Book Description
One of history's most enigmatic women tells the haunting, passionate story of her tumultuous life. Juana of Castile is just thirteen when she witnesses the fall of Moorish Granada and uniting of the fractured kingdoms of Spain under her warrior parents, Isabel and Fernando. Intelligent and beautiful, proud of her heritage, Juana rebels against her fate when she is chosen as a bride for the Hapsburg heir - until she arrives in Flanders and comes face-to-face with the prince known as Philip the Fair, a man who will bring her the greatest of passions, and the darkest despair. One by one, tragedy decimates Juana's family in Spain. Suddenly, she finds herself heiress to Castile - a realm on the verge of chaos, prey to avaracious nobles and scheming lords bent on thwarting her rule. Juana vows to win her throne, until the betrayal of those she loves plunges her into a ruthless battle of wills - a struggle of corruption, perfidy, and heart-shattering deceit that could cost her the crown, her freedom, and her very life. From the somber majesty of Renaissance Spain to the glittering courts of Flanders, France and Tudor England, Juana of Castile reveals her life and secrets in this captivating historical novel of romance, grandeur, power and treachery by the acclaimed author of "The Secret Lion." "An exquisite evocation of a dangerous era, and of a forgotten queen." - Holly Payne, author of THE VIRGIN'S KNOT
Customer Reviews:
Little Known Story Comes To Light.......2007-08-03
Gortner's fascinating novel on Juana, the Infanta of Castile, illuminates a character in history I knew very little about. I approached this book originally with trepidation. The cover seems a little second-rate, and I hate to say I judge a book by it's cover, but I will admit that I as a little hesitant. But from the first page the story grips you, and the reader is shocked and horrified to learn how terribly Juana was treated by her family, literally being locked into a tower and parted from from her children. The book isn't a pick-me-up, but it's an illuminating insight into a woman a previously nothing about.
Another Juana La Loca.......2007-03-24
Although I have always been keenly interested by the intriguing personality of Juana La Loca, I was disappointed by this book. The author does try a new perspective and keeps some `surprises' till the end, but this autobiography just didn't feel like the real Juana la Loca.
The questions for children at the end worried me, too, because the book is definitely NOT historically accurate.
A Life Beyond Endurance.......2007-03-04
Reading books like this make you realize how lucky you are not to have been born a princess in 1400's Europe. In this novel about Juana of Castille - the second daughter of Ferdinand, King of Aragon, and Isabella, Queen of Castile - Gortner allows you to witness the delicate balance of power and impotence that marked Juana's life. Married off to Philip the Handsome at a young age, her life was continually marked by the power she could potentially wield and the control men had over her. Although she eventually became heir to the Crown of Spain, her husband and father never allowed her to claim her throne. Her once passionate marriage to Philip transformed into one marred by his thirst for power, and even turned abusive when he began spreading rumors about her "madness" in order to justify keeping her locked up. Indeed, her own father and son used the madness card to imprison her in the tower of Torsedillas for fifty-five years, until her death in 1555. Gortner takes some liberties with the storyline, changing for instance, the method of Phillip's death, but his modifications add depth to the story and in the afterword he fully admits he took liberties with Juana's history. He also gave Juana the benefit of the doubt when it came to questions of her sanity. While many historians believe she suffered from schizophrenia, Gortner gives us a woman whose life pushed her to the brink of human endurance and sanity.
No fairy tale - this Princess was locked in a tower in a distant fortress... .......2007-03-01
Author C.W. Gortner's chilling novel based on the life of Juana, Infanta of Castile relays a story of a Princess who literally was locked in a tower, betrayed by her family, separated from her children and pushed into the darkest shadows of history. Unfortunately, there is no Disney ending with a dramatic rescue and true love.
Juana is surrounded by men who resent her mother's iron will and ability to rule, and who do not believe women, even royal ones, to be of any worth beyond bedding, breeding, and bringing access to territories. In this environment, young willful Juana is married to Philip the Fair of Hapsburg, a political alliance forged by her parents in hope of strengthening their hold on Naples against the French. Philip may have been fair to the eye, but he was completely lacking in the judicial sense. Juana and Philip become adversaries trapped in a marriage and warring over the rule of Spain. Power hungry Philip and his manipulative "advisors" inflict years of havoc on Juana, hoping to break her spirit and force her to submit to their will. Juana fights back, maintains her sense of purpose, and keeps her spirit alive despite their best efforts. She nearly wins this battle of wills and politics, but is ultimately betrayed by yet another man she loved dearly and the result is that she is locked up for life.
The unending suspense about Juana's safety and future add to the allure of this novel about a forgotten and imprisoned Queen. I agree with some reviewers that Gortner could have been more creative in writing the love story and relaying Juana's on-going desperation. Had he done so, I would have given this book five stars. I personally found the description of Philip's physical prowess uninventive, Juana's choices frustrating (she does not pick the most willful or heroic paths, but does offer resistance - you just want her to fight harder!), and in the end found the desperation to be less engaging than it was 200 pages before. But such is a book about a woman whose freedom was stolen from her! Juana's story is compelling in and of itself simply because it happened. Thank you, Mr. Gortner, for putting it on paper and basing a novel on it.
Gortner presents Juana as lucid and alert through this period of her life and suggests the "Loca" label was simply propaganda. It leaves one wondering, "Was Juana mad?" She certainly endured cruelty and conditions that have broke the minds of others. Yet, Juana's family lineage is also full of other monarchs whose insanity is well documented, even if hers is not. The possibility that she may have had a medical condition throughout her life exists, and it would have certainly been exacerbated by the cruelties inflicted on her.
outstanding historical fiction.......2007-02-15
Gortner creates a complex and fascinating character out of the historical myth of the last Trastamara Queen of Spain. Writing in first person, we get an inside look at Juana's passion, pain and political ambition. Other characters in the story include the notorious Ferdinand and Isabella, Catherine of Aragon, and Philip of Hapsburg.
If you're a fan of the historical fiction genre, you'll love this book.
Average customer rating:
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El Pergamino de la Seduccion: Una Novela
Gioconda Belli
Manufacturer: Rayo
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ASIN: 0060833394
Release Date: 2006-08-29 |
Book Description
Un novela extraordinaria de amor y locura, en la que un historiador y una joven estudiante investigan la enigmática vida de Juana la Loca
La Reina Juana de Castilla, hija y madre de reyes, es el personaje más carismático y fascinante de un período crucial de la historia de España. Hermosa, inteligente, segura y poderosa, se rebeló contra la represión y los abusos, y luchó sin descanso por ser fiel a sí misma. En 1509, con veintinueve años, fue declarada loca y encerrada en Tordesillas, donde permaneció hasta su muerte en 1555.
Cuatro siglos más tarde, a través de Lucía—una joven de asombroso parecido con la Reina Juana de Castilla—un historiador busca resolver el enigma de quien fue más conocida como Juana la Loca. ¿Enloqueció de amor, como cuenta la historia oficial, o fue víctima de traiciones y luchas por el poder? Seducida por la pasión de la palabra, Lucía se adentra en un pasado que alterará su presente para siempre. En esta novela, histórica y contemporánea, Juana de Castilla regresa para contar su propia versión de los hechos.
Customer Reviews:
novela.......2007-05-14
Me gusto esta novela y me entretuvo mucho quizas en parte porque tiene fundamento historico y me gusta mucho leer sobre historia. La recomiendo y pienso leer alguna otra de esta misma autora.
magnifico.......2007-02-18
Este libro me sedujo. Hace mucho que no corro a la casa despues de trajabar porque quiero seguir leyendo... y no me acuesto hasta tarde por la misma razon. Devore este libro en un par de dias. Los dos cuentos entrelazados- el cuento moderno pero rara de Lucia y Manuel, tanto como el cuento antiguo de Juana la Loca y Felipe el Hermoso, me encantaron. Empece a entender mas el estilo de vida de las princesas espanolas de los 1500- es decir, lo aprendi por primera vez! Les recomiendo este libro: contiene mucha historia, mucha emocion, y hasta un poco de sexo bien interesante. Un libro extraordinario.
Average customer rating:
- Bestest Answer Ever
- One of the best translations of Sor Juana's "Response."
|
The Answer / La Respuesta, Including a Selection of Poems (A Feminist Press Sourcebook)
Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz
Manufacturer: The Feminist Press at the City University of New York
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Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 1558610774 |
Book Description
Drawing on rich new scholarship, this translation restores Sor Juana's own emphasis and diction. Known as the First Feminist of America, the Mexican nun Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz (1648/51 - 1695) was a brilliant and popular poet, playwright, and essayist whose feminist theory stands as a link between that of Christine de Pizan and Mary Wollstonecraft in the struggle to establish the intellectual rights of women. Sor Juana's persistent defense of these rights brought her increasingly into conflict with church officials who wanted to silence her. The Answer (1691) is Sor Juana's culminating response to years of attacks. The introduction, bibliography, chronology, and complete Spanish texts of The Answer and nine poems make this volume the indispensable Sor Juana reader.
"One of the landmarks of Renaissance literature and an important document in the history of intellectual freedom.... Essential reading for anyone who wishes to understand not only this remarkable woman but also the whole world in which she forged her identity."-Stephen Greenblatt, UCLA Berkeley
* A 1995 PEN Center West Literary Translation Award Finalist *
* Alternate of the Quality Paperback Book Club *
Suggested for course use in:
Feminist Theory
Latin American Studies
Religious History
Women's history
Customer Reviews:
Bestest Answer Ever.......2006-03-06
The Answer/La Respuesta by Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz, is the best answer I have ever read. In the Answer to Sor Filotea de la Cruz, Sor/sister Juana Ines de la Cruz wrote her autobiography, in which she reveals her drive as a woman/human being. Her pursuit of -capital T- Truth gained her close friends and cunning enemies. She was way ahead of her own time. I recommend this book very much. I enjoyed it. WA
One of the best translations of Sor Juana's "Response.".......1998-03-07
One of the finest recent translations of Sor Juana's "Response." The authors have done an outstanding job of translating and annotating the text. A "must read" for any Sor Juana scholar.
Book Description
As the world becomes flatter and globalization creates a world village, it is imperative that leaders have the cultural flexibility and adaptability to inspire and guide people from very distinct backgrounds that represents the whole rainbow of humanity. Salsa, Soul and Spirit: Leadership for a Multicultural Nation puts forth a multicultural leadership model that integrates eight practices from African American, Indian and Latino communities. Using principles such as ?Sankofa ? the ability to learn from the past?, ?I to We ? From Individualism to collective identity?, and ?Mi casa es su casa ?Developing a generosity of spirit?, this model offers leaders new approaches that will increase their interpersonal effectiveness with diverse populations by incorporating the influences, practices and values of a variety of cultures in a respectful and productive manner.
Customer Reviews:
New Leadership Ideas - Great for Classroom Too.......2007-09-17
Ms. Bordas' book brings fresh ideas to the discussions about leadership qualities and techniques. Her book is personally engaging, and provides an abundance of experiences and examples of leadership from diverse communities that can benefit all organizations. I see the work as a handbook for those who want new ideas for organizational leadership that are unique to an ever-diversifying workplace. As a university professor, I think the book will be welcomed by students who are eager to engage with our multicultual society.
Great for diversity & leadership trainings.......2007-07-11
As an educator/trainer, I am constantly looking for books that make complex concepts, such as leadership, diversity, service, and community easy for people to understand and apply. This book's creative approach, stories and reflections offer new insights into the styles, strengths and contributions of diverse people, and celebrates the humanity which joins us together as one human race.
Pass the Salsa.......2007-06-15
This well-written book freshens the air with fresh salsa, sensitive soul and lively spirit to celebrate and honor cultural diversity. Juana Bordas brings out the positive not today's too often promotion to polarize and force-fit Americans into a one size fits all, mono-culture.
Juana Bordas not only clearly explains multi-cultural beauty, but offers practical, hands-on methods to encourage and change the corporate and bureaucratic road map towards creative leadership. The text sparkles with splashes of poetry, Bordas' rich cultural experiences and her machete sharp observation skills.
Leadership found.......2007-06-15
Lee Iaccoca may ask in his latest tome, "Where Have All the Leaders Gone?" Well, Juana Bordas' Salsa, Soul and Spirit: Leadership for a Multicultural Age gives the answer -- the leaders are in America's minority communities. Bordas gives us her own story of immigrating to the U.S. from Nicaragua as a child and weaves it seamlessly throughout the book to tell stories of leaders in Latino, American Indian and Black American communities. Her workbook questions and assignments at the end of each chapter challenge us to incorporate diversity in all we do. It's a must-read for anyone aiming for a diverse workforce, community or education system.
Diversity is Destiny.......2007-06-13
The eight principles of leadership illustrated in this book are both universal and timeless. Ms. Bordas presents a compelling analysis for the critical need in America today and in our global community for a multi-cultural approach to leadership. As a recent MBA graduate, this book fills a huge gap in leadership development. Leadership theories have traditionally been based on a western/anglo approach and this book is the missing link. I highly recommend Salsa, Soul and Spirit for MBA students and all people who wish to be in sync with our global age.
Book Description
In January 1994, the Zapatistas seized towns in Chiapas, Mexico, calling for broad democratic changes. The writings of Subcomandante Insurgente Marcos, who emerged as the group's eloquent spokesman, are collected here. This edition features new pieces and new commentary by the editor.
Customer Reviews:
Essential Reading.......2007-01-19
Since reading this book (actually, before I was even halfway finished) I had decided I needed to buy copies for family and friends as gifts and recommend it to pretty much everyone. Marcos is an amazing writer, and the story of the Zapatistas is extremely relevant and intriguing for anyone interested in modern society, politics, Latin America, social movements, civil wars, literature and poetry, what "integrity" means in such troubled times, and so much more. No matter your interest, you will not be dissapointed by this purchase.
Another handsome collection of writings from El Sup.......2006-04-22
Without a doubt, Subcomandante Marcos is one of the most important present day writers and activists in the Americas. "Our Word is Our Weapon" is a huge collection of his essays and short stories about the Zapatista rebellion in Chiapas.As such, I highly recommend it for peace and justice activists engaged in Latin American solidarity work, the anti-corporate globalization movement and indigenous struggles. Moreover, it is an interesting study of grassroots participatory democracy in action. Read it and be inspired!
The man is a myth.......2005-12-02
Subcomandante Marcos is not just a man, he is a myth in his own lifetime. The cult of personality that surrounds him is completely deserved. His poetic voice is so sharp and poignant you can not help but feel sympathetic for his Zapatistan cause.
The highlight of the book is the last third which features primarily his writing. The stories and poetry he shares are accessible to almost anyone. He is the antithesis of stuffy. His anecdotes and points are so simple yet so perplexing you wonder how he does it.
A movement of Now........2002-11-24
Too often those of us who seek social justice for people who have been traditionally oppressed tend to just reminisce on the past.
However, this book proves that there is a great social movement that ordinary people CAN , RIGHT NOW make a diffrence about
The history of Mexico, like the history of Latin America, is a history of pain, struggle, and exploitation.
Marcos shows us a movement that seeks to right some of the wrong, and leads a movement of the oldest of the old, the oppressed of the oppressed: Indigenous campesinos (farmers) of Southern Mexico. Where pictures of Jesus Christ stand right there alongside of.....Che Guevara.
A people that have been traditionally been treated like dirt, for lack of a better word, now taking an inspirational and highly moving stand and demand an end to exploitation and a better way of life.
Through their charismatic and briliant leader, Marcos, he tells us the story of the people known as Zapatistas and their struggle for dignity.
The dignity of a people no longer willing to tolerate centuries of injustice.
What human being cannot be moved by such extroadinary courage?
A must to read!.......2002-11-01
How can anyone read el subcommandante and not be moved? How can anyone just look at the plight of these people in Mexico and not feel rage at the injustice?
Book Description
This bold novel unravels the mystery and complexity of the woman Carlos Fuentes calls “the first great Latin American poet.” Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz (1648-1695), poet, playwright, rhetorician, and musician, is often equated with Sappho, the lesbian poet whom Plato baptized the “Tenth Muse.”
The Mexican nun has fascinated readers around the world for centuries as scholars have attempted to understand her brilliance, her feminism, the affairs of her heart, her decision to enter a convent at the beginning of her luminous intellectual career.
Juana Ramírez de Asbaje, an illegitimate criolla, is sixteen when word of her self-taught erudition travels to the palace in Mexico City and she becomes an attendant to Doña Leonor Carreto, Marquesa de Mancera. Wanting only to study, confused by her love for la Marquesa, and loathe to marry, in five years Juana becomes Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz in the Convent of Santa Paula of the Order of San Jerónimo. There, her quill becomes her salvation and damnation as her notoriety mounts with each new artistic commission. Popular with court and clergy, she receives a stream of guests at the convent, among them la Condesa de Paredes, who becomes Sor Juana's intimate friend. More than two decades later, after brilliantly defending her right to think, teach, and write, Sor Juana appears before the Inquisition and abruptly withdraws from the spotlight.
Mixing fiction with Sor Juana's own words, and drawing on the most recent Sor Juana scholarship, Alicia Gaspar de Alba creates the most full-bodied portrait of Mexico's Tenth Muse to date. This remarkable novel about a remarkable woman will enlighten a new generation of readers, and stoke the interest of devotees who already are captivated by the inspiring Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz.
“An adventuresome exploration into the lyrical and historical vision of an extraordinary woman, written by an extraordinary novelist who has given us a new possibility to dream and invent Sor Juana Inés all over again.”—Marjorie Agosín, Wellesley College
“Beautifully written, without doubt the best book I have read this year. A masterpiece.”—Greg Sarris, author of Watermelon Nights
This historically accurate and beautifully written novel explores the secret inclinations, subjective desires, and political struggles of the 17th-century Mexican nun and poet.
Customer Reviews:
sor juana wishes she could wake up from this one.......2007-09-25
my principle regret is that young latino students and aspiring writers are often pointed to this and other like products from the publishing mills and told they are the "literary" models to follow. the book is replete with trite, canned sentiment expressed in stiffly-worded dialogue from the mouths of two-dimensional characters. too many of the descriptions are of the flowery, cake-decoration kind. the narrative is littered with redundancy as well as words that are simply misused or incongruent with the intended meaning. someone can use a remedial course in plain, effective style. it is a shame to hear such books as this one touted as the best in current "latino literature." unfortunately, such things often get published (and praised) on the strength of an author's academic connections and fashionable political sentiments rather than the worth of the writing.
History becomes herstory.......2007-05-29
As women living in the 21st Century, we have unlimited choices. That is why it is so difficult to imagine what it must have been like for Sor Juana. She was an intellectual giant in the New World, displaying her abilities in subjects ranging from ancient history to physics. She was a self-taught scholar. Even so, she was persecuted. Not simply because her views were extreme (though they were), but because extreme views or, in fact, views at all, were considered unseemly in women. Sor Juana's story, as well as the history of early Mexico, is the inspiration for this novel.
No doubt, Alicia Gespar de Alba takes poetic license. It is impossible to know the intimate details of Sor Jauna's everyday life, but this is a good educated guess. And it is breathtaking. Each page is a heartwrenching description of the passions that tore Sor Jauna apart. Many of her own words are used in the story, and the parts that are fiction blend beautifully with them.
In addition to its revelation of an early feminist, this book is also important in its description of Colonial Mexico. In the background of Sor Juana's story, the reader is able to view the precarious mix of church and crown, whites and indians, and intellectuals and idiots. The time period, of course, is an essential part of what happens to Sor Juana, but it is an interesting subject of its own.
I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the history of feminism or Mexico or to anyone who enjoys poetry or rhetoric. Be warned, though, when you discover what this woman went through for knowledge, you may not be able to take your freedom for granted anymore.
poetic quest.......2007-02-12
I thoroughly enjoyed being drawn into the world of Sor Juana. She was a genius, a gifted poet, dramatist, philospher, scientist, theologian and humanist who radically sought her personal truth despite the constrictions of the societal and ecclesiastical institutions of her day. I surmise that Sor Juana would likely not have taken the veil has she lived in our day but she chose the only route left to her within her social position to attain some manner of intellectual freedom. Alicia Gaspar de Alba is a master storyteller who knows the art of bringing the vivid colors and textures of her subject matter to life. Though I do realize that this is a work of fiction and share the author's conjecture that Sor Juana's affections most definately rested with those of her own sex and her passionate manner of writing to the same was not simply a rhetorical device of her time, I did sometimes question her literary license with regard to specific scenes which are ambiguous at best in historical accounts, not in the slightest because I think them distasteful but simply because I think the brilliance and passion of this woman is not compounded by the "fleshing" out of her sexuality in pure fantasy. The climate of the ecclesiastical world during the inquisition and the sad state of inner conventual politics makes her luminous literary heritage even more astonishing. Though the author does tell this dark aspect of the divisions and hypocracy of some member of the Spanish Catholic Church of Sor Juana's day, she never does it gratuitiously and one senses a balance as with the priests and other nuns who support her and even try to help her remain on a path of discretion when her passions overtake her rational judgement. It is truly sad that her star disappeared too soon from the heavens that she so loved gazing into with her telescope. In any case, I found it an intensely beautiful read which left me wanting to know more of the woman behind the words. I recommend this highly to anyone who wants to know Sor Juana without the censorship of other admirers of hers who would deny her one of the most elementary forces behind her creative working - her passion for the two women who helped her become fully the muse that she was.
A Note From the Author: Alicia Gaspar de Alba.......2005-08-25
I've just seen the new historical novel on Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz, Hunger's Brides by Paul Anderson, and the terrific review it got in the New York Times on Monday, August. 23, 2005. Although the heft of the book is daunting, I look forward to reading it and comparing it to my own book, Sor Juana's Second Dream, which was published in 1999, and which, due to the limited distribution and publicity resources of a university press , has never gotten the kind of press or promotion that would have helped sell out the first print run by now. Perhaps Mr. Anderson's book will spur a mainstream interest in the amazing life of Mexico's "tenth muse," and readers will pick up a copy of both his book and mine, sold here on Amazon for the outrageous price of $12.95 for the hardback. To quote Sor Juana: "from what I keep silent, you will infer what it is I cannot say."
A Must Read.......2005-05-05
This is a very inspiring story of a strong-willed woman determined to defy the intellectual oppression of men during the seventeenth century. She can be compared to England's early feminist--Mary Astell--for her steadfast support of women's intellectual advancement.
It is a moving story, very sad, but essential.
Average customer rating:
- Sor Juana (Penguin)
- Ehhh...
- A superb introduction to a great mind
- Female Intellectualism
|
Poems, Protest, and a Dream: Selected Writings (Penguin Classics)
Juana Ines de la Cruz
Manufacturer: Penguin Classics
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ASIN: 0140447032 |
Customer Reviews:
Sor Juana (Penguin).......2006-11-10
An excellent selection of texts--from the "Response" to the long poem "First I Dream" to some wonderful short poems and the "loa" or dramatic prologue to the drama "The Divine Narcissus." Margaret Peden's translations are fluent and readable, and the Spanish is on facing pages so you see the original easily. Ilan Stavans' introduction is very helpful, giving the facts of Sor Juana's life (insofar as known), the complexities of the situation that the "Response" addresses, and some help with the context and conventions of her poetry. Sor Juana is an astounding writer--her subtlety and complexities unfold more and more as you read and reflect on her writings. The "Response" is a rhetorical complex defense of her position as a "learned" woman, gathering the rhetorical authority to defend herself out of the very sources (the Bible, church teachings) that were used to attack her and turning the persona under which her Bishop attacked her (a letter pretending to be by a fellow nun) into a deft weapon against him. She articulates a tradition of women's learning and turns a seemingly self-effacing self-limitation to the "philosophy of the kitchen" into a far-reaching claim to a unique female source of knowledge. The "loa" presents dramatically the complex interaction between a colonizing and colonized culture, native language and a Spanish that is becoming at home in the New World, and a native religion which is not simply abandoned for Catholicism but already contains truths which Catholicism confirms and validates even in the process of converting it. She is one of the great writers of the Seventeenth Century and especially interesting in relation to contemporary multicultural identities and cultural interactions.
Ehhh..........2001-03-19
I found Sor Juana dull the first time I read her 'Responce' and even more dull when I reread it. She is very good at being subtle though, and alot of the time its what shes not saying that makes you think, I don't know if it was the translators fault, or what, but I just didn't enjoy it. But her poetry was beautifully translated in this edition.
A superb introduction to a great mind.......2000-11-01
Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz is one of those remarkable literary figures whose extraordinary body of work forces one to either reevaluate or refine one's ideas about the complex interrelationships between religion, gender, national identity, and ethnicity. A nun who lived in seventeenth century Mexico, she distinguished herself as a poet, playwright, and prose writer.
"Poems, Protest, and a Dream" is an excellent introduction to the life and work of this fascinating woman. This selection of her works includes her famous prose piece addressed to "Sor Filotea de la Cruz," a hearty helping of her poetry, and two selections from her dramatic corpus. The bilingual format of the text, with Sor Juana's Spanish original on each even-numbered page and Margaret Sayers Peden's elegant English translation on each odd-numbered page, allows one to easily compare the two versions.
The distinguished scholar Ilan Stavans has written an extensive 32 page introduction. Stavans describes in detail the historical and cultural context from which Sor Juana wrote; his sensitive and intelligent portrait of the woman and her age made me appreciate and enjoy her writings even more.
Sor Juana takes on themes that are still relevant (and often hotly debated) more than three centuries after she wrote these works. The response to Sor Filotea is a defense of female intellectual aspiration in a male-dominated culture; in the defense Sor Juana critically responds to those who use the Judeo-Christian Bible as a tool for intimidating and marginalizing women. With certain factions of the "religious right" still using the Bible as a weapon for demonizing certain individuals and social agendas, Sor Juana's words continue to ring fresh and clear.
Equally extraordinary is Sor Juana's loa (a dramatic scene which prefaces a longer play) to "The Divine Narcissus." The loa is an allegory depicting the early contact between Christianity and the religion of the Aztecs; in this piece I detect a subtle satirical thrust which adds to the complexity of Sor Juana's vision.
Sor Juana was a masterful stylist in multiple literary genres, and her depth of psychological and moral insight adds to her stature as a literary giant. Nobody should consider herself or himself literate in the fields of women's studies or Latin American studies without having read the works of Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz. "Poems, Protest, and a Dream" is an excellent resource for both independent reading and classroom use. Enjoy Sor Juana's artistry, and reflect on her ideas.
Female Intellectualism.......2000-07-28
A great intellectual is not commonly thought of to be a woman, especially in 17th century New Spain. In the midst of the highly structured Baroque literary period, an illegitimate child was baptized as Juana Ramírez de Asbaje, spent her adolescence at court, and left to become a nun where she could continue her studies in peace, rather than marrying. Although she was almost entirely self-educated, the word quickly spread of her intelligence. This caused envy and animosity towards her that she tried to avoid her entire adult life. Four years before she died, the church forced her to give up her writings and worldly studies. In her letter of response to this request, (included in the book) she became the first woman in Latin America to defend her gender's right to study and write as men could. Much of her work was commissioned, but more is being discovered of her autobiographical writings. This book includes one of the few known poems (Primero Sueño) that was not commissioned. The book is in Spanish and English on opposing pages. This is very advantageous if you are bilingual, and even if you aren't, I can't say enough about Margaret Sayers Peden's translations. Not only does she give you as close to word for word; she also preserves the original structure, themes, and rhyme schemes that are so essential in Baroque literature. Even if you go no further than this book, you will not be disappointed. It has a very complete collection of her most famous works. Unfortunately, so few people in the English-speaking U.S. has even heard of Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz. I was first introduced to her wonderful poetry in a Mexican History / English dyad in college. Since that first poem I read, I have been searching for books of her works, and about her life. I highly recommend the addiction.
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The Devotional Exercises/los Ejercicios Devotos of Sor Juana Ines De La Cruz, Mexico's Prodigious Nun 1648/51-1695: A Critical Study And Bilingual (Mexican Studies)
Grady C. Wray
Manufacturer: Edwin Mellen Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0773459995 |
Book Description
Mexico's leading poet, essayist, and cultural critic writes of a Mexican poet of another time and another world, the world of seventeenth-century New Spain. His subject is Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, the most striking figure in all of Spanish-American colonial literature and one of the great poets of her age.
Her life reads like a novel. A spirited and precocious girl, one of six illegitimate children, is sent to live with relatives in the capital city. She becomes known for her beauty, wit, and amazing erudition, and is taken into the court as the Vicereine's protégée. For five years she enjoys the pleasures of life at court--then abruptly, at twenty, enters a convent for life. Yet, no recluse, she transforms the convent locutory into a literary and intellectual salon; she amasses an impressive library and collects scientific instruments, reads insatiably, composes poems, and corresponds with literati in Spain. To the consternation of the prelates of the Church, she persists in circulating her poems, redolent more of the court than the cloister. Her plays are performed, volumes of her poetry are published abroad, and her genius begins to be recognized throughout the Hispanic world. Suddenly she surrenders her books, forswears all literary pursuits, and signs in blood a renunciation of secular learning. The rest is silence. She dies two years later, at forty-six.
Octavio Paz has long been intrigued by the enigmas of Sor Juana's personality and career. Why did she become a nun? How could she renounce her lifelong passion for writing and learning? Such questions can be answered only in the context of the world in which she lived. Paz gives a masterly portrayal of the life and culture of New Spain and the political and ideological forces at work in that autocratic, theocratic, male-dominated society, in which the subjugation of women was absolute.
Just as Paz illuminates Sor Juana's life by placing it in its historical setting, so he situates her work in relation to the traditions that nurtured it. With critical authority he singles out the qualities that distinguish her work and mark her uniqueness as a poet. To Paz her writings, like her life, epitomize the struggle of the individual, and in particular the individual woman, for creative fulfillment and self-expression.
Customer Reviews:
Sor Juana--17th century genius.......2007-07-16
This is a balanced, penetrating examination of Sor Juana and the elements that shaped her life. She understood that her passion was the pursuit of knowledge and that she could never fulfill her life's work unless she became a nun. In addition to describing Sor Juana Paz enlightens his readers about the masculine society into which she was born. She was a brave, talented woman who spoke up for what she believed in.
The book that started my love affair with a Mexican nun..........2005-02-16
Over ten years ago, this book completely changed the course of events in my life for months. Let me explain!: I was wiling away the hours with nothing to do during a 2-week hospital stay in Madrid, going over the notes for my master's thesis about Spanish writer Juan Goytisolo, when someone suggested I read this masterpiece about a Baroque Mexican nun to pass the time. At first I thought the suggestion was absurd, hardly a book that would help the hours go by quickly, but I gave the book a chance (the Spanish-language version, of course) and soon met Sor Juana Inés, with whom my only previous encounters had been on a Mexican banknote.
Sor Juana Inés was so far ahead of her time that it would have been a miracle for her NOT to have been persecuted and ejected from the society of her times. Octavio Paz (could anything less be expected from such an author) makes her life even more fascinating than it probably was in reality, as he examines her comings and goings from birth to death, or at least as much as can possibly be known, since his study is probably the most thorough that exists. Sor Juana's biography is amazing and caused me to drop my thesis and change topics entirely. I spent my whole hospital stay engrossed in her tale of love, erudition and ill-fated struggles for equality. I can't shower enough praise on this book, which opened up my appetite for knowing more about her...since then I have read more and more, as well as all of Sor Juana's works, and never get enough. If you want to see what is was like to know that women deserved full equality, to have the intelligence beyond comparison and be forced to use that intelligence with the utmost care so as not to violate strict social norms, and get away with it for years, sor juana will be your heroine, as she should be for so many more women in this world who are unfamiliar with her.
This would be a great text for any hispanic literature, women's studies, gay and lesbian studies, mexican history or a wealth of other courses, or just as a text of interest to women and people in general.
The amazing life of Sor Juana.......2000-03-27
This book by the Nobel Prize winner Octavio Paz is a great account of the life of one of the best writers of Hispanic literature. Sor Juana created astonishing poems about life, love, and people. It is a pity that only little is known about the facts of her life. As with Shakespeare, must of what we know about her comes from her literary legacy. Octavio Paz is able to solve some of the mystery that surrounds Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz.
Book Description
Manuel is a man of many talents; an art historian and professor, he is also an exquisite storyteller. When he meets 16-year-old Lucía on an outing from her boarding school, he offers to narrate a story of dire consequences—that of the Spanish Queen Juana of Castile and her legendary love for her husband, Philippe the Handsome.
Promised to Prince Philippe the Handsome to solidify ties between the Flemish and Spanish crowns, Queen Juana immediately fell in love with her betrothed with all the abandon and passion of her fiery personality. Theirs was one of the most tumultuous love stories of all time.
But Juana, who was also one of the most learned princesses of the Renaissance, was forced to pay a high price for being headstrong and daring to be herself. Those at court who could not fathom Juana as heir to the throne of the most important empire of its day conspired against her and began to question her sanity. Eventually she came to be known as Juana the Mad. But was she really insane, or just a victim of her impetuosity and unbridled passion?
As the novel unfolds, Lucía and Manuel become enmeshed in a complex psychological web that seduces and incites them to relive Juana and Philippe's story, and eventually leads them to a mysterious manuscript that may hold the key to Juana's alleged madness.
Customer Reviews:
Ferdinand & Isabella Offspring.......2007-03-16
This book would have been better if the story line stuck to Philippe The Handsome and Juana The Mad's love story. The secondary lust story between a naive, convent-bred, swoony teen-ager and an older man in mid-life crisis is unnecessary and boring.
Great entertainment, and very imformative.......2007-03-16
This is great book that would keep you guessing and engaged. The soft erotic air of the storie gives it a tremendous sex appeal. It gives a clear picture of the intrigues and betrayal of royal chamber in the king' court of Europe. We can appriciate that little has change in our circle of Government. On the other side the book focus on a great love story of high magnitude. Excellent reading. A must read.
Amazing!.......2006-11-06
I felt as though this book grabbed my attention and kept it throughout the whole novel, I couldn't put it down! The descriptions and imagery were incredible and at times I felt as though everything was happening right in front of me. I definitely recommend this book to anyone! Well done Ms. Dillman, great translation!
Haunting Novel of Love, Obsession and Madness.......2006-11-03
The Scroll of Seduction is a very turbulent and haunting novel that tells the story of the Spanish Queen known as 'Juana the Mad' and her husband 'Philippe the Handsome'. I was as entranced with this part of the story. A secondary story in this book is about Lucia, a young orphan living in a boarding school in Madrid. Lucia meets a professor of History one day, who is obsessed with the story of Juana. He entices Lucia to don a gown as he tells her the story. This part of the book is too reminescent of Nabokov, and I found it a little eerie.
Vivid history, unconvincing and unappealing framing device.......2006-10-29
Historians have disputed whether Juana of Castile (1479-1555)deserves her nickname of "La Loca" (the Mad). The daughter and heir to Queen Isabel was caught in a power struggle between her Flemish husband Philip and her father King Ferdinand. Both men were strongly motivated to discredit her in order to seize the territories that she was entitled to rule. "The Scroll of Seduction" tells Juana's story within the purely fictional story of Lucia, an orphan living in a convent school in Spain in the 1960s. Lucia is being told Juana's story by an obsessed 40-year-old historian, Manuel, who lures Lucia away from her boarding school on the weekends, brings her to his apartment and insists the 16-year-old wear a historically appropriate costume in order that she can better identify with Juana (and give Manuel insight into Juana's psyche) during the story-telling sessions. Obviously, the situation with Manuel is far from appropriate from the beginning and only gets worse, but it is really Juana's story of her passionate love for Philip and her struggle for independence that is truly engrossing and believable. The framing device of Manuel's relationship with Lucia is a gothic "Flowers in the Attic" catalog of lies and sordid behavior that seems unnecessary and over-the-top. However, the character of Lucia is well-written and relatable. Unlike Juana, she seems poised to survive and overcome the many traumas that come her way, including her seduction by Manuel. There are occasional anachronisms in the book (as far as I know, it was discovered that diamonds were made of carbon in the late 1700s -- there's no way Juana would have known that fact) and other "continuity" errors. In the edition I read, there were quite a number of spelling mistakes. But there are not a lot of books available about Juana, and the historical sections of this book explain her behavior in an intelligent and interesting way.
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