El Pergamino de la Seduccion: Una Novela

By Gioconda Belli

Un novela extraordinaria de amor y locura, en la que un historiador y una joven estudiante investigan la enigmática vida de Juana la Loca. La Reina Juana de Castilla, hija y madre de reyes, es el personaje más carismático y fascinante de un período crucial de la historia de España. Hermosa, inteligente, segura y poderosa, se rebeló contra la represión y los abusos, y luchó sin descanso por ser fiel a sí misma. En 1509, con veintinueve años, fue declarada loca y encerrada en Tordesillas, donde permaneció hasta su muerte en 1555. Cuatro siglos más tarde, a través de Lucía—una joven de asombroso parecido con la Reina Juana de Castilla—un historiador busca resolver el enigma de quien fue más conocida como Juana la Loca. ¿Enloqueció de amor, como cuenta la historia oficial, o fue víctima de traiciones y luchas por el poder? Seducida por la pasión de la palabra, Lucía se adentra en un pasado que alterará su presente para siempre. En esta novela, histórica y contemporánea, Juana de Castilla regresa para contar su propia versión de los hechos.

• Language: Español
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Release date: Nov 20, 2012
• ISBN: 9780062238092

Gioconda Belli

Gioconda Belli's poetry and fiction have been published in many languages. Her first novel, The Inhabited Woman, was an international bestseller; her collection of poems, Linea de fuego, won the prestigious Casa de las Americas Prize. She lives in Santa Monica, California, and Managua, Nicaragua. Nacida en Managua, Nicaragua, Gioconda Belli es autora de una importante obra poética de reconocido prestigio internacional. Es autora de La mujer habitada, Sofía de los presagios, Waslala, El taller de las mariposas y un libro de memorias titulado El país bajo mi piel. Publicada por las editoriales más prestigiosas del mundo, Gioconda Belli vive desde 1990 entre Estados Unidos y Nicaragua.

Reviews for El Pergamino de la Seduccion

[bhowell_35 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This author's previous book, ' The Country Under My Skin' , a sort of memoir, drew high praise from the critics and kind words from some eminent writers including Salmon Rushdie. The enthusism for the 'Scroll of Seduction', at least among Library Thing readers, was intially low but now I note that the average rating is close to a 4.There is no doubt that Ms. Belli is a talented and accomplished author and this is a well written book . She writes beautiful prose and hopefully more of her novels will be translated into English. This book has some definite flaws but as an historical novel I am surprised that it isn't more popular. It is an easy read and the story is interesting. There is too much soppy romance in it for my taste but that is hardly unusual for historical novels. This is a story about mad Queen Juana of Castile who supposedly became insane from jealousy of her husband 'Philippe the Handsome' and was held prisoner, first by her husband, then by her father and then by her son for 47 years. For a reader of history, the reason is obvious but I should first explain who she was. Jauna was a daughter of Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand of Spain who reigned in the 15th century and partly in the 16th century. Her parents ruled Castile and Aragon, each in their own right. The marriage united two separate regions of Spain. Her sister, Caterina, was Katherine of Aragon, the first wife of Henry VIII. Jauna was not the oldest child and she was a girl but through force of circumstance including deaths of siblings and nephews, she became her mother's sole heir and upon her mother's death she was Queen of Castile in her own right. That was unacceptable firstly to her father Ferdinand who wanted to rule both kingdoms after her mother's death. It was also unacceptable to her husband who wanted to rule in his own right rather than be consort and thereafter unacceptable to her sons. Her father needed her alive but he needed her incapacitated so he could rule on her behalf. He had no right other than through her. So it was done. Ferdinand, don't forget, was supposedly Machiaveli's model for the prince. He was cunning and unscupulous and his power of manipulation of emotions and beliefs oustanding. Her husband needed the same thing though he did not outlive Ferdinand. Later, her son Charles who became Charles I of Spain and Charles V of Germany needed her incapacitated. The difficulty was that so long as Jauna was alive she and not her father, husband or son was sole Ruler of Castile. Charles could have had her killed as he was her heir and oldest son but Ferdinand had set her up well as a prisoner and his propaganda had established her madness. It could hardly be refuted in any event because she was held in isolation and no one other than her captors were allowed to see her. Further , Charles was never popular in Spain and the Castilians were fiercely loyal to their former Queen Isabella and her daughter Juana so Juana's premature death could even have led to civil war. Charles disliked Spain, preferring his Flemish upbringing and never learned the language. Ms Belli sorts through the various myths and stories surrounding Jauna, looks at the actual history, consults some modern day psychiatrists, and finds that Jauna was almost certainly an angry woman, not a mad woman. It is a very interesting story and it is a shame that the author could not have done a little better at telling it.The device she uses is a combination of two stories, one in the present (well the 60's ) and Jauna's story. The modern tale is somewhat disturbing, a 17 year old student at a convent in Madrid in a relationship with a 40 year old man obsessed with researching Jauna's story. It helps his memory if Lucia, the student, dresses in a period dress as Juana, and then acts out the young Jauna's supposed passion for her young husband Philippe. It really doesn't work that well, even if you can stomach his cruel exploitation of a lonely girl, and the ending is positively gothic.Nevertheless this is a good escapist read and I would not discourage anyone from reading it.

[schrader5jill · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I haven't finished this book yet so I reserve any final judgment, but so far, it is not looking good. I loved Belli's memoir and had high hopes for a novel from her. However, the story is not grabbing me. The characters and the situation seem unrealistic. The plot moves slowly. I would not recommend this book.