#novillera

[dramafan1001]

Kdrama 03/23/2021

Vincenzo is kinda loosing its charm.  I have no idea why that young chairman is so violent.  The actor is not able to give that character nuance.  So, it feels just violence for its sake..  And I do think the writer/director was going for comedy with all the tenants looking for gold and bumping into each other but I am unable to see anything funny or charming about it.  So, I feel a bit turned off by that plot writing.

Finally, not feeling the romance at all.  

Anyways, I kinda stopped somewhere mid ep 11 as I felt I was completely loosing interest in the plot.  I will catch up sometime in the future I guess.

....

Sisyphus

It is so stupid.  But I am going to hang in there.

...

Premiers 

Novillera is gentle and easy watch.  It is about coming of age and aging, both.  I enjoyed the first two episodes.

Joseon exorcist 

Did not know what it was about but wanted to check out the tone.  Yikes.  Zombies!  So much violence!!!  Not my genre.  So, yeah, that one was over after 45 minutes of first ep.

Looking forward to the Minki & Nana romance!! 

[joelynalexandra]

12/04/16: Featuring #Novillera by @wenapoon on Blanket Fortress's #NextInReading (joelynalexandra.wordpress.com) column. The sequel to #AlexYRobert, and a great read about friendship, life goals, and the bullring. #sgwriters #365daysofSG ~ Jo

[joelynalexandra]

12/04/16: Featuring #Novillera by @wenapoon on Blanket Fortress's #NextInReading (joelynalexandra.wordpress.com) column. The sequel to #AlexYRobert, and a great read about friendship, life goals, and the bullring. #sgwriters #365daysofSG ~ Jo

[project-regional-blog]

X2013… Novillera

Title: Novillera Author: Wena Poon Year: 2013 Publisher: Self-Published Date Read: 23rd November 2013

“All I’m saying is, you could die in a car crash. You could die in a bullring. You could die anytime. Might as well die trying to get where you want to be.” – Tomas, You Should Have Been a Man

When Wena told me that Alex y Robert (the first book) was going to have a sequel, I was excited. Alex y Robert is one of my favourites so I could not wait to see how the story development between Alejandra Herrera and Roberto de la Torre would work out.

Unlike most sequels, Novillera does not distinctly start after the events in Alex y Robert itself. In fact, what was interesting about this novel was that it focussed on a different aspect of Alejandra’s journey to becoming a bullfighter and the daily struggles and details on being in the ring.

This instalment not only gives us the intricate details on being a bullfighter - the costumes, the training, the reality of getting gored by a bull, media, assistants etc…, but also the relatable struggles Alex goes through. The sexism and blatant discrimination she faces as one of the few female bullfighters in the industry rings a bell in today’s world as well.

Juxtaposed against Alejandra’s fire and passion for the ring, Roberto, her unwilling mentor and peer, is shown as a bullfighter desperate to get out of his profession. This is despite the sudden jolts of inspiration and suggested affection he has from and for Alejandra herself. Like many of her books, the character dynamics between Alex and Roberto is nothing short of enjoyable to read.

Moving back and forth between Spain and the United States, the novel moves into a deeper, more thematic story of friendship, life, and culture.

And as we get closer to the protagonists, one can only hope that both Alejandra and Roberto manage to find the end of the minotaur’s labyrinth.

For more information on Wena and her work, click here.

~ Joelyn Alexandra