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Review
'A truly wonderful, magnificent novel. It is understanding, intelligent, compassionate ... If you were required to read only one book about Spain and its civil war, this should be that book' Allan Massie, Scotsman 'A classic novel ... about the filtration of war's tragedies through memory and myth' Independent 'Very few novels have the power to alter received opinion, but this marvellous book may well be one ... A remarkable book' Sunday Telegraph 'This is an important, fresh and original book ... Above all, it demonstrates how eloquent and exciting fiction is still capable of being' Irish Times
Alberto Manguel
'Ceras has succeeded, with one perfectly crafted book, in single-handedly redeeming the epic genre.'
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
39 of 40 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
In this unusual story of the Spanish Civil War, author Cercas experiments with the voice of his main character and with the form of this novel, which he describes as "a compressed tale except with real characters and situations, like a true tale." The unnamed speaker, a contemporary journalist in his forties, is investigating the story of Rafael Sanchez Mazas, a "good, not great" writer of the 1930s, who, in the final days of the Civil War (1936 - 1939) escaped a firing squad and lived to play a role in Franco's Nationalist government. The speaker believes that "forest friends" may have helped Sanchez Mazas survive the end-of-the-war turmoil, and he becomes obsessed with locating them, identifying the Popular front soldier who chose not to reveal Sanchez Mazas's whereabouts, and learning why they behaved as they did. As he investigates the story of Sanchez Mazas and the complex political alliances of the Civil War, the speaker realizes that he actually knows very little about this war, "not much more than I know about the battle of Salamis."
The speaker, who is obviously Javier Cercas himself, soon begins to expand the scope of his tale, investigating more than the verifiable facts about Sanchez Mazas and musing philosophically about the passage of time, the transcience of youth, the dubious legacy of war, and the nature of heroes. Wartime heroes live only as long as their friends remember them, and lives and memories are short: one must seize the moment and dance a paso doble in the time available.
The complex history of the Spanish Civil War in the first part of the novel is slow, full of unfamiliar names, places, and political alliances, but as the story of Sanchez Mazas unfolds, the reader gradually warms to the speaker's quest to learn everything he can about the incident in the forest. The scenes near the end of the book, set in a nursing home, are full of touching and emotional realizations, conveying powerful, universal messages about war and heroes from one generation to another (and to the reader) without being didactic. Cercas's style is honest and full of self-mockery, though some readers may be put off by his syntactically complex sentences, which are sometimes a page long. Focusing on what it means to be a hero, the novel is a tour de force in which the reader learns as much about the creative process of author Cercas as he does about the almost forgotten author Sanchez Mazas. Mary Whipple
24 of 31 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I hesitate to use the words "probably the best book I have ever read" butthis is probably one of the best books I have ever read. It is outstandingin every aspect -- use of language, construction, pace, insight. I have noway of ascertaining if the original Spanish is as good as the translationbut I cannot believe that such a superlative book was not writtensuperlatively well to begin with.
If you think, as I did, that the middle section drags slightly - stickwith it. There is a very good reason that is explained soon into the thirdand final part. You will be well rewarded if you do so.
Occasionally you read a book where the final sentence makes the hair onthe back of your neck stand up. The final page of Soldiers of Salamis didthat for me.
If you think, as I did, that the middle section drags slightly - stickwith it. There is a very good reason that is explained soon into the thirdand final part. You will be well rewarded if you do so.
Occasionally you read a book where the final sentence makes the hair onthe back of your neck stand up. The final page of Soldiers of Salamis didthat for me.
Format:Paperback
Unfortunately I found myself distracted from the story by the English translation and ended up reading the book in Spanish although my spanish is not good. On the positive side i used this book as a reference to help me when I was stuck.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
When is a novel not a novel?
I question whether 'Soldiers of Salamis' is actually a novel. Essentially it is an investigation - a factual account of the research into an historic event by a disillusioned... Read more
Published on 18 Oct 2007 by Michael J. Hunt
Soldiers of Salamis
Although this is a good and thoroughly absorbing book, Cercas' political bias is unfortunate. Predictably, by the end, the Falangist writer is portrayed as the amoral coward,... Read more
Published on 26 Dec 2004 by Mr. A. Burkhardt
Soldiers of Salamis
A moving story which ultimately shows that history can correct itself and that the true heroes of the hour receive recognition, all be it posthumously. Read more
Published on 16 Jun 2003 by "cfriel2002"
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