Aves Sin Nido

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Summary: first realistic Indians in a novel
Review: Aves sin nido is not a perfect book, its importance in the Latin American literature lies in the fact that it was the first novel to attempt to give a realistic portrait of the Indians and to call attention to their miserable situation. This soon created a fashion in the beginning of the twentieth century when the novels were usually about the oppression the Indians live under or the rich culture of these oppressed Indians that infiltrates in the Latin American culture. The novel by Clarinda Matto de Turner offers an utterly pleasurable story about a nice young white couple who helps a nice young Indian couple, but many essays were written about the imperfections in the characterisation, the errors in the style and the failure of the author to keep the tension throughout the story. Still, it is an easy read, with an easily decipherable message. Of course, it often falls in the trap of exoticism, frequently alluding to the richness of the Indian culture, many of them now part of our minimal notion about Andean Indians (the llamas, the alpaca, etc.) It also falls in the trap of constantly trying to show us that Indians are also nice people, thus drawing a rather one-dimensional portrait of the characters. But considering that she was a pioneer in this matter this propagandistic details can be forgiven. And considering realism, in some ways the novel is far more realistic and less corny than say Uncle Tom's Cabin.

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Summary: Lectura para conocer el pasado del Peru
Review: Me dejó impresionado los detalles relatados del dia a dia de los últimos años de siglo XIX, tiempo de vivencia de la autora. Encontré fantastico los detalles de un viaje de ferrocarril en un paisaje andino en 1870.