BOOK REVIEW THE WONDERS Author: Elena Medel From the reader report by: Kazumi Uno Many works of literature in Japan and other countries communicate the voices of ordinary woman. However, works translated from Spanish are extremely rare. This long-awaited book finally fills this gap. Within a year of release, the translation rights were sold for 11 different languages in countries like the UK, US and France. This testifies to the universal appeal of this tale about women living in contemporary Spain. Though the two protagonists of the book meet understanding partners, they still need to carefully consider their own roles in life and how to live without contributing to the current system of male dominance. The book cast doubts on the pre-existing concepts of female happiness and it strikes a contemporary tone by showing the protagonists forging their own paths while overcoming loneliness. Medel is also a poet and her writing has a warm, clear, emotional persuasiveness that doesn’t feel polemical or overly sentimental. The protagonists don’t have monumental or glorious careers; they are ordinary people, but the book still pulls readers into their lives. It will definitely appeal to Japanese readers too.
PUBLISHED IN NEW SPANISH BOOKS DE
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