In Diamond Square by Mercè Rodoreda

In Diamond Square by Mercè Rodoreda is a must read. Published in the 1960s for the first time, it is the story of Natalia, a shop-girl, and Joe, a carpenter. They marry in the 1930s and soon the Spanish Civil War starts. She remains with their two children in Barcelona while he leaves to fight on the side of the Republicans. I didn’t like any of the characters, with the exception of the grocer. I don’t want to say more, because of spoilers though.

In Diamond Square by Mercè Rodoreda

This is such a wonderful book, because her life is presented in such a simple way. She is doing what she can, as a single woman in a war-torn country. Her political affiliations and the way she deals with the politics is just amazing, because it’s so unusual in novels, especially in novels written in that period. I loved the writing style, so simple, but it works so good with the main character, with Natalia. The story is incredibly sad, for so many reasons, but it is also a book very hard to put down.

I highly recommend it. It’s beautifully written and engaging. It truly is a classic and a vivid and powerful story of a woman caught up in war.

In Diamond Square by Mercè Rodoreda

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My rating: 5/5 Stars
Would I recommend it: YES!
Published by: Virago Modern Classics
Year it was published: 2013 (first published in 1962)
Format: Paperback
Genre(s): Contemporary fiction
Pages: 203

About the author: Mercè Rodoreda i Gurguí was a Catalan novelist. She is considered by many to be the most important Catalan novelist of the postwar period. Her novel “La plaça del diamant” (‘The diamond square’, translated as ‘The Time of the Doves’, 1962) has become the most acclaimed Catalan novel of all time and since the year it was published for the first time, it has been translated into over 20 languages. It’s also considered by many to be best novel dealing with the Spanish Civil War.
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6 thoughts on “In Diamond Square by Mercè Rodoreda”

  • I am not familiar with this book or author. It sounds interesting, I will add it to my TBR list, which is ever growing, thanks to all book reviews. 🙂

  • I have to admit that I have never really ‘boned up’ on the Spanish Civil War. As a Brit, my knowledge of Spanish politics really begins and ends with Gibraltar!!

    Similarly. I have never had occasion to read any Spanish novels, but this one does sound really intriguing and worth adding to my ‘wish list’ for sure. Natalia sounds like a strong female character.

    Thanks for featuring and have a good holiday weekend 🙂

    • It’s a very interesting novel, I wish I could say more, but that would mean spoilers. The war is central to the story, but because of what happens to civilians in a war, not because of any specifics to that one. I think the story is so good and maybe even relevant today because the politics is just us vs them and nothing else. I hope you enjoy it, if you are going to read it.

    • This is, mostly, the story of a woman trying to survive and care for her children, while a war is raging. It’s not about what happened in the war. In a way it can represent any conflict, anywhere in the world. I hope you’ll enjoy it. xx

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