Meiteni sakož ar trakumsērgu inficēts suns, bet viņa nemirst no trakumsērgas!!! Acīmredzami ar dēmoniem apsēstā meitene izraisa bardaku ciemata iedzīvotaju un Baznīcas kalpu dzīvēs!

Grāmata par ļoti nelaimīgiem cilvēkiem.

Bīskapa padomi par saules aptumsuma skatīšanos:
"You must look with only one eye! If not, you run the risk of loosing both."

Katru reizi, kad pavīd kāda saprāta dzirksts kādā no varoņiem, zini, tūlīt viss saies grīstē 2x trakāk.

Gabriel Garcia Marquez takes advantage of this novel to denounce certain practices of the Catholic Church throughout history.
The lack of medical knowledge made people victims of certain disorders possessed by evil.
Then followed them for their long descent into suffering.

"Κάποιες φορές αποδίδουμε στο δαιμόνιο πράγματα που δεν καταλαβαίνουμε , δίχως να σκεφτούμε πως μπορεί αυτά που δεν καταλαβαίνουμε να είναι του Θεού"

"Δεν υπάρχει φάρμακο που να γιατρεύει αυτό που δε γιατρεύει η ευτυχία"

"Κανείς τρελός δεν είναι τρελός αν συμμορφωθείς με τη λογική του"

"Δεν είμαι παρά ένα πολυπόθητο θήραμα στην κυνηγετική περιοχή της Ιεράς Εξέτασης"

This is my first from this author, and although I didn't love it, I will definitely be reading more from him in the future. Reading some of the reviews, I get the impression that this is not his most famous or popular work, so I'm quite looking forward to doing more research into his other works.

The story, I thought was a simple one, and I found a lot took place, in a small amount of pages. This worked out well, but I also think this story could have been fleshed out even more.

I really appreciated the writing style. It flowed amicably and it was a delight to read. I realise this story was ultimately a tragic one, but it didn't hit me as hard as I would have liked. The story didn't go deep enough.

Overall, I enjoyed this book, and I will definitely be on the lookout for more from Gabriel García Márquez.

Маркес - прекрасный писатель, с образным, красивым языком, неистощимой фантазией и толикой магии в жизнях персонажей. Но именно это произведение не оставило того впечатления, которого я ждала. Средневековые темные нравы, порожденные страхом перед Святой Инквизицией, неграмотностью - это большая беда, но предпосылками развернувшейся трагедии была всё-таки родительская нелюбовь и невнимание. Как можно отдалиться от ребенка настолько, чтобы их дочь воспитывали рабы на кухне, попутно приучая ее к верованиям, языку и традициям их родин в Африке? Полнейшее равнодушие было и в момент укуса бешеной собаки. Мать погрязла в чревоугодии и любовных утехах, отец опомнился, но всей его "любви" хватило, чтобы отправить бедняжку в монастырь, где условия ее содержания соответствовали тюремным. Маркес называет любовью сексуальные игры 36-летнего экзорциста Каэтано Делауро с 12-летней Марией Анхелой, но, если это была любовь, почему же он предпочитал любовные утехи побегу, ведь он беспрепятственно много раз проникал в ее келью через подземный лаз, и этим же туннелем успешно воспользовалась старая Мартина. Были какие-то оправдания, что он освободит ее от заточения законным способом, но ему ли не знать цепкости инквизиции? История предсказуемо кончается трагически, поскольку все действия Каэтано были вялыми, маркиз также бездействовал, лёжа в гамаке в апельсиновом саду. Больше никто о судьбе Марии Анхелы не заботился.
"— Поговорите с Абренунсио, — сказал маркиз. — Он с самого начала говорил, что она не больна и, как ученый-медик, может подтвердить диагноз."
Так говорит отец, даже не попытавшийся спасти дочь от инквизиции
"Было ясно, что ни эти доводы, ни диагноз Абренунсио никого не переубедят, тем более если оба они выступили бы солидарно.
— Нам вдвоем пришлось бы противостоять всему миру, — сказал Делауро."
Если он уверен в бесполезности сопротивления инквизиции, то ему следовало озаботиться побегом, не тратя драгоценного времени на то, чтобы узнать и так известное всем.
"Абренунсио посоветовал плюнуть на запрет.
— Вы должны знать уязвимые места нашего вице-королевства и понимать, что законы исполняются здесь не более трех дней." Выходит, что предписания инквизиции не так строго исполнялись? Тогда пассивность Каэтано подтверждает, что не было в нем любви.

"Каэтано тоже мечтал о свободе, но на бегство надежд не возлагал. Он больше верил в законный путь освобождения. Верил в то, что маркиз добьется неоспоримого признания духовного и физического здоровья дочери; в то, что сам он заслужит прощение епископа и получит разрешение удалиться в мир, где браки клириков и монахов не воспринимаются как нечто ужасное. "
То Делауро говорит о том, что ему и Абренунсио пришлось бы противостоять всему миру, то он верит в справедливость.
"— Вы исповедуете религию загробной жизни, которая дает вам счастье и силы презреть смерть, — сказал медик. — Я — нет. Считаю, что самое важное — остаться в живых и жить."
Снова противоречие. Если бы он считал самым важным остаться в живых и жить, то у него для этого было ровно столько возможностей, сколько он пользовался туннелем.
Маркес правдиво раскрывает болезненные страницы истории колонизации Америки и ужасы рабовладения, умело сочетая с фольклорными мотивами насильно вывезенных в качестве рабов представителей народов Африки, коренных американских и колонизаторских испанских, образуя замысловатый культурный синтез.

Напоминаю, что мои оценки не являются оценкой величия произведения, а лишь субъективное впечатление в категориях "нравится/не нравится". Три звёзды означает "что-то понравилось, что-то не понравилось", и не более того.

This is perhaps the most disturbing love story that I've ever read. EVER. But that's what makes it so hauntingly great.

I have slowly been working through Gabriel Garcia Marquez's books, and I've yet to be disappointed by his work. This is such a fascinating tragic tale of love that it completely supersedes Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet in my opinion.

A tale that brings to question love, faith, parenthood and so much more. You have a young girl, thought to be demonic and possessed, who was bitten by a dog and said to have rabies, then the atheist doctor who believes there is nothing wrong with the girl, the neglectful parents and down on his luck father who decides to put his faith in the church, the conflicted priest who falls in love with the girl, the savage nuns, and the rebellious slaves all play a part in this tragedy.

I don't want to go into it so much because it is a short story and the experience of reading it should not be altered by my retelling of it, but I do highly recommend this book. Gabriel Garcia Marquez shines in this book.

"There has been no greater tale of woe than that of Sierva Maria and her Cayetano..."

Cuanto más transparente es la escritura más se ve la poesía.

¡Que increíble libro! Estoy tan sorprendida. García Márquez es un novelista altamente reconocido alrededor del mundo y, como latinoamericana, es imposible no leerlo. Él es el tipo de autor que nos mandan a leer en las escuelas y colegios y como resultado he leído Crónicas de una muerte anunciada y El amor en los tiempos del cólera. Ambos libros estuvieron, en su mayoría, bien, sin embargo, Gabriel García Márquez finalmente me ha ganado con Del amor y otros demonios

Este libro es corto comparado con otras obras suyas, pero sin duda el mejor. Me gustado muchísimo y puede ser que tenga que ver con mi edad (y madurez) actual. Siento que en el pasado no disfruté a Márquez porque se me hacía imposible disfrutar de ese tipo de literatura. Es característico de él usar pocos diálogos y abundantes descripciones, precisamente, lo que me pudo parecer tedioso en el pasado me ha parecido la mejor parte ahora.

Con este libro he disfrutado de absolutamente todo, me han encantado los personajes, el tiempo, el espacio, la descripción del escenario y como un plus está el rico léxico que utiliza Márquez. Sin duda lo que más he disfrutado son los diálogos. Hay una pequeña cantidad de diálogos a lo largo de la novela, lo que ha generado que cada uno sea especial.

No hay medicina que cure lo que no cura la felicidad.

En fin, lo recomiendo muchísimo.

Of Love and Other Demons is a beautiful work of magic realism. With the lyrical descriptions, the wonderful recreating of times past and a wonderful narrative, it is a really enjoyable read. The prose is very powerful and the story draws you in. There is something quite enchanting about this book. The narrative and the style of writing go so well together. There is something natural but also mystical about this novel, and this combination somehow really works. From one side you have a feeling you see things as they are, without embellishments, but you also have this feeling that nothing is certain, that things may not be what they seem. An absolutely fascinating book.

I read this novel quite a few years ago. I remember I had read it without pausing. It starts kind of slow but it does have a way of making you feel inside of the story. Once things do start happening, you'll probably find yourself completely immersed in the story. Was there anything I didn't like? Actually, there were a few things that bugged me. As much as I admired the beauty of its writing, some things about this book frustrated me a little.

The characterization is not perfect, I'd have to say. There are many memorable characters but somehow they are never in the focus, something like fairy-tale characters. Maybe that is supposed to be like that, maybe that is what gives the novel its ambiguity and beauty. However, it stopped me from connecting with the characters. Still, I have to say that my favorite character was Abrenuncio.

One thing that troubled me was paradoxically the portrait of the character that is the center of the novel- Sirva Maria. I didn't think it was very credible. I mean cared for the story of her life, that is as the novel itself, sad, tragic and full of some delicate beauty. However, she as a character is just inscrutable. I know this is a work of magic realism, but still.

Who would buy the idea of traumatized 12 year girl falling desperately in love with a 35 year old priest? She is supposed to be raised by the slaves (that is why they suspect she is possessed- they don't understand that she has just identified with a culture they don't care to know or understand) but then suddenly she recites sonnets and behaves like a love crazed Renaissance maiden. It doesn't make sense for her to recite sonnets if she was raised with little or no education, does it. Again I repeat, she is twelve! She is a mere child.

Even for magical realism, some things were taken a bit too far. I wish the heroine of the novel was a bit older, the book would made much more sense that way. To conclude, this is a beautiful novel but it has its paradoxes and controversies. Nevertheless, the writing is beautiful and poetic. On the whole, I really enjoyed. Marquez is a wonderful writer.

Quantas vezes já peguei nas obras de Márquez e as pus de lado... E das que li não me fiz muito amiga. Pensei sempre: o realismo mágico não é coisa para mim. Gosto, sim, vá lá, mas não adoro. Depois, entendiada, sem saber que ler, resolvi pegar neste volume, que me chegou às mãos numa das minhas muito adoradas trocas de livros, e o Márquez arrebatou-me!
De prosa sempre dura, sempre terra a terra, dorida e vivida, continuo da opinião que o escritor é mestre a pintar a morte, mas a vida? No entanto, este livro é cheio dela - de vida - e da costumeira dor que a acompanha.

E começa:
"Não eram poucos nem sem importância os casos de raiva na história da cidade. O que deu mais brado foi o de um bufarinheiro que andava pelos caminhos com um macaco amestrado, cujos modos pouco se destinguiam dos humanos. O animal contraiu a raiva durante o cerco naval dos Ingleses, mordeu o dono na cara e fugiu para os montes vizinhos. O infeliz saltimbanco foi morto com um garrote no meio de pavorosas alucinações, que as mães continuavam a cantar muitos anos mais tarde em versos populares para assustar as crianças. Menos de duas semanas depois, uma horda de macacos diabólicos desceu dos montes em pleno dia. Fizeram estragos em pocilgas e galinheiros e irromperam pela catedral dentro, uivando e afogando-se em espuma sanguinolenta quando se estava a celebrar o Te Deum pela derrota da frota inglesa. No entanto, os dramas mais terríveis não passa vam à história porque ocorriam entre a população negra, que escondia os mordidos nas cercas de escravos fugitivos, para serem tratados com magias africanas."
18/19

Da oposição destes dois mundos (tão antagónicos, parece) é de onde Márquez fará nascer a história de um inexperiente padre, Delaura, e sua visceral paixão por uma jovem mestiça, possessa do demónio (ou não), Sierva Maria. Basta que o ambiente seja inquisitorial e os homens os receptáculos esponjosos e sem espinha que normalmente são para que, apesar do lógico, o veredicto seja apenas um:

"...os três idiomas africanos de Sierva Maria, tão diferentes do espanhol e do português, não tinham de forma nenhuma a carga satânica que Ihes era atribuída no convento. Havia numerosos testemunhos de que tinha uma força física invulgar, mas nenhum de que isso fosse um poder sobrenatural. Também ninguém conseguira provar nenhum acto de levitação ou de adivinhação do futuro, dois fenómenos que poderiam servir também como provas secundárias de santidade. No entanto, Delaura procurara o apoio de insignes confrades, mesmo de outras comunidades, e nenhum se atrevera a pronunciar-se contra as actas do convento nem a contrariar a credulidade popular."
119

[Se a dúvida persistiu: a moça está possuída, dizem.]

Maravilhosamente, Márquez traça todo um paralelismo entre conceitos como civilizado e incivilizado, sacro e profano, vida e morte, amor... E com que fará ele o paralelismo com este último? Isso é coisa em que ainda fico a pensar.

No entanto, não há dúvida de que Márquez reconhece que o amor está tão perto daquilo que se apelida de sacrilégio que dói:

"Delaura tinha consciência da sua falta de habilidade para se entender com mulheres. Pareciam-lhe dotadas de um uso da razão único para navegarem sem problemas por entre os acasos da realidade. A simples ideia de um encontro, mesmo com uma criança indefesa como Sierva Maria, fazia-lhe gelar o suor das mãos."
81

E pronto, lá vamos nós no corrupio de consumpção de duas almas cujo amor proibido é tanto maleita como cura:

"Cayetano agarrou na mão de Sierva Maria e colocou-a sobre o coração. Ela sentiu lá dentro a intensidade da sua tempestade.
-Estou sempre assim - disse ele.
E sem lhe dar tempo a sentir pânico, libertou-se da matéria podre que o impedia de viver. Confessou-lhe que não passava um momento sem pensar nela, que tudo o que comia e bebia tinha o sabor dela, que a vida era ela a toda a hora e em todos os lugares, como apenas Deus tinha o direito e o poder de ser, e que o prazer supremo do seu coração seria morrer com ela. Continuou a falar sem a olhar, com a mesma facilidade e calor com que recitava, até que teve a impressão de que Sierva Maria tinha adormecido. Mas estava bem acordada, fixos nele os olhos de corça assustada. Apenas se atreveu a perguntar:
- E agora?
- Agora, nada - respondeu ele. - Basta-me que o saibas."
129

Talvez no fim a felicidade seja apenas uma convenção social. Temos, creio, a fortuna de viver tempos que a procuram mais do que a afastam como se de uma praga se tratasse, e Márquez agarra-se a essa ideia afincadamente.

"Não há remédio que cure o que a felicidade não curar."

Parece que ganhou mais uma fã. Finalmente!

Τι να πω για τη γραφή του;! Είναι καθηλωτική, μαγευτική και ταξιδιάρικη!

'He had no room in his heart for anything but Sierva María, and even so it was not large enough to hold her. He was convinced that no oceans or mountains, no laws of earth or heaven, no powers of hell could keep them apart'


Another enchanting tale from the Colombian maestro of magic realism that - as soon as Father Cayetano Delaura started reciting sonnets to twelve-year-old Sierva María, laying side by side with her - got me thinking of a certain Nabokov novel. Only here the girl in question sweats with the smell of onions, likes to slit the throats of goats and eat their eyes and testicles in hot spices, and has demonic episodes that could have come straight out of William Friedkin's The Exorcist. Could it be though that the real demons of the story are not those raging away inside Sierva María?


This is not just a simple story of their thwarted love, but a broader horizon of themes that sees a battle of good vs evil; god vs the devil, barbarous cures, ethnic contrasts, the boundaries separating life and death, wealth and power; masters and servants. All crammed into 150 pages that felt twice as long. Marquez handles the whole thing with great dignity, and highlights the strength of one's spirit is what remains when such intangible forces as love and power colide. At once terrifiying, bittersweet, uncomfortable, and also somehow comic, six novels down; plus a collection of short-stories, and it's only really Memories of My Melancholy Whores that I didn't get on with.

Once again here he showcases his astonishing ability to wallop the reader with a mixture of realism and truths, dreamlike moments and otherworldliness.

خلاصة
الشخصيات: ٥/٤
الأحداث والحبكة: ٥/٣
الأجواء: ٥/٤.٥
أفكار الرواية: الصراع بين العلم والجهل/التزمت الديني،تأثير فتور العلاقة بين الزوجين على سلوك الطفل، العلاقة العاطفية البريئة التي يتم تجريمها من قبل المجتمع...
تستحق القراءة: نعم
تحفة أدبية: لا ترقى إلى هذا المستوى
ملاحظة: مما أضعف الرواية اختصار الكاتب لبعض اللحظات الدرامية أو المثيرة رغم أسهابه في مواضع أخرى