SiameseCat Posted December 26, 2014 Share Posted December 26, 2014 Gary Jennings: Aztec Laura Esquivel: Malinche I was looking for a believable but also readable insight into Aztec culture. These two books were two of the most recommended. I was quite disappointed with both for various reasons. Before I go into that I'm curious what others thought ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talisman Posted December 27, 2014 Share Posted December 27, 2014 (edited) I tried to read the Gary Jennings one years ago as a teenager but didn't get very far with it as it creeped me out too much ! I think I gave up about a third of the way through. Edited December 27, 2014 by Talisman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiameseCat Posted December 28, 2014 Author Share Posted December 28, 2014 Thanks for your input! Essentially it was just porn. I very much doubt the accuracy of anything he wrote, and it hardly does that culture justice. DIdn't the guy actually live in Mexico for while? For "research" purposes? I maybe read 200 pages before giving up, so I'd say I gave it fair enough chance. The Esquivel one was too vague and sentimental, trying to be poetic, especially about women. Colin Falconer's Feathered Serpent was actually superior to both of these. I was just disappointed at his "neutral" stance on the Spanish invasion. But as a book it was the most satisfactory of the three. I'd like to read more historic novels about Aztecs (and other Mesoamerican cultures). But they're really hard to find and rarely measure up ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talisman Posted December 29, 2014 Share Posted December 29, 2014 If you really want to know about Aztec culture I can't help feeling that non fiction is the way to go, as novels are well, fiction. Even if the author has done his or her research, they are embellished accounts of what life was really and cannot be considered real. Of course not everyone likes to read non fiction, but in my experience it is the only way to really learn about things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiameseCat Posted December 30, 2014 Author Share Posted December 30, 2014 I'm perfectly happy reading non-fiction, have enjoyed it in the past. Historic novels were more of an experiment following a suggestion. Though a well-written novel can bring a culture to life too ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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