Arráncame la vida

Rating:
Summary: The Best I have read in years
Review: ##
Arráncame la Vida de Angeles Mastretta
Es una obra de literatura impactante y encantadora que no le permitirá dejar de leerla hasta el final. Y no sólo eso, sino que le narrará una historia cautivadora ocurrida en México durante y después de la Revolución Mexicana.

Catalina, la protagonista de la novela, se casa muy joven con un político, mayor que ella, y muy prominente de la ciudad Mexicana de Puebla. A medida que la carrera de él, Andrés Atencio, va aumentando, Catalina se ve envuelta en más y más responsabilidades, lo cual hace maravillosamente. Estas responsabilidades incluyen criar a varios de los otros hijos de Atencio.

Luego a medida que la novela va avanzando ella se entera de críticas fuertes a su marido, de las luchas por poder, de los acusaciones de asesinato por parte de su marido y Catalina , quizás como vía de escape, hasta busca amor en dos distintos amantes. Al final, como en todas las tragedias de la novela hay un impactante suceso que quizá libera a Catalina de todo el peso que ha tenido que aguantar.

Esta novela ha sido traducida hasta el presente en 11 idiomas y al principio narra el amor inicial y hasta sumiso de Catalina por el General Andrés Atencio y la progresiva desvinculación de ella a un tiempo de su papel de subordinación conyugal y de su aceptación del contexto político que pondrá en duda sus ideales revolucionarios.
Es una novela bellamente escrita que no debe dejar de leer.

Rating:
Summary: Fine contemporary literature at 6,000 feet...
Review: 'Arracancame la Vida' shows Angeles Mastretta at her best, growing as one of the more talented writers in Latin-America. Only someone like her -a strange mix of a provincial burgeois background and a passion for literature- can take us so vividly to the humid corridors of Teziutlán, the intricacies of passion and the Puebla of the 40's. For those reading Spanish, check her beautiful stories in NEXOS, a monthly magazine available on the Internet. Fine book.

Rating:
Summary: An explossion to the senses
Review: Arrancame la Vida won the Mazatlan Prize of Literature, a respected recognition for sacred writers in Mexico, as Octavio Paz, Carlos Fuentes or Elena Poniatowska.
The book traps you with humor and a dose of irony on Mexico mannerism in mid XX century. Catalina Asencio may be no other than Angeles Mastretta herself, both are sensuous, intensive, intelligent and beautiful.
If you read just the first chapter, you will fall suddenly in love.

Rating:
Summary: An explossion to the senses
Review: Being a native Mexican I should be rather used to hearing stories about revolutionary and post - revolutionary Mexico. But never is it so fascinating and perfectly descriptive as with Angeles Mastretta. This story is probably one of her best! Not only does she relate the story of a woman - which at the same time can be and probably is the story of many women at the time- in the chaotic, war-like and post war Mexico, but the protagonist in the story starts evolving all throghout the plot - a parallelism with the country. Her description is not only vivid but exciting, which will make you unable to put the book down! And it is on this book where she displays what a magnificent writer she is: vivid and exciting, turning reality into something almost fantastic, and transforming tragedy into something to laugh about. Truly, one of her best books.

A book as grand as her writer.

Rating:
Summary: Arrancame La Vida
Review: First of all sorry for my poor English. I am German but grew up in Costa Rica and now in Panama.

Angeles Mastretta has that writing style that wont let you stop reading until you reach the end. Historically speaking you learn what in a certain sense you already know. Militarism in Latin America. Its hidden horrors still continue today in many of our LA countries. The time of Zapata was no different though always interesting to refresh.

Besides, Angeles Mastretta has the abilily of describing everyday life as I had never read before. She will also keep you alert, awake, and interested through the whole book, every single page. I have read her 3 books. Mujeres de Ojos Grandes, Mal de Amores y Arráncame la Vida. All of them deserve 5 stars. I hope she will continue writing, or if she has written something else, I hope Amazon will sell it.

Frauke Schnell de Muñoz

Rating:
Summary: Very good story, still as valid as then...
Review: I had never read a book by Mastretta until I picked up a copy of "Arrancame la vida". In this book, the author describes the life of a woman, Catalina, during and after the Mexican Revolution. She marries a strong, power-thirst man who becomes a big politician.

I found this story different because of the sincerity with which the main character expresses herself. However, what made the story interesting, at least for me, was to realise how little things have changed in the power circles. Replace Catalina's name and add a current, prominent last name of a Mexican socialité, and you can probably still validate all the assumptions on which this book is based.

Mastretta has that "spark" that allows you to get a realistic picture of the book's characters. It is also quite witty if you know anything about the Mexican culture! The only drawback I found in the book was her use of the punctuation signs, but you can get over it because the story is gripping.

Highly recommended if you want something lite, relaxing and that makes you laugh and become even more cynical about politicans and society.



Rating:
Summary: La historia es algo complicada...
Review: La historia desarrollada en el libro hubiera podido ser buena si la autora hubiera creado menos personajes. Recomiendo leer con mucho cuidado ya que es facil perderse con tantos acontecimientos y todo el fervor de haber leido todo el libro para el tan 'simple' final de la novela fue algo decepcionante.

Rating:
Summary: Me arranco la vida
Review: Post Revolutionary Mexico...or any other Latin American country. The opressed is now the opressor, and a woman is caught in between. A very good friend of mine recommended this book to me a few years back; she had left El Salvador during the war, and being a woman, she identified deeply with the character. Although the story takes place around 1940, it is as true today as it was then. But don't take my word for it, turn off your computer and go read the book, you won't be dissapointed.

Rating:
Summary: Me arranco la vida
Review: Post Revolutionary Mexico...or any other Latin American country. The opressed is now the opressor, and a woman is caught in between. A very good friend of mine recommended this book to me a few years back; she had left El Salvador during the war, and being a woman, she identified deeply with the character. Although the story takes place around 1940, it is as true today as it was then. But don't take my word for it, turn off your computer and go read the book, you won't be dissapointed.