Swift as Desire - Laura Esquivel

An enchanting, bittersweet story, touched with graphic earthiness and wit; Esquivel shows us how keeping secrets will always lead to unhappiness, and how communication is the key to love.Instead of entering the world crying like other babies, Júbilo was born with a smile on his face. He had a gift for hearing what was in people's hearts, for listening to sand dunes sing and insects whisper. Even as a young boy, acting as an interpreter between his warring Mayan grandmother and his Spanish-speaking mother, he would translate words of spite into words of respect, so that their mutual hatred turned to love. When he grew up, he put his gift to good use in his job as a humble telegraph operator. But now the telegraph lies abandoned, obsolete as a form of communication in the electronic age, and don Júbilo is on his deathbed, mute and estranged from his beloved wife, Lucha, who refuses to speak to him. What tragic event has come between two such sensuous, loving people to cause their seemingly irreparable rift? What mystery lies behind the death of the son no one ever mentions? Can their daughter bring reconciliation to her parents before it is too late, by acting as an interpreter between them, just as Júbilo used to do for other people? Swift as Desire is Laura Esquivel's loving tribute to her father, who worked his own lifelong magic as a telegraph operator. In this enchanting, bittersweet story, touched with graphic earthiness and wit, she shows us how keeping secrets will always lead to unhappiness, and how communication is the key to love.

Published: 2002-08-27 (Anchor)

ISBN: 9780385721516

Language: English

Format: Paperback, 208 pages

Goodreads' rating: -

Genres

European Literature Magical Realism Historical Fiction Fiction Romance Spanish Literature Historical

Reviews

Filbert rated it

There were some really interesting turns of phrase in this book. I really admire when a translation can be melodic, poetic, and powerful.Many people have said that this book isn't as good as "Like Water for Chocolate," but I don't care to make a comparison. I liked this book. That's enough for me.I think one thing about this book that threw me for a loop, though, was the part where Jùblio's grandmother, Itzel (a Mexican of Mayan descent), forms a dislike for her daughter-in-law based on the fact that she is "white" (a Mexican of Spanish descent.) I literally blinked and furrowed by brow. Pardon me? What a surprise! I guess race is very subjective. I wonder if Spaniards consider themselves "white"? I can say with some confidence that I doubt any Americans would say that a Mexican, whether Spanish or not, was caucasian. It sparked this whole racial debate in my head that went on for weeks after I'd finished the book. I think my Mohawk friend, Jessica, would be a good person to discuss that with!Anyway, a fine read. I hope that the next reader is pleased with it, too.

Georgianne rated it

Una historia contada en dos temporalidades distintas, la primera en presente, narrada en primera persona, y la segunda en pasado, narrada en tercera persona.Aunque es una historia de amor, el protagonista es Júbilo y las personas que lo rodean, contando desde su nacimiento a su muerte.Una trama triste, que te hace reflexionar acerca de que los factores externos siempre pueden dar "al traste" una relación amorosa independientemente de lo fuerte o intensa que ésta sea.Al final como conclusión queda, que lo único que dejas al mundo es lo que la gente recuerda de ti y nada más.

Coop rated it

Rendi-me a este livro, pela simples razão de que, à medida que avançava na sua leitura, já me tinha dado uma pequena razão para eu tirar uma lição dele, e no final conseguiu-me derreter por completo.Uma das lições que podemos apreender deste livro, e a que primeiramente me captou a atenção, é que o dinheiro não é tudo na vida. Lucha, menina criada numa família rica, vê-se incapacitada de comprar tudo aquilo que quer após o seu casamento com Júbilo. A vida a dois implica terem que fazer gastos noutras coisas, mas para Lucha é algo que se revela verdadeiramente difícil. Entre zangas, amassos, beijos, amuos, o verdadeiro amor vem sempre ao de cima. Duas personagens apaixonantes encarregam-se de nos mostrar isso mesmo. Há que compreender o lado de Lucha e o lado de Júbilo. É fácil, e ao mesmo tempo completamente impossível. Aconselho a lerem e a encontrarem a pequenas lições que o livro nos transmite.Vai ser fácil encontrarem-nas, elas estão lá.