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Review
‘A lyrical, haunting story about three generations of an extraordinary family, and an evocative tribute to the endurance of women and the spirit of poetry’
Diana Gabaldon
‘Dense and lush, filled with lyrical storytelling’
Kirkus Reviews
'Deeply engrossing…This novel makes us ponder the struggles of our own grandmothers, mothers, and daughters, and gives us the compassion to recognize that the links between us are deeper than the differences. A fierce, wise, and tender tale'
Anita Amirrezvani, author of The Blood of Flowers
'An incantatory debut…This visionary book beautifully, bravely breaks open all the old secrets'
Elle
'De Robertis is a skilled storyteller, but it is her use of language-from the precision of poetry to the sensuality of sex-that makes this literary debut so exceptional'
Michele Leber, Booklist (starred review)
Review
`Dense and lush, filled with lyrical storytelling'
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I have read very few books set in South America, so I jumped at the chance to read Invisible Mountains which is set in both Uruguay and Argentina.
The book follows three generations of women and begins in rural Uruguay at the dawn of the twentieth century. Each of the women has to deal with a different set of problems, but the main theme of the book seems to be freedom; whether this is simply freedom within the home, or the greater, more brutal lack of freedom imposed by governments.
The book is beautifully written, balancing poetic prose with Spanish words, so giving an authentic atmosphere which perfectly captures the lives of these women. Each character is vividly drawn and I loved them all, so felt their pain whenever they had difficult circumstances to to deal with.
Although it felt more like three short stories, connected only by the link of motherhood, it was great for me to be able to see the changes taking place in these countries over the century. I'm ashamed to admit that I know nothing about the history of South America, and so although this book added greatly to my knowledge, it also left me hungry for more. I found myself searching the Internet for more information about the politics of this time-period, something I am rarely inspired to do while reading a book and just shows the effect this book had on me.
The Invisible Mountain is a really good book, which is both thought-provoking and shocking, but with some gentle, tender moments. It has many similarities to A Thousand Splendid Suns, but I found The Invisible Mountain to be the better written of the two.
Highly recommended, especially to people who like reading about different countries and cultures.
The book follows three generations of women and begins in rural Uruguay at the dawn of the twentieth century. Each of the women has to deal with a different set of problems, but the main theme of the book seems to be freedom; whether this is simply freedom within the home, or the greater, more brutal lack of freedom imposed by governments.
The book is beautifully written, balancing poetic prose with Spanish words, so giving an authentic atmosphere which perfectly captures the lives of these women. Each character is vividly drawn and I loved them all, so felt their pain whenever they had difficult circumstances to to deal with.
Although it felt more like three short stories, connected only by the link of motherhood, it was great for me to be able to see the changes taking place in these countries over the century. I'm ashamed to admit that I know nothing about the history of South America, and so although this book added greatly to my knowledge, it also left me hungry for more. I found myself searching the Internet for more information about the politics of this time-period, something I am rarely inspired to do while reading a book and just shows the effect this book had on me.
The Invisible Mountain is a really good book, which is both thought-provoking and shocking, but with some gentle, tender moments. It has many similarities to A Thousand Splendid Suns, but I found The Invisible Mountain to be the better written of the two.
Highly recommended, especially to people who like reading about different countries and cultures.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Vine™ Review
(What's this?)
"The Invisible Moutain," the debut novel by Carolina De Robertis tells the story chronologically of three generations of the Firielli family: Pajarita, Eva and Salomé. The novel begins in Tacuarembo, Uruguay and takes place across South America, from Montevideo, Uruguay to Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Although the story is told through the lives of 3 women it actually tells the story of many lives and really captures the essence of Latin America and simultaneously provides an education on the modern history of South America, particularly Uruguay, for the reader. Throughout the novel the main themes are empowerment, change and family. However, there are some brutal and shocking aspects to the story and elements of abuse, violence and war provide a sharp political contrast to the poetry and beauty of the lives of the women.
The language is carefully thought out, combining English with Spanish phrases to encompass the thoughts, emotions and atmosphere of South America throughout the 20th Century. De Robertis is an accomplished writer and she really paints a vivid picture of the lives of the women in the story. My only negative is that it was a little slow to begin with and it took me a little while to get into the story, however once Pajarita visited the circus I was hooked. Highly recommended.
Although the story is told through the lives of 3 women it actually tells the story of many lives and really captures the essence of Latin America and simultaneously provides an education on the modern history of South America, particularly Uruguay, for the reader. Throughout the novel the main themes are empowerment, change and family. However, there are some brutal and shocking aspects to the story and elements of abuse, violence and war provide a sharp political contrast to the poetry and beauty of the lives of the women.
The language is carefully thought out, combining English with Spanish phrases to encompass the thoughts, emotions and atmosphere of South America throughout the 20th Century. De Robertis is an accomplished writer and she really paints a vivid picture of the lives of the women in the story. My only negative is that it was a little slow to begin with and it took me a little while to get into the story, however once Pajarita visited the circus I was hooked. Highly recommended.
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Vine™ Review
(What's this?)
Three generations of a family and their struggle for emancipation - this book, at times poetic and magical, at others dark and bewildering, is masterfully written. Dealing with the lives of three women in the same family, the book documents their lives and struggles with issues such as domestic and childhood abuse, social class, women's rights and political freedom.
As the generations move from one to the next, the issues they face change too, as does the cities in which the action takes place. Montevideo changes and grows with the passing of the years, from rural to town, and so too do the issues facing these three remarkable women. Pajarita struggles initially with domestic abuse at the hands of her husband who leaves her and her three children with nothing. She emancipates herself, in effect setting up her own business to provide for her family. Eva (Pajarita's daughter) faces childhood abuse at the hands of her employer and is disowned by her father. She later struggles with the confines of social class as she constantly aims for better. Salomé (Eva's daughter) becomes a guerilla fighter and struggles with the pressures of politics and being a political prisoner.
These stories are engaging and thought-provoking, and draw the reader in to a different world. The frightening reality of the book is brought home with names such as Evita Peron, Che Guevara and Fidel Castro.
A great read from cover-to-cover, but not without its controversies.
As the generations move from one to the next, the issues they face change too, as does the cities in which the action takes place. Montevideo changes and grows with the passing of the years, from rural to town, and so too do the issues facing these three remarkable women. Pajarita struggles initially with domestic abuse at the hands of her husband who leaves her and her three children with nothing. She emancipates herself, in effect setting up her own business to provide for her family. Eva (Pajarita's daughter) faces childhood abuse at the hands of her employer and is disowned by her father. She later struggles with the confines of social class as she constantly aims for better. Salomé (Eva's daughter) becomes a guerilla fighter and struggles with the pressures of politics and being a political prisoner.
These stories are engaging and thought-provoking, and draw the reader in to a different world. The frightening reality of the book is brought home with names such as Evita Peron, Che Guevara and Fidel Castro.
A great read from cover-to-cover, but not without its controversies.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
So close to being amazing.
Part of me really loved this book beyond the rating I gave it, but the issues I had with small parts of it just won't go away. Read more
Published 13 months ago by sunnycouger
The Invisible Mountain
I love South America and was really looking forward to reading this book - and I am happy to see it lived up to my expectations! Read more
Published on 19 Feb 2010 by Clare
got bored
This book starts very well, but really really drags in the middle section. I almost didnt finish it. Not really worth a read.
Published on 16 Nov 2009 by S. Paterson
Fabulous tale of a city and a family
This tale of 3 generations of women set in Montevideo and Argentina spans the 20th century and gives a vivid picture of ordinary life in South America during those infamous years... Read more
Published on 16 Oct 2009 by A. J. Gauld
Maybe not my cup of tea.....
I found the book hard to get into as it isn't the sort of book I would normally read and gave up before the end ofthe first chapter. Read more
Published on 11 Sep 2009 by ArrGee
Great read
I don't feel I can add to the other reviews this book has received, its a great read following three generations of strong women through their own battles set within the background... Read more
Published on 10 Sep 2009 by N. Gratton
Highly commendable tale of three women of character
This novel is really three intertwined short stories which share a family - (grandmother, daughter and grand-daughter who live the majority of their lives in the same house) and a... Read more
Published on 3 Sep 2009 by Elizabeth Taylor
Tale of Three Strong Uruguayan women
The author, de Robertis, is the daughter of Uruguayan exiles and her knowledge and love of South America shines through. Read more
Published on 22 Aug 2009 by Richard M. Seel
A fantastic read, your are just swept along with it
I have no qualms about giving this book a full 5 stars. Just fantastic.
I will not recap the story as this can be a spoiler for future readers. Read more
I will not recap the story as this can be a spoiler for future readers. Read more
Published on 6 Aug 2009 by L. mckay
An insightful and hard to put down book!
A powerful novel and beautifully written! This book gives you a real insight into the hard times in South America. Read more
Published on 5 Aug 2009 by Mr. S. Jeyes
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