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The House on the Lagoon

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The House on the Lagoon by Rosario Ferre is a multigenerational family saga set in Puerto Rico, delving into the country's history, culture, and social issues. The novel follows the Mendizabal family, focusing on Quintin and Isabel's tumultuous marriage as they navigate personal and historical complexities. Through the lens of Quintin, a historian, and Isabel, a writer, the narrative unfolds as a story within a story, blurring the lines between fiction and reality. The book intricately weaves together themes of greed, lust, violence, control, societal struggles, and the impact of Puerto Rico's colonial past on its people.

Characters:

The characters are multifaceted, embodying Puerto Rican society's complexities and deeply affected by their familial and historical backgrounds.

Writing/Prose:

The writing is rich and vivid, combining lyrical prose with a clever narrative style that interweaves personal and historical elements.

Plot/Storyline:

The narrative delves into a multigenerational tale, blending personal and historical narratives while addressing themes of legacy and identity.

Setting:

The setting captures the historical and cultural essence of Puerto Rico, transitioning through various time periods.

Pacing:

The pacing is steady, gradually building tension while allowing for character and story development.

Notes:

The novel is set in Puerto Rico and explores the history and culture of the island.
It tells the story of a family saga that spans generations, starting from the time of Spanish Conquistadors.
The book features a story within a story, focusing on characters Isabel and Quintin Mendizabal.
Isabel aspires to be a writer, and her manuscript mirrors the family's history.
Quintin, a historian, edits Isabel's manuscript, leading to revelations about their marriage.
The book tackles complex themes including colonialism, race, and mixed heritage in Puerto Rico.
There are elements of magical realism in the narrative.
Readers noted that the family tree at the beginning was hard to read in Kindle format, making it challenging to follow characters.
Some readers found the book's ending surprising and provocative.
The writing is described as lyrical and evocative, with a fresh narrative style.
The book has elements of scandal and explores social issues, making it engaging for a broad audience.

Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings

Content warnings include themes of sexual nature, generational trauma, and references to the slavery and colonization.

Has Romance?

Romantic elements are highly present, exploring both personal and familial relationships with significant emotional stakes.

From The Publisher:

Finalist for the National Book Award: “A family saga in the manner of Gabriel García Márquez,” set in Puerto Rico, from an extraordinary storyteller (The New York Times Book Review).

This riveting, multigenerational epic tells the story of two families and the history of Puerto Rico through the eyes of Isabel Monfort and her husband, Quintín Mendizabal. Isabel attempts to immortalize their now-united families—and, by extension, their homeland—in a book.

The tale that unfolds in her writing has layers upon layers, exploring the nature of love, marriage, family, and Puerto Rico itself. Weaving the intimate with the expansive on a teeming stage, Ferré crafts a revealing self-portrait of a man and a woman, two fiercely independent people searching for meaning and identity.

As Isabel declares: “Nothing is true, nothing is false, everything is the color of the glass you’re looking through.” A book about freeing oneself from societal and cultural constraints, The House on the Lagoon also grapples with bigger issues of life, death, poverty, and racism.

Mythological in its breadth and scope, this is a masterwork from an extraordinary storyteller.

 
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