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176th out of 504 books
—
345 voters
The Conquest
Sara Rosario Gonzales is a restorer of rare books and manuscripts at the Getty Museum in Los Angeles. When Sara restores a sixteenth-century manuscript about an Aztec princess enslaved by Cortes and sent to Europe to entertain the pope and Emperor Charles V, she doesn't realize the power of the tale she's about to immerse herself into.
The princess, we find, is determined t...more
The princess, we find, is determined t...more
Paperback, 320 pages
Published
December 2nd 2003
by Harper Perennial
(first published 2002)
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I thought this novel was a pretty good read, not very long, didn't bore me. Ms. Murray's work has not achieved overwhelming favor here on goodreads. The most highly rated of her novels is Locus, her first book, and the one which resulted in her winning the 1999 Whiting award for fiction. She apparently has not left her day job to write full time - she is a professor at Loyola Law School.
This sits on my "historical fiction" shelf because of one half of the story, which is contained in an old book...more
This sits on my "historical fiction" shelf because of one half of the story, which is contained in an old book...more
This fascinating novel centers around Sara Rosario Gonzales, a restorer of rare books and manuscripts at the Getty Museum in Los Angeles. When Sara is assigned to restore a 16th century manuscript about a female Aztec juggler enslaved by Cortes and sent to Europe to entertain the Pope as well as Emperor Charles V, she doesn't realize the power of the tale she's about to immerse herself into.
The juggler, we find, is determined to take revenge on the king of the empire who contributed to the slau...more
The juggler, we find, is determined to take revenge on the king of the empire who contributed to the slau...more
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I thought this might be another Shadow of the Wind book, and while it does feature my favorite plot device -- a mysterious manuscript -- it becomes a standard romance novel, if a little better written than most.
We have our beautiful and plucky heroine (a manuscript restorer at the Getty Museum) and our impossibly upright and gorgeous hero (Marine officer aspiring to be an astronaut) ... and the formula then plays out.
The positive: a well-written depiction of the restorer's work and the workings...more
We have our beautiful and plucky heroine (a manuscript restorer at the Getty Museum) and our impossibly upright and gorgeous hero (Marine officer aspiring to be an astronaut) ... and the formula then plays out.
The positive: a well-written depiction of the restorer's work and the workings...more
I read this years before I found this Goodreads site, and this book was definitely a Good Read. I still remember the story vividly--so many amazing characters. The main character was a woman who worked as a restorer of antique books at a museum in LA, called the Getty, I think. She begins work on a text in which the writer claims to be an ancient (15th century?) Aztec woman, who learns to focus her mind and kinetically control the juggler's balls and entertain the Aztec king. She is then capture...more
Un libro que cuenta la historia de una restauradora de libros antiguos del Museo de Paul Getty en el sur de California, de ancestros Mexicanos e Indigenas. Dentro de esta historia, la historia del personaje principal del libro que se restaura e investiga por la restauradora. Una linda historia de amor, tragedia, iluciones, magia, y sobrevivencia. Este es el tipo de historia que me gusta leer. Un personaje solitario y dedicado a su pasion que nos cuenta de su vida con el toque del realismo magico...more
This is one of those books that didn't quite work for me until everything came together at the end. Not that the plot or characters weren't related or didn't make sense; I ended up really liking the story as a sum of its parts rather than the individual story lines. Sara was depressed, lonely, isolated, and a bit obsessed with her work - tough characteristics to enjoy reading in a novel. Her isolation radiated off the page and made me feel a bit unnerved. I loved the story-within-a-story, though...more
La Conquista es una novela única que nos da la esperanza de que el amor verdadero sí existe, y que la historia, en toda su complejidad, es la que nos impulsa hacia nuestro destino. Sara Rosario Gonzáles lleva una existencia relativamente tranquila, como restauradora de libros y manuscritos antiguos en el Getty Museum de Los Ángeles. Pero cuando se encuentra ante la tarea de restaurar un manuscrito del siglo XVI sobre una princesa azteca que fue esclavizada por Cortés y enviada a Europa para dive...more
This book has two stories that weave together. One story is set in the present and the other is a fantastical story of the 1500s. It reminded me of Like Water for Chocolate in the way that the lines between real & surreal are blurred. I liked it but you have to be prepared to suspend your disbelief.
Love, Murder, Magic and Seduction. A book to get lost in.
I would have rated the book with 4 stars but I was disappointed with the ending and the choice that Sara made.
I would have rated the book with 4 stars but I was disappointed with the ending and the choice that Sara made.
The premise of this book was interesting and it was on some top reading list, so I decided to read it. The beginning of the book started off ok, but then just went off in a different direction than I was prepared for after the first couple of chapters. I did like the way the author bounced back and forth between the "book" narrative the character was restoring and the actual plot.
However, the only reason why I kept ploughing through the book to the end was to congratulate myself on being able t...more
However, the only reason why I kept ploughing through the book to the end was to congratulate myself on being able t...more
The story was really interesting, probably deserving of a 4, but I didn't care for the author's writing style, and the modern love story dragged on a little too much.
Aug 04, 2007
Izzy G
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Those looking for something off the beaten path
Shelves:
ifyouhavetime
Besides being a prof at my Alma Mater (LMU Law), Yxta is like totally smart and really cute. The appeal to SOCAL Natives like myself is obvious - References to Camp Pendleton, The Getty, etc. But more than that, the novel is a solid read that keeps you hooked. The main character is a restorer of ancient books at the Getty who is determined to prove the truth behind an ancient manuscript. She becomes consumed by an ancient text she is working on and a parallel story emerges. Check it out if you h...more
Thanks Tara, saw the review of the Spanish version come up in the feed.
Insight into book restoration.
Ridiculous!
I actually stopped reading the book. I kept trying to pick it up again but couldn't seem to get into it. The books goes from the main character's present to the writings of someone from an ancient past but the writing style remains the same throughout.
It's like Isabel Allende mixed with Indiana Jones. So, it's PERFECT!
A very imaginative and sensual tale of a book restorer whose own passion comes to life while she's researching the escapades of an Aztec princess, who after being enslaved by Cortes and sent to Europe, became a powerful courtesan. A great book for historical fiction lovers.
An interesting read, a little slow in the beginning, i found one part of the story more interesting then the other. but the present day story got more interesting near the middle of the book.
Liked this book because it had good historical references about the conquest, also had a good fictional story that played along well with the history of the conquest.
This is the book I never knew I've always wanted to read. It resonated with me down to my bones, and I was stunned with euphoria for days.
Murray really channels that poetic dreaminess common among Latin American writers, but the plotting's a bit thin for my taste.
I thought this book was okay...a bit boring at times & really predictable though..
Beautiful.
May 05, 2013
Shankia Tinsley
marked it as to-read
Apr 15, 2013
Loretta
marked it as to-read
Apr 10, 2013
Jorie
marked it as to-read
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Yxta Maya Murray is a professor at Loyola Law School and currently lives in Studio City, California.
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“Books make dangerous devils out of women.”
—
7 people liked it
“Every morning, after a few sips of coffee and a bit of small talk, each of us retreats with our books, and travels centuries away from this place.”
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4 people liked it
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