Reflections on a Year of Reading Spanish Literature
Word Count: 538
Titles Read: Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon, Homeland by Fernando Aramburu
What I learned about Spain
Before my independent reading on Spain, I didn’t know much about the country except that some of the most prolific and iconic football teams and players were from there. I knew that this assignment/project would definitely allow me to explore more than what I already knew about the European country. It was my first choice and I’m glad I got it because I have learned quite a bit. All of the books I read have repeatedly mentioned the country’s beauty, from small, quaint towns to big cities. From the high mountains where some of those small towns are found, to the lowlands and beaches. In the book some buildings are described almost as majestic. There was one reference about “Gothic architecture” that made me look up what that meant and was not disappointed. It’s definitely noticeable by its arches and its “oldish” appeal, as well as how decorated and ornate it is. With that were also common themes of what appear to be war wounds. I learned about Spain’s long, deadly civil war that greatly influenced the writers whose books I read. In both books the protagonists were directly impacted by the war as it was happening or during the aftermath. It was kind of an insight into how, despite the characters in the different books not knowing each other, their lives were kind of shaped by this one huge event. One that is a major part of Spain’s history.
The first book I read, Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon, taught me a lot about loss, and how loss may not be what it appears to be. The entire “Cemetery of Forgotten Books” was essentially part of a bigger theme of how the loss of a person is not synonymous with the loss of that person’s thoughts, ideas, and contributions to the world since someone will in some way be impacted by them.
Fernando Aramburu’s Homeland was a novel that taught me forgiving and forgetting is never always easy and that grief is handled differently by different people. Bittori(the protagonist) could never really come to terms with her husband’s death. The result was a sort of delusional yet heartbreaking reality where Bittori would visit her old home and speak to her deceased beloved. From this tragic event also stemmed her strained relationships with a lot of people who she decided to push out for not being on her “side.” The cost of war in this book is both people and long-lived relationships cut short.
Reflecting on Myself
This independent reading assignment was a more daunting task than I thought it would have been for me. I have read books before. I have done independent reading assignments before. What was new? Well I have never had to do them every week day for 20 weeks, though. I have learned I am outright horrible at making time in my day for the long list of assignments teachers make students do nearly every day. I imagine other people have because reading when having the time versus reading when under time constraints are two totally different experiences. The former actually allows me to focus on what I’m doing and become engaged in the reading. The latter is just forced reading and unenjoyable.
