A few days ago it fell into my hands "The charm", the first novel by Susana Lopez Rubio. The name of this author may not sound familiar to you, but she has previously written two children's books "The best family in the world" y "Martín in the world of lost things". Has also been screenwriter in such important and well-known series as «Central Hospital», «Physics or Chemistry» o «Policemen» among others.
Now he has wanted to try his luck with the narrative genre and he does it with this novel set in Havana of the 50 years. Love, desire, feeling of guilt, are some of the feelings and emotions that emerge in the book written in two voices: that of Patricio and Gloria. But if you want to read his synopsis, the more technical data of the book and know a little more about his characters, keep reading a little further down.
Synopsis
1947. In the port of Havana, Patricio disembarks, a young Asturian with no other heritage than his desire to take over the world and with no other desire than to leave behind a mining village still shrouded in the shadows of an endless postwar period.
A bright and hospitable city comes out to meet him. A city that never sleeps, with its own rhythm. He soon makes friends and immediately finds work at El Encanto, the department store that is a symbol and the pride of the city. Little by little, with wit and sympathy, Patricio begins to rise and occupy positions of more responsibility that open up a new world but that also provoke many envies.
El Encanto will also be the setting for his meeting with Gloria, one of the most beautiful and undoubtedly forbidden women on the island, since her husband is the most dangerous gangster in Havana, a place that the North American mafia has turned in your private paradise.
Technical data of the book
- Publication date: April 27th 2017
- Editorial: sword
- ISBN: 978-84-670-4973-2 / 10180045
- Number of pages: 448
- Format: Hardcover with dust jacket
- Price: $19,90
Some characters
It is not a matter of revealing the book 100%, it would lose its magic ... But we do want to name the most important characters in the book and tell you a little about them.
- Patrick: At the beginning of the novel, this young Asturian is 19 years old. He emigrates to Cuba, tired of the reprisals and deprivations of the Spanish postwar period. His first two friends in the country are Guzmán and El Grescas, later he will meet Aquilino Entrialgo, one of the founding partners of the El Encanto stores.
- Nelly: She is one of the elevator operators at the mall: smiling, funny, friendly… She begins to be friends with Patricio, but over time, the feeling grows towards something else.
- Gloria: Girl with a sad and very beautiful look, wife of the most dangerous gangster in Havana, César Valdés. He is 20 years old and has a daughter, Daniela.
We in Actualidad Literatura, We are currently engrossed in reading it and we will have a review of it very soon, with much more detail.
I just finished the book, I had been devouring it for days. That sway of emotions and feelings, with my heart in my fist… I don't want to reveal anything, but the end has made me cry like a book has not made me feel for a long time. Hook from the first moment.
I recommend it, I couldn't stop reading, I had fun, it made me think and I cried.
Hooked is little. I recommend it.
I was at the book fair and it was love at first sight. El Encanto not only hooked me from the first word, it also filled my heart with a lot of emotions. It had been a long time since I came across a novel so now any novel of the same genre that I read will be difficult to make me feel what it made me feel. I recommend it 100%.
It is a simple story, well told. The characters are endearing and you want to go home to continue reading. He abuses Cubanisms and they are not always used correctly. It uses current Cuban slang words that did not exist at that time and that are not used by women, much less upper class as the main character. That is shocking. Otherwise I recommend it.
I'm reading the book and I find it entertaining but you have to do your homework because it squeaks me to read Sidriña that word is not Asturian