tramite la spada e la maschera.
Ma come è raccontata la vicenda? La scrittura non sembra neanche quella della Isabel che ricordo. Scialba, noiosa e basata sui più vecchi stereotipi.
Durante le rocambolesche avventure dello spadaccino Zorro incontriamo "la bella" tipica di ogni romanzo di cappa e spada: è la solita fanciulla che sviene ad ogni emozione, è la solita ragazza affascinata dai romanzi rosa che non degna di uno sguardo l'eroe di turno.
E il cattivo? Sembra il malvagio dei cartoni animati, il personaggio cattivo e solo cattivo, quello che fa ogni nefandezza pur di conquistare la bella; in poche parole la caratterizzazione psicologica è ridotta a zero.
Incontriamo pure un affascinante pirata.. Anche lui sa di muffa, di già visto; è il solito bello e dannato. Noia. Noia in ogni pagina di questo romanzo, non c’è niente che mi abbia convinto fino in fondo: né la storia banale e prevedibile, né il protagonista insipido, né i personaggi secondari, tutti mancanti di originalità.
Mi spiace doverlo fare, ma sconsiglio di cuore questo Zorro: risparmiatevi questi 16 euro e cinquanta centesimi e andatevi piuttosto a recuperare i vecchi libri risalenti ai fasti di quella che era una grande scrittrice.

I recently read the original (I think) Zorro novel and wasn't very impressed. I remembered that I've seen that Isabel Allende had written a spin off/retailing and very quickly borrowed it from the library. It's a good book as I almost always enjoy Isabel Allende's writing and it certainly helped this time. I don't think I'm as intrigued by the Zorro story as I had thought. I watched a movie with Zorro growing up and loved it but years and more since then and I've most likely grown out of it. Still a very good story just not quite my thing

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