List Books In Pursuance Of The Miraculous Day of Amalia Gómez
Original Title: | The Miraculous Day of Amalia Gomez |
ISBN: | 0802138470 (ISBN13: 9780802138477) |
Edition Language: | English |
John Rechy
Paperback | Pages: 224 pages Rating: 3.72 | 207 Users | 15 Reviews
Identify Appertaining To Books The Miraculous Day of Amalia Gómez
Title | : | The Miraculous Day of Amalia Gómez |
Author | : | John Rechy |
Book Format | : | Paperback |
Book Edition | : | Anniversary Edition |
Pages | : | Pages: 224 pages |
Published | : | September 21st 2001 by Grove Press (first published 1991) |
Categories | : | Fiction. LGBT |
Commentary To Books The Miraculous Day of Amalia Gómez
In The Miraculous Day of Amalia Gomez, Amalia Gomez thinks she sees a large silver cross in the sky. A miraculous sign, perhaps, but one the down-to-earth Amalia does not trust. Through Amalia, we take a vivid and moving tour of the "other Hollywood," populated by working-class Mexican Americans, as John Rechy blends tough realism with religious and cultural fables to take us into the life of a Chicano family in L.A. Epic in scope and vision, The Miraculous Day of Amalia Gomez is classic Rechy.Rating Appertaining To Books The Miraculous Day of Amalia Gómez
Ratings: 3.72 From 207 Users | 15 ReviewsCriticize Appertaining To Books The Miraculous Day of Amalia Gómez
I gave this book a shot because I liked City of Night so much. This story has many of the same qualities in that the author seems to imbue mundane occurrences with mystical/religious significance. Although the action takes place over a single day, flashbacks tell the story of Amalia's journey from El Paso, Texas to a bungalow on the seedy outskirts of Hollywood Boulevard, which is slowly succumbing to urban blight.Although I am not familiar with the world of Mexican/American, Los Angeles (whatAmalia Gomez is a Hispanic single mother trying to come to terms with her past and present. She is a complex character who at times you feel sorry for. Other times, you she is frustratingly single tracked. She tries to come to terms with her past while ignoring her present and at the expense of her kids. Rechy creates a tapestry. His use of diction to portray a disenfranchised single mother in Los Angeles is chilling and spot on. I am not Amalia Gomez, but I have encountered a lot of Amalias in
It's been a long time since I've read anything by Rechy and this gives me a new appreciation for his work.
I like the author
A criminally underrated, underrecognized novel. I felt as if I were Amalia Gomez. Rechy enables us to identify with her. She represents those who lose, or are lost, in the postmodern, late capitalist environment. It's a devastating novel.
I was intrigued by this book because of the Mexican-American perspective. In many of my lit classes catering to diverse narratives, I found that I read far more Asian-American and African-American works.I will be honest, it was really difficult for me to get into the book in the beginning. I struggled with the characters because they seemed to be so heavily constructed around Mexican-American stereotypes. Amalia is a struggling mother who desperately clings to her faith throughout the novel.
I very highly recommend this book. This is my first experience with Rechy's writing but it will certainly not be my last. What a talented writer! The book is very short but extremely powerful. And he describes Los Angeles so perfectly -- not the LA that most people know, but the neighborhoods. If you've ever been in East LA or the "other" side of Hollywood, you will recognize it immediately. I did some teaching work in East LA for a while at a school of predominantly Latino children, and his
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