In the Time of Butterflies is a historical novel, based on the true lives of the Mirabal sisters, four women who fought against an oppressive dictatorship in the 1950’s in the Dominican Republic (homeland of Manny Ramirez, Pedro Martinez, and David Ortiz – none of whom appear in this novel).
The narration of this novel alternates between all four of the sisters, giving us their story from different perspectives. (It can also be a little confusing. I’ve only give this book a quick read through; I’ll be taking notes next time.)
The novel shows us how the sisters, of different ages and temperaments, are gradually radicalized and become involved in a revolutionary movement – and reminds us of the cost that must sometimes be paid for freedom. In a time that tosses around the term hero quite loosely, these women are bona fide heroes.
57 comments:
In the Time of the Butterflies is very captivating so far. I'm not finished yet, but I am glad I saved it for last. I enjoy all the different personalities of the sisters. Minerva's rebellious nature has captured my interest.
I just finished In the Time of the Butterflies and I loved it. I don't usually read historical novels, but it captured my interest really easily and it kept me wondering what would happen next. Each of the characters had personality traits that I could relate to, and the struggles that they went through made me empathize with the courageous choices that they each made. When I read the postscript, I was really surprised to find that Julia Alvarez created the personalities of the characters because they seemed so real and the descriptions, especially of the jail, were realistic. Overall, this is probably one of the best books that we have been assigned to read in high school.
I have to agree with Sima, In the Time of the Butterflies was the best book I have ever read out of all of the summer readings books I have been assigned. Julia Alvarez wrote realistically and emotionally and I think it all came together perfectly. I admired the fact that the sisters were willing to lose it all in order to free their country.
The one aspect of this book that really captivated me was how the author was able to tell a full story in flashback form. From Dede's memories to Maria Teresa's diary entries, the entire story was formed bit by bit. The courage of the 4 girls amazed me. I don't know if I could fight that strongly for my country.
When I read the post script, I also was surprised that these girls were not real. It made me really want to know more about the true story, which was the authors intent. I feel that she really succeeded with this story.
It's really weird. After reading "A Moon for the Misbegotten", which I stand by as the best book this round, I was really determined to not like this book. After reading all of the praise that it's gotten from the other posts, I just figured, "Well, I'll just be a jerk and go against it!" Well, I really couldn't do that. "In the Time of the Butterflies" is a well-written, powerful, and entertaining book. There's no way around it.
I really have to agree with Sima in saying that it's one of the best books I've ever been assigned to read in school. Compared to some things that I've had to read *cough*Bartleby*cough*, "In the Time of the Butterflies" is a modern classic. The way that Julia Alvarez crafted these historic heroes into strong and graceful characters is amazing. The method in which she went to format the book, individually building up each of the sisters, is genius too, focusing upon them one at a time instead to flipping back and forth. By the epilogue, you feel real sympathy for Dede and her losses.
The political issues that took the forefront of the novel drew me into story more than past books have. Believe it or not, there are countries that suffered more than Hitler's Germany, Stalin's Russia, or Hussein's Iraq. South and Latin America have been and continue to be some of the most oppressed regions of the world, and it's nice to find something that doesn't just focus upon Hitler.
Overall, very very successful, a book that I hope is continued throughout the future years. It really is a treasure.
Like Sebastian said, I also really liked the historical aspect of the story. We always learn about history from an outsider's point of view through history books and movies, but this allowed us to actually feel what it was like to live a period of dictatorship.
In the Time of the Butterflies was the first book that I read this summer. It took a lot of effort for me to get started (because I was battling procrastination...) but when I finally sat down to read it, I was fascinated by the talent of Julia Alvarez. The beginning part (Dede in the present) was a little hard for me to understand but as the story progressed through each sister's point of view, I understood more and was captivated. Personally, I felt the parts where Patria or Dede narrated were a little uninteresting and I kept wondering when Maria Teresa's or Minerva's parts would come. Still, in general I agree with what Sima, Ashley, and others said: this was one of the best assigned books that we've ever read.
I'm giving it second place in terms of the trio of summer books, but that doesn't mean I didn't like it. I loved it, as you can tell by my glowing review, and I think that the others that posted here feel the same way I do. I will also stand by my decision that it's one of the best assigned books I've read, but even still...
I don't think it's about what "In the Time of the Butterflies" lacked, but more about what I felt "A Moon for the Misbegotten" had. Pointing out anything wrong here is nitpicking, so I'll just leave it at that.
It's definitely a book that should be carried on in the summer reading for 2009.
I just finished reading In the Time of Butterflies tonight, and overall, I didn't think it was too bad. When I first got it, I wasn't excited to start it at all since I have never really liked historical books; however, the more I read, the more I began to like it. Throughout the story, the tense frequently switched from past to present, which frustrated me and made it difficult to determine the sequence of events (especially at the beginning). I also didn't like how it jumped around with each sister narrating a chapter in each part. I had to go back and re-read some parts to make sure I understood it all. As the plot unfolded and the characters developed I found it much easier to read and comprehend though. Like Sima, I was surprised when I read the postscript and found out that although the Mirabal sisters were based on real people, their personalities were "invented" by Alvarez. I definitely agree with Brianna when she said that she admired the courage of the sisters. They sacrificed so much for their country and it's really an amazing story. I think that Alvarez's detailed description of each sister's emotions were great too because I was able to relate to them making the book much easier to read.
I haven't quite finished In the Time of the Butterflies yet, however I have to say that I enjoy how the story is told from each sister's point of view.
I can see how Minerva's actions appear not only in her own mind, but how they affect each of her sisters.
I did not enjoy this book at all. I found it to be a very slow moving storyline and one that was slightly predictable. Knowing from the dedication at the beginning that the three sisters died and then after reading the first few pages and seeing that Dede was being interviewed, it was obvious to me that the sisters were going to be murdered by the end of the story. Knowing the ending made it even more painful for me to read this book as it was so slow to develop and when it finally did develop it was no surprise what happened. I did not like the way in which the story was written: the switching between the four characters and between first and third person. Overall, I found this book to be a letdown after A Moon for the Misbegotten.
I have to say that I disagree with Devin in the fact that he did not like reading the book after he knew the sisters would die. For me, knowing this information made me want to read the book even more. I wanted to know how they died, and the times in their lives that led up to the decisions that they wound up making. In my opinion, the way that author wrote the book helped to make the story even more captivating.
I just finished reading In the Time of the Butterflies and I have to admit I really enjoyed reading this book. I usually don’t like reading historical books and often find them boring, but this book in my opinion was the best of the three summer reading books. I really liked how the book kept switching between the three characters showing how each was struggling and fighting their corrupt government in different ways. The book was difficult to understand in the beginning because the main character kept changing but once I learned each of the characters different personalities the book became a much easier and more interesting read. It was strange how I knew that three of the sisters were going to die from the beginning of the book because Dede the only surviving sister starts the story be telling the Mirabel sisters’ story to an interviewer. As I was reading the book I knew that three of the sisters were going to die but when they did it still came as a surprise to me because all of the characters were so dynamic and it seemed that they were almost unstoppable in their fight for political justice. Overall I really enjoyed reading this book and I liked how it was so different than most other books because it didn’t just have one main character and it gave many different points of views on the same story.
I have to agree with almost everyone else that wrote a review on this book, In the Time of the Butterflies definitely was one of the best summer reading books we have been assigned in high school. I love reading about historical events in history and learning not only about the history of the world in a broad prospective but in a single family’s life. It has always been a subject that interested me. I have to agree with Erica that the first chapter was a little confusing but as the book went on I started to understand more and more and the book just dragged me in. I couldn’t wait to see what would happen next. I also loved how the book had four different narrators and not just one. It gave it an extra little twist and I couldn’t wait to see what the next sister had to say. I also agree with Sima that when you read the postscript it is very surprising that Julia Alvarez created the personalities of the characters. She made the sisters seem so realistic that it felt like every page was exactly what happened in these girls’ lives. All of the sisters were so brave and courageous and I bet so many people wish they could be just as brave as these girls were fighting for their country and what they believed was right. Overall, I felt this was one of the best summer reading books assigned in our four years at THS.
I found this book to be a true inspiration to women. Each of the four sisters had their own way of dealing with the hardships of having no political freedom. Yet, Minerva I feel is the most adventerous and rightous of all. All I could do was look forward to the chapters that told the story from her point of view. In all, I feel this story gives a clear preception of what it's like not to have freedom. In the United States, freedom of Speech applies. In the past many people of countries such as the Dominican Republic did not own this privlege and there are still countries like that today. In the Time of the Butterflies is a great book for anyone who wants to see the world in a very different point of view. I know I loved it.
While I did not enjoy this book, I do admit that the author showed remarkable ability in recreating the personalities of the sisters. I, along with the others, was surprised to learn that the author made up these personalities. However, I felt that the way in which she presented these personalities by switching between characters and skipping large gaps in time made this book a confusing and frustrating read at times.
I like the way Karissa said "I found this book to be a true inspiration to women." I completely agree with this. For my essay I went back through this book to find quotes and examples. Some of the situations the sisters were placed in would make even the strongest person in the world crumble. This book shows that women have just as much courage as any man in the world, or in same cases, even more.
In the Time of the Butterflies is very interesting so far. I'm almost done, the last week of summer is convincing me to do otherwise....haha. But for such a historical novel I can say it has kept me very interested so far. Historical novels bore me to death most of the time, so that has to be saying something. At least it's not that first book we had to read first couple weeks of AP U.S. History. Oh gosh, what was that book again?
I definitely liked this book the best out of all the ones we read. I was unaware of Trujillo and the reign of terror he held over the Dominican Republic until I read this, and I was quite frankly shocked that such a horrible tragedy does not get more attention in today's culture.... History department take note......
I liked the multiple viewpoints posed in this story. I found it fun to watch the characters grow up and slowly realize the full scope of the tragedy at hand. I was also surprised by their will to fight even though they were women in a society where women had very little power.
I was also amazed at how powerful each sister's actions influenced the other sisters. They were so close to each other that they were willing to follow each other into any situation, no matter how risky. This is also true for Dede, who was held outside the group due to her husband's actions. If she married differently, I doubt she stays alive to tell the sister's tale.....
I thought this book was a great mix of the power of family and the tragedy of dictatorship. Not something you would think would go together, but Alvarez made it a very powerful combination, indeed.
Lindsey Rice
In my opinion,In the Time of the Butterflies was the best one out of the books. Like a few others said when I first got the historical novel I can't say that I was very excited. However, the story proved me wrong. I found aspects in every character I could relate to. I loved how each sister was so different and even though they faced different tribulations throughout their lives they all fought for the same cause. I agree with ashley when she said she admired the sisters for that.
I also agree with Erica when she said that the switching from past to present and character to character frustrated me. As soon as I would get into one of the sisters stories it would switch. When I first began reading I hated this, but as I read more I ended up loving it. It kept me guessing and wanting to know what was going to happen next.
Sima and Sebastian are correct when they said that this was one of the best books we've read in highschool. It has changed my negative opinion of historical novels and has encouraged me to read more.
This by far my favorite book! (Although only the second I read I am bogging after completing all of them.) In the Time of the Butterflies really hit the nail on the head when it comes to what kind of book I like to read. The historical side of things captivated me and I was able to do a little more research on the whole event. (I know it is corny)
Anyway my favorite character was Mate or Maria Teresa as she is also called. The way her point of view was written, diary form, allowed me to really see her develop into a lady. Its very interesting to see how her point of view changed as she aged. From being an innocent young girl and drawing pictures of her shoes in her diary to only worrying about her children and husband.
Julia Alvarez wrote this with such passion being thrown through the pages. I actually found myself to cry because of the sheer emotion she put in every word. The intense and ongoing movement of the book made it really easy to read. I actually read most of it on a flight out to Colorado for my vacation.
In the Time of the Butterflies was so moving and I was able to relate it to events happening now. It was neat to see how times have changed in terms of the praise the Mirabal sisters were giving Fidel Castro of Cuba and as we know he became an awful dictator and suffocated the country from its freedoms. Best book I have read in a long time!
I agree with Becca that it was interesting to see how the timeframe related to the Castro uprising in Cuba. I found it ironic how these four sisters are portayed as heroes in the book yet their hero is a man who has grown into a vicious dictator, the like of which the sisters were trying to depose.
I also liked how the book switched point of views. I felt that it gave the book more depth and it made me feel like I was living the story instead of just reading about it. I was able to connect with the characters much more because of the multiple points of view.
I also agree with Becca. Mate was only a kid when the story began, and it was interesting to watch her grow up as the story unfolded.
I also thought that she was easily swayed by Minerva's actions. As the second-youngest, Minerva was always hanging around with Mate. Do you think this had any influence as to why Mate joined the revolution first?
I didn't especially love this story, but it wasn't entirely terrible. I found the layout of the story interesting. Each chapter gave you a different perspective of the events. However, before each chapter I had to regroup and remind myself who was telling their story. Overall the writing style enhanced the story's character.
What I didn't like was how the book started. It started slow and at first I had no idea what was going on. Obviously, this changed as I read, but I was lost for a little bit. This made the story hard to get into. When I looked back on the beginning as I read, I already knew the outcome, which Devin also stated.
To answer Ellen’s question, I think Minerva was one of the only reasons Mate initially joined the revolution. As the story went on, however, her reasons changed.
From the historic point of view, it’s amazing what dictators get away with. The prison was in plain view of everybody when everybody knew the majority of the prisoners shouldn't have been there in the first place. Devin also pointed out the Castro was their revolutionary idol; I found this funny.
I also find it very amusing that the sisters were idolizing Castro. However it shows you how bad it is under a dictatorship for people to rather be a part of communism.
For people during that age, communism was a dream. While Trujillo ruled with a dictatorship, it was about status and limits, creating a barrier between the haves and the have-nots. With communism, that barrier is completely destroyed, thus symbolizing the type of freedom that those oppressed, like the Mirabal sisters, wanted. Unfortunately, communism is a much better idea in theory than it is in reality, which is why eventually ended up corrupting.
In all honesty, if I was in that era and in that situation, I would immediately side with Castro, simply because it's much better than Trujillo's Dominican Republic.
This book took me the longest to complete, but out of the three, I feel it was my favorite. It was interesting how the author was able to combine the fact and fiction of the Mirabel sisters to make the story come alive.
The story also had a great build-up, from starting with their childhood and teenage years, to when they were young adults and took their roles in the revolution. You were really able to see the girls grow as individuals.
What I also liked about this novel as well was the way it was told, in flashbacks. Dede framed the story, while the other three sisters filled in the details with their opinions. It was interesting that the author decided to have the three sisters who were killed tell their story in first person point of viewm while Dede, who was still alive, was written in third person.
In general, I enjoyed this book a lot. It was powerfully written, and although the story is a statement about the disasters of politics and the horrible history of a country, it was told in very human terms and it was not told not with outrage, but with a hope for the future.
This was the first book I read, due to the fact that it was the longest and from the summary Mr. MacArthur gave us, it didn't seem like the best of the three books.
I was happily surprised when I read it. Usually the only historical novels I can stay interested in are ones pertaining to some sort of war. While there were descriptions of events such as those in In The Time of the Butterflies it wasn’t the main focus, but I stayed interested. It was a book that, I'll be honest, I was weary of picking each time, but once I picked it up I just couldn't put it down.
The set-up of the book when I first looked at the table of contents seemed like a great idea. At times it worked out really well, but at other times it seemed to be more of a burden. Trying to follow the story as you would have to read a chapter, then get to the next one and be right back where your were in time, if not earlier, did get to be a bit confusing. That is one of the few criticisms that I have with the book. The other being, not so much a criticism, more of a comment, as it couldn't be changed is that all the names and relationships and family ties did get to be a little too much, and a bit confusing. Reading a name, I would find myself thinking through all the other people to think of how this person was part of the story and the family.
Overall this book was a great one and on I am glad I was required to read. If I saw it on a book shelf, I probably wouldn't give it a second look, but it is definitely worth that and much more.
I also found myself confused at times with all the different names of the characters. There were so many people in the story I actually made a family tree of the Mirabals to have with me when I read. One thing I noticed was that many of the names were similar. For example, Patria had two children whose names both started with an "n" (noris and nelson). Finding little similarities in the names helped to keep track of who everyone was
I have to agree with brianna that all the different characters were so confusing to keep track of. I also had to write down the names of the girls and their husbands and children. After I did that it was a little easier because everytime I forgot which part of the family someone was from I could just look at the sheet.
The family tree idea that Briana and Kelly mentioned, I also thought about doing. By the time I thought of making one, it seemed like I was only going to make myself more confused trying to think of the connections. It would have helped once it was done, I just thought of it too late for it to seem worth the struggle that surely would have occurred. Also as Briana mentioned about Patria's children, the "n" for both Noris and Nelson was the one mother and child relationship that I never forgot, simply because of the "n". Though I couldn't seem to find any else, at least not any that stuck out as obvious as that one.
Going along with the name games..
Patria married Pedrito (2 p's)
Minerva married Manolo and her daughter was Minou (3 m's)
Dede married Jamito- named her sons
Jaime David
Jaime Rafael
Jaime Enrique(Jaime-part of Jamito)
I finally finished In the Time of the Butterflies today. I'm still unsure exactly what I think about it. The book was interesting enough in that it portrayed four different characters in unique ways. I was confused at times, however, by the amount of characters in the book. Especially in the early stages of the story, I was confused about who was whose husband and child and so on.
The plot was a good one, and I admire the Mirabal sisters for what they did to help others and to better their country. I found Minerva to be my favorite character, as she always did what she thought was best for everyone. She fought for her beliefs and for the rights of the oppressed people. One of my favorite parts of the book was when she slapped Trujillo in the face at the party. She always acted in a way that nobody expected.
Overall, In the Time of the Butterflies was, to me, a mediocre novel. I felt that the way it was written kept me engaged in the plot, but the amount of characters and events was confusing sometimes.
Thanks Briana. Those are I guess more obvious than I thought. Looking back on it now that you have pointed those out, it occurs to me that I was aware of more than just the "n". I for sure did not catch the "m" connection.
Thank you
Out of the three books, In the Time of the Butterflies was the one that I was looking most forward to. I thought that a story that was from women's points of view would be more interesting. I will admit that it took some time to get used to the book. I got the sisters confused very often and couldn't remember who was married to who and so on. I had to go backwards a lot and reread because I often felt that I wasn't understanding what was going on.
As the story went on however I found it much easier to comprehend. Once I was able to get a better hold of the characters, I could concentrate on the events themselves. Like some of my fellow students mentioned, the historical and political parts got a little confusing at times. I can say though that I appreciate that I was able to learn about the history of the Dominican Republic. It was a real eye opener to see the details of how another country was run.
My favorite character was Maria Teresa because she wrote her entries in diary form. I found this much easier to read. Her stories of the experiences she had during her time in jail were very capturing and made me want to read more.
Overall, I think that even though this story was difficult, it was a smart selection because of the captivating information it entailed.
First of all, i think that David Ortiz, Pedro martinez, and Manny should all have been featured in this novel.
Now that thats out of the way, i agree with most of my fellow classmates saying that this is a very good, captivating novel. i agree with Sebastian waaaayy up there when he said he was determined not to like it, i mean the title come on.
but in all seriousness i like when i can relate to characters in stories because it helps me get into them. the changing P.O.V. is kind of confusing but i got past that real quick.
This story is representative of struggle and i enjoyed how the main characters overcame that struggle with courage and determination.
i wonder if i'll be last to post?
Thank you Briana, I like the way you made that nme game to remember the characters. It will be very helpful in the future. Like you and Kelly, and I'm sure many others, I had quite a difficult time remembering who was married to who, etc.
After completeing the book (which I did the other week but just decided to post now) I must say I was very surprised. I definitely liked reading A Moon for the Misbegotten more, however, this book also kept my interest. I really liked how the author created characters that developed throughout the entire book. As the book went on, they learned how little power they had as women in a world of communism. The girls' courage astounded me throughout the entire book.
To agree with Briana, also find it very amusing that the girls idolized Castro. Ha.
This book should definitely stay in the summer reading program for future honors students.
& haha looks like I'll be the last one Dave. :P
I agree that it was very difficult to remember all the relationships the characters had. It was made even more difficult with the nicknames and code names. I also agree that some sort of family tree in the beginning or end of the book would have made it a lot less confusing. I like Brianna's system of remembering all the names. That would have made this book easier to read.
Many people have come out and stated who their favorite character was and I feel as I should join in the fun and do the very same. My favorite character differed from my favorite sister. While the favorite characters that have been mentioned here all are one of the sisters that is just not true in my case.
First I will start by saying that my favorite sister was as Chris also agreed with was Minerva. I also agree with Karissa in that I looked forward to her chapters; they were quicker reads as they tended to be more interesting and contained more daring descriptions and acts.
As far as my favorite character goes, I will admit that he was not a major character, and I know I will probably hear plenty of disagreement I have to say it. My favorite character was the guard Santicló. Yes his time in the book was short, but no one can disagree that he had an impact in the story. He did what some correctional officers do now a day’s anyway, but by doing so he was risking his life. I'm not saying that makes him any braver than the Mirabel sisters, I was simply stating it. I liked the fact that he was helping the inmates, most of who shouldn’t have even been in there. He was making their stay in prison a little bit better, even if it didn't make a difference. I think I found him to be my favorite character because, if I found myself in the situation he was in, I would do the same thing.
In the Time of the Butterflies was the best book of all the ones I read this summer. It was very interesting, and even though I knew the ending beforehand, it was still interesting and sometimes suspenseful. I especially liked the way the author wrote each chapter in the point of view of each of the different sisters. While confusing at first, it made it much easier to understand the point of views of all the sisters. I also found it interesting because it was about a less known dictator. Other dictators are often written about all the time, I enjoyed reading about someone different.
Like several people have commented, when I first read the title and introductory to the book, I was not looking forward to reading it, especially because historical novels are not my favorite, but I was definitely pleasantly surprised as I started to read. The book started out with the sisters as young and naïve children and it was interesting to watch them grow and their ideas and beliefs challenged and change. I found that the sisters had very complicated, intricate personalities, which to me, made them see very easy to relate to, which seems to be a common opinion in these blogs. They had flaws, and that showed that they were just humans like us. They all had separate, personal obstacles to overcome, such as their faith being challenged and relationship problems. The author didn't put the sisters on a pedestal and try to portray them as perfect.
In the front of the book, it says that the author, Julia Alvarez, fictionalized a lot of this story, while I think it worked really well in developing the characters, some parts seemed a little corny to me. I think there was foreshadowing that was a little too obvious sometimes. I didn't like Maria Teresa's dreams with her father, or other men, in the coffin. That along with the father telling the futures in the beginning and some other foreshadowing was just unrealistic to me. (I'm assuming those parts are fake by the way).
Despite my attempts to dislike it both because of the name and the fact that it was historical, this book was my favorite of the summer reading this year. Although confusing at first, it was interesting how the author told the story from four different points of view. With each sister, you obtained a different interpretation of the previous events. I found myself looking forward to the next chapter to see how the next sister would react to the events that had taken place. It was also neat how you could follow the sister's, as well as the towns, change in attitude towards the dictatorship as the book progressed. My favorite sister was definitely Minerva because she was so different from the rest of society and was always looking for ways to end the reign of dictatorship. Another reason I enjoyed this book is that it was interesting to learn about a part of history I previously knew nothing about.
Along with others, I agree this is one of the best summer reading books we have read and has changed my mind towards other historical novels in the future.
"In the Time of the Butterflies" was my least favorite of our summer reading books. When I first began to read this story, I was often confused by the format in which it was told. I found the way it skipped from sister to sister rather annoying at times, amd often confused whos thoughts were whose. That being said, I'll have to give it another read to ensure I have all the facts straight
After just finishing In the Time of the Butterflies I have somewhat mixed feelings. I really was not excited to start this one however I found myself to be slightly surprised with how much I enjoyed it. The only problem I really had was that it could get quite confusing towards the middle and end. There were so many characters and their names all seemed similar to me. Even so Julia Alvarez kept me on the edge of my seat especially since each characters story came only once every sixty pages. I would have to agree with mostly everyone and say that overall, the book was very good.(at least for a historical novel)
I didn't really enjoy the two previous books so i'm really happy I saved this one for the end because I definitely liked it the best.
Most people would probably agree that what made this book interesting was that there were four different Mirabel sisters. Each one had a different attitude and personality so you could relate to them.
Even though i liked all of the different point of views, it was hard to read when the time changed from current to flashbacks, but it was still helpful to know what happened in the past. Also i liked how the book covered a large amount of time so that not only could you see what happened in their past but how they grew and developed from their experiences.
Wow, thanks Brianna, your name game really helps to remember all the names. i wrote them all down, but then just kept reading, and didn't take the time to look at all of them together.
I really enjoyed reading In the Time of the Butterflies. I usually do not like stories based off true events because they are like reading a history textbook, but I was immediately captured into this novel. The story affected me emotionally as I imagined the horrific events that happened under the dictatorship of Trujillo. I really could feel for the characters as they underwent the trials and tribulations of that difficult period.
Although I really liked this book, I thought that it was difficult to follow because of the frequent switching of point of views and sometimes tenses. It took me a minute to straighten out which character was currently telling the story, but this kept me engaged while reading. It was also more difficult because of the amount of characters presented in the novel. The Mirabal family had a large family tree, which was constantly growing as more kids were born. It was hard to remember which child and husband belonged to each sister.
I liked how Julia Alvarez used the code name “the butterflies” for the Mirabal sisters. This is a metaphor showing how similar to butterflies, the three sisters involved in the revolution were sweet and beautiful like butterflies, but they were also quiet and smart allowing them to easily scheme and rebel against the dictatorship as part of the revolution.
I did not really understand the scene where Maria Teresa was taken to La 40 on April 11, 1960. Was the character brought in to watch Maria Teresa be tortured her husband? What were they trying to get him to confess or talk about? Did they use a tazor on Maria Teresa? What happened to her baby? That whole scene I am a confused on so it would be great if someone could try to clear that up for me.
I also did not understand what Dedé was referring to when she was talking about her breast taken off and that she had a fake one in its place. Did she have to have it removed because of cancer?
Even though In the Time of the Butterflies was a long book, I enjoyed every bit of it. It really gave me a perspective of how lucky we all are living in a free world and a democracy without the fear of dictators or other tyrants.
I read this book second this summer and it was definitely better than Hedda Gabler. Although this was still not one of my favorites, I did think that it was reasonably good. I liked how it used four different points of views; one for each sister. I thought that was a very good and creative way to tell this story. I do not usually like historical books because I find them boring. This book was by no means exciting, but it was better than i thought it would be. I liked how each point of view of the sisters the came together at the end. I also liked how each sister was willing to risk her life for her country. I found that very noble and it made the book much better. This book was very well written and I feel that for a summer reading book, it was pretty good.
I agree with Sebastion. I don't typically like historical fiction, but this novel was easy to stay interested in because the characters were so well developed. I really liked how the stories was told by the different sisters as it gave me a way to see things from different perspectives.
Of all of the reading books, this one is definitely my favorite. I was intrigued within the first few pages and the book continued to draw me in as I read more.
As many have commented, one of my favorite things about this book is the change in viewpoints among the four sisters. As the author gave opinions from multiple sides of the story I could generate a better picture of the events that happened and I could better understand the plot. Yes, I agree that it was confusing at first, but after a while I was able to keep them straight in my head in a similar way to Brianna. Overall, I really enjoyed the switching of viewpoint and I feel that it provided a lot of depth to the story and it would not be as powerful a book if told in only one characters viewpoint.
I also agree that this book is a great example of women empowerment. These women are all very strong self-aware characters and I feel that one can learn a lot from their struggles, despite being somewhat fictitious. As they overcame the dangers and obstacles they faced, it showed me how strong one could be in times of hardship.
This book has also brought to light the oppression in Latin America. The political history behind the story is both intriguing and horrifying. This book has brought to my attention something that I never took too much time to learn about. Since my favorite genre of literature is historical fiction, I was delighted to see one on the reading list. This is by far one of the best books I have ever read.
When i was reading this book, I couldn't help but get sidetracked all the time. It just never captivated my attention. Yes it was about interesting matters but I was more confused than anything. The constant changing of the speakers in the book was driving me mad and since I haven't taken, let alone spoke, Spanish since 6th grade, I didn't know what any of those key words were throughout the story. Also, I've always had this thing against historical novels; I just never found the interest to pick one up. However, from what I did manage to gather from the novel, Maria Teresa was the one character that constantly got on my nerves because she couldn't handle anything around her. My overall favorite was Minerva because she was commanding and fought for what she believed in, basically an all around true heroine. I honestly thought she was more commendable then her sisters because they only joined in the group because of her.
As I read In the Time of the Butterflies, I found that I gradually progressed from not being able to really get into it, to not being able to put it down due to the suspense. It was hard to start off; the beginning didn't seem to capture my attention too well... if I had been reading this book for leisure as opposed to an assignment, I mightn't have finished it at all. But I am glad that I did actually have to read it, because I found myself becoming more and more engrossed in the lives of the heroic Mirabal sisters as I read on. Of course there were parts where I didn't really understand what was going on, or even what was being said (not having taken Spanish since middle school), but I was usually able to get the basic gist of it.
The Mirabal sisters are all beautiful, strong characters in their own ways, and I found myself getting attached to each of them as the book progressed. Minerva, I think, was my favorite of the four. Just something about her rebellious nature and take-charge attitude had me rooting for her, from start to finish. One of my favorite parts of the entire book was when she slapped Trujillo across the face; that took guts, and I was half-surprised he didn't kill her right then. Another thing I was surprised to realize was that I found myself actually feeling hopeful as I read about how Minerva and her sisters' and the movement's efforts were becoming successful; a few times I caught myself almost believing that it was going to be a happy ending, despite the fact that I already knew the inevitable fate of the martyred sisters before it happened.
In the Time of the Butterflies is a powerfully written, impacting book. The characters are so beautifully constructed that I admit that I am slightly disappointed that these are only vaguely based on real women, and that most of their story is purely fiction; however, that would give all the more merit to the girls who were the works of the imagination of Julia Alverez. I have to keep reminding myself that those characters are made up; it makes me want to learn more about the historical Mirabal sisters who really did exist... but on another hand, I don't feel as if I really need to, because I'm satisfied from what the book, fiction or not, had to give.
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