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La mano de Fátima

by Ildefonso Falcones

3.68 · rating details · 295 ratings · 57 reviews

La apasionante historia de un joven atrapado entre dos religiones y dos amores, en busca de su libertad y la de su pueblo

España, segunda mitad del siglo XVI: hace más de medio siglo que ha desaparecido el último reino musulmán de la península, el de Granada. Los musulmanes, cuya presencia tenía ochocientos años de antigüedad, se ven convertidos en una minoría oprimida econ...more

Paperback, 960 pages

Published August 18th 2009 by Knopf Doubleday (first published June 1st 2009)

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Jan 25, 2012

Hana rated it

Shelves: islamic-history

Ini catatan awal saya mengenai buku ini. Saya sedang berada kira-kira di separuh perjalanan (muka surat 566 dari 960).

Bergantung kepada apa yang dicari melalui pembacaan - jujur, saya tak peduli mengenai watak utama bernama Hernando, si anak luar nikah yang terhasil setelah ibunya (Muslim berbangsa Arab) dirogol oleh seorang paderi di Sepanyol.

Hidupnya sengsara dan azab habis, kerana bapa tirinya yang merupakan pak sanggup begitu tegar menyeksanya seumur hidup. Kemuncak peny...more

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Feb 04, 2011

Leslie rated it

Enjoyable long read, even if sometimes I felt the events were a bit too crow-bar just as a way of advancing the plot and giving Hernando and his family yet more suffering. The translation into English is very well done - sometimes translated books feel clunky - but the translation here is smooth and easy. The story bounces along and it's the kind of book you can put down for a week or so and go back to without losing any of the plot. It's not very demanding but it holds the interest. As other re...more

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Sep 30, 2011

Astrid Paramita rated it

· review of another edition

I had to stop at one third of the book. It wasn't really because the book is bad, but I just couldn't go on reading it because it's somehow made me feel sad and depressed.

The main character in this book had so many bad things happened to him, and I felt after 300 pages (the book is about 900 pages) I just couldn't take it anymore. I'm sorry, but I'd rather read books that made me feel hopeful. It's just a matter of preference.

What I liked about this book is the detail on 15t...more

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Aug 04, 2011

Bea rated it

Esta novela tiene un tema muy interesante pero para mi podría haber sido escrito en la mitad de los casi mil paginas. Sobre todo los primeros 200 paginas son horribles con tanto violencia, crueldades, violaciones etc. Puede ser que eso era la realidad pero si el autor lo cuenta con menos detalle tambien comprendo el mensaje. Despues la historia es más interesante aunque tambien en este tramo demasiado largo y con muchos detalles que a veces aburren.

El final es duro: es verdaderamente fuerte dar...more

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Jan 31, 2012

Monica Madrazo rated it

Le battaglie tra cristiani e musulmani si perdono nei meandri della storia, e questo romanzo ambientato in un vecchio continente dominato da una ferrea inquisizione e la determinazione di una folta colonia di moriscos pronta a sacrificare la vita per difendere "i loro diritti" di culto religioso e libertà in terre spagnole, ci mostra “un episodio storico cruciale che stimola riflessioni sull’intolleranza e il fanatismo di cristiani e musulmani”

La lettura di questo secondo ...moreLe battaglie tra cristiani e musulmani si perdono nei meandri della storia, e questo romanzo ambientato in un vecchio continente dominato da una ferrea inquisizione e la determinazione di una folta colonia di moriscos pronta a sacrificare la vita per difendere "i loro diritti" di culto religioso e libertà in terre spagnole, ci mostra “un episodio storico cruciale che stimola riflessioni sull’intolleranza e il fanatismo di cristiani e musulmani”

La lettura di questo secondo romanzo di Falcones è stata molto più lenta rispetto a quella del primo....l' ambientazione sia storica che geografica è molto complessa e pertanto la lettura richiede un ' attenzione costante.Il tema è davvero toccante ma ciò che mi ha sconvolta di più è stato il fatto che, nonostante siano passati circa 4 secoli, si continua a far guerra per gli stessi motivi....ma nel 2012 siamo davvero così evoluti??
Tornando al romanzo, la storia è molto avvincente e non mancano i colpi di scena, una costante anche de "La cattedrale del mare".La ricostruzione storica del racconto è a dir poco divina.

In un unico respiro, questa è la sensazione che ho avuto leggendo questo splendido romanzo che ritengo stupendo.
Chi crede che l'essere umano è inteligente si sbaglia e leggendo queste pagine si renderà conto che nella storia del uomo e delle religioni cambia solo lo scenario ma gli errori rimangono sempre gli stessi.
Perché l'uomo riesce sempre a perdere l'occasione per smentirsi?
Hernando è un vero eroe, splendido il suo rapporto con le due fedi e i suoi sentimenti. Leggendo queste pagine e come vivere uan vita intera in un epoca che per quanto lontana rende i drammi di Hamid Ibn Hamid attualissimi. Lo sforzo profuso durante una vita i sacrifici e le piccole gioie di questo Moriscos sono coinvolgenti appassionanti e indimenticabili.
La lettura scorre veloce sotto i tempi dettati da Falcones, che con Maestria ti porta alla fine del libro senza veramente lasciarti il tempo di renderti conto che sei alla fine.
Falcone ti fa vivere al Spagna di fine 1500 in un modo unico e quasi come aver viaggiato nel tempo o aprire una finestra sul passato.
Bravo a Falcones che ha trovato il ritmo il fascino per far si che i suoi libri rimangano nel cuore di chi li legge !

(less)

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Jan 05, 2012

Susie added it · review of another edition

Histoire de la guerre entre les Chrétiens et es Maures en Espagne. Je n'ai lu que 130 pages des 875. Ce n'est pas parce le livre n'est pas bon. Le héros, du moins dans la première partie du livre, est un garçon de 14 ans qui est né après le viol de sa mère Maure et d'un prêtre chrétien. Hernando (le garçon) est le souffre-douleur de son beau-père, et de plusieurs Maures qui se joignent aux batailles. Je déteste les histoires dans lesquelles il y a un souffre-douleur ou il y beaucoup de gens qui ...more

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Nov 05, 2010

Mae rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: libros-en-espanol

ABsolutely fantastic!!! Historical Fiction, great characters, rich and credible. The story behind Muslim persecution in Spain in the 1500's and 1600's. A must read in this time of Muslim unrest.

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Jan 09, 2012

HÜLYA rated it

Uzun zamandır okuduğum en güzel tarihi romanlardan biriydi.Yazarın bu konuda çok da araştırma yapmış olduğu belli müslümanlar hakkın da çok doğru ve çarpıcı bilgiler vardı..Morisko denilen Gizli Müslümanların 16yy İspanyasında yaşadıkları şartlları ve katledilmelerine kadar giden öyküleri.Osmanlı Sultanından bir türlü uzatılmayan yardım eli..Hernando Ruiz'in yürek parçalayıcı ve sıradışı hayatı.Kendisinden ölesiye nefret eden üvey babasının gazabı ve sevdiği kadının elinden kopartılması..Bu kita...more

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Jan 07, 2012

Notme rated it

It could have been 3 or even 4 stars if it was not for the subject matter and main characters whom I found simply unsympathetic. If intolerant meet with intolerance it is just...tolerable, and nothing to get emotional or involved in. I was not moved by their plight and thought the story was too one sided, despite some weak effort on the author's part to make it objective. Frankly, I did not think morisks were in the right, and I cannot think how the people who were descendants of the invaders...more

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Sep 09, 2011

Marjet rated it

· review of another edition

Ildefonso Falcones - De hand van Fatima

Van Spaanse gasten hoorde ik over dit boek. 'Ken je het niet? Het speelt in deze vallei, las Alpujarras.' Mijn interesse was gewekt en ik zag het meteen in iedere boekwinkel liggen. Waarom niet in het Spaans lezen? maar de 950 bladzijden waren afschrikwekkend. Ik las op internet een paar bladzijden en was niet overtuigd. Toen kwam mijn nichtje aan met het boek in de Nederlandse vertaling en ik kon niet anders dan beginnen.
Ik heb er de hele...moreIldefonso Falcones - De hand van Fatima

Van Spaanse gasten hoorde ik over dit boek. 'Ken je het niet? Het speelt in deze vallei, las Alpujarras.' Mijn interesse was gewekt en ik zag het meteen in iedere boekwinkel liggen. Waarom niet in het Spaans lezen? maar de 950 bladzijden waren afschrikwekkend. Ik las op internet een paar bladzijden en was niet overtuigd. Toen kwam mijn nichtje aan met het boek in de Nederlandse vertaling en ik kon niet anders dan beginnen.
Ik heb er de hele zomer over gedaan. De eerste tweehonderd bladzijden waren flink doorploegen. De bloederige slachttaferelen tussen de morisken en de christenen rond 1568, waren soms té veel. Kromzwaarden die hoofden afhakten van vrouwen en kinderen en harten die uitgerukt werden. De christenen deden er alles aan om de morisken uit te roeien, tot het tij keerde en Aben Humeya de leider van de opstand werd en ook hun wraak weinig zoet was, de bloedbaden gingen onverdroten verder.

We volgen Hernando, een jongen van ongeveer zestien jaar, die de Nazareeër wordt genoemd omdat hij de zoon is van een door een priester verkracht Moors meisje, Aisha. En precies dat is het thema van het boek, de keuze die de jongen moet maken tussen twee geloven en uiteindelijk in zijn latere leven tussen twee vrouwen. Aisha trouwt met Brahmin, een eenvoudige muilezeldrijver, die de verschrikkelijke stiefvader van Hernando wordt.

Hernando, in zijn twee werelden, leert lezen en schrijven van de priester, maar ook kalligraferen van de plaatselijke Faqih. Tijdens de opstanden wordt hij de persoonlijke paardenverzorger van Aben Humeya, hij redt een christenmeisje en een Spaanse edelman, twee daden die hem in zijn latere leven duur komen te staan. Hij ontmoet Fatima en valt voor haar zwarte ogen. Fatima is alles kwijt en blijft bij Aisha, tot ook Brahmin zijn ogen op haar laat vallen, om daarmee de Nazareeër dwars te zitten.

Na de revolte in de Alpujarras worden alle morisken uitgewezen naar Cordoba, waar ze gedwongen worden christen te zijn, maar altijd gestigmatiseerd blijven en ook heimelijk hun enige god Allah trouw blijven. Hernando trouwt met Fatima en weet zich aan de armoede te ontworstelen omdat hij kan lezen en schrijven. Hij komt in de koninklijke stallen te werken, maar blijft ondergronds zijn geloof belijden en verspreiden en is actief binnen de moorse gemeenschap. Uiteindelijk wordt hij een van de belangrijkste mannen die trachten beide religies, islam en christendom dichter tot elkaar te brengen.

Hernando's ontberingen zijn eindeloos. Hij verliest Fatima aan Brahmin, die zijn stiefzoon blijft dwarszitten en haar en hun kinderen ontvoert naar Marokko. Hernando blijft achter met zijn moeder, die hem laat geloven dat zijn gezin dood is. Hij wordt verstoten door de moriskengemeenschap omdat hij ooit tijdens de opstand in las Alpujarras christenen heeft gered. Hij wordt rijk, trouwt opnieuw met een christenvrouw, Rafaela, met wie hij weer een gezin sticht en die hij achter moet laten met zijn jongste kinderen als in de 17e eeuw alle morisken Spanje worden uitgewezen.

Maar Hernando is veerkrachtig, een nobel mens, die naast vijanden ook veel vrienden heeft. Door het hele boek is hij de meest uitgewerkte personage, zelfs Aisha en Fatima, blijven platte karakters. De geschiedenis is boeiend genoeg, maar Hernandos escapades maken het levendig. De vele feiten worden soms vertellerig en uitgebreid gebracht. De eindeloze stroom van ontberingen is veel en soms dacht ik, mag het een onsje minder zijn en daarmee 200 bladzijden minder, por favor!(less)

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May 22, 2011

Maria rated it

· review of another edition

El libro relata la apasionante historia de un joven morisco en la Andalucía del siglo XVI, atrapado entre dos religiones y dos amores, en busca de su libertad y la de su pueblo. Un relato emocionante que pretende reflejar la tragedia del pueblo morisco, ahora que se cumple, en 2009, el cuarto centenario de su expulsión de España. Una novela que nos relata la vida y aventuras de un joven fronterizo y enamorado que nunca se resignó a la derrota y luchó por la convivencia de las religiones cristi...more

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Dec 12, 2010

Lou rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction

La Mano de Fatima is beautifully written historical fiction concerning Spanish and European history in the Sixteenth Century. The virtuosity of the novelist can be seen by how complex characters are rendered easy to read and follow in a thousand page tome. The protagonists are Hernando, a mixed breed Andalusi Muslim/Spanish Christian (historically categorized as New Christian/Old Christian to distinguish the Catholic Castillians from the forced conversion Sepahardic Jews and Morisco Muslims wh...moreLa Mano de Fatima is beautifully written historical fiction concerning Spanish and European history in the Sixteenth Century. The virtuosity of the novelist can be seen by how complex characters are rendered easy to read and follow in a thousand page tome. The protagonists are Hernando, a mixed breed Andalusi Muslim/Spanish Christian (historically categorized as New Christian/Old Christian to distinguish the Catholic Castillians from the forced conversion Sepahardic Jews and Morisco Muslims who were eventually expelled from Catholic Spain) and Fatima, a sister in the Islamic faith who is the love of his life. Hernando is the child a Morisca teenage mother who is raped by the priest responsible for her conversion and spiritual guidance. As such, Hernando was hated by both Catholics and Muslims. Hernando spends his life trying to justify his existence in a polarized world. Hernando is a metaphor for Spain, and upon the expulsions of Jews and Muslims, Spain was ripped asunder from within, suffering financial, agricultural, and intellectual devastation that was only masked by the addictive precious metal economy funded by the exploitation of the Spanish colonies. The expulsion of the Jews in 1492 and expulsion of the Moriscos in 1609 were edicts of massive ethnic cleansing. Falcones, the author, is careful not to pontificate or camouflage any political soapbox or historical revisionism. He is an equal opportunity critic of all sides. In fact, the greater political/historical predicament of the Mediterranean world in the 16th Century explains the greater scope of evil on all sides: the more than one million European Christians kidnapped and enslaved by the Berber Corsairs of the Barbary Coast, the planned invasion of Spain by the Dutch, French, and Ottomans with the aid of the Moriscos from within Spain(which never occured), the checks/balances of European power by unholy alliances. I read this book in Spanish, so I cannot comment on the prose of the English translation, but the Spanish prose was exquisitely beautiful. I look forward to reading his first book, La Catedral del Mar.
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Jan 26, 2010

apoc1985 rated it

Shelves: historia, islam, novela-histórica, religión

Es una buena novela histórica, al leerla reiteré la idea de que la crueldad humana y la bondad humana son características que, independientemente de la época en que se viva, existen... así como las guerras por defender ideologías y creencias que muchas veces llevan sólo a la destrucción debido a la incapacidad de reconocer y respetar a los demás. El final me pareció regular, hubiera preferido F en lugar de R, pero bueno... no lo escribí yo jeje. Recomendable a pesar de su longitud....

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Aug 03, 2011

Susu added it · review of another edition

Nein, man muss nicht alle Bücher unbedingt lesen, die einem ans Herz gelegt werden. Die Geschichte über die Vertreibung der Mauren-Nachfahren aus dem aller-katholischsten Spanien war mir ziemlich neu - dafür hat sich die Lektüre also gelohnt, weil der Autor sehr elegant die historischen Fakten in seine Handlung verwebt. Allerdings fand ich die Sprache sehr holprig und hölzern - ob der Mann im Spanischen wirklich so schreibt? Die Figuren bleiben etwas platt und schemenhaft. Böse Zungen würden jet...more

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Sep 11, 2011

Henni rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: 2011, drama, historie

Jeg havde store forventninger til Fatimas Hånd - for Falcones forrige bpg, Havets katedral er en af mine yndlingsbøger - men jeg blev desværre skuffet...

Jeg er tættere på to end tre stjerner, men når jeg alligevel beholder den tredje stjerne er det på grund af Falcones fantastiske måde at skrive på, selvom historien er tynd formår han alligevel at gøre personerne interessante - jeg kan ikke lade være med at holde med hovedpersonen Hernando og følge hans gøren og laden.

Des...more

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Nov 11, 2009

Azukiki rated it

DE MOMENTO MUY RESPETUOSO CON LA HISTORIA, TRATA DE LA GUERRA ENTRE MORISCOS Y CRISTIANOS EN GRANADA O AL-ANDALUS. TRATA CON VERACIDAD LOS CRÍMENES Y ATROCIDADES SUCEDIDAS EN NOMBRE DE LA RELIGIÓN. ALGUNAS VECES SE ME LEVANTA EL ESTÓMAGO.

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Feb 05, 2012

Elysa rated it

· review of another edition

Glad I read it. I had not been aware of how gruesome the history between the Moors and Christians was. I was very aware of the author as the story was told and wondering why each piece was added and where it was leading.

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Aug 22, 2010

Mona Hernandez rated it

El autor narra en esta extensa novela la lucha del pueblo seguidor del Corán por mantener sus costumbres en una España cada vez más católica y cada vez más cansada de vivir en una sociedad con dos religiones y dos culturas.

Logra despertar en el lector sentimientos de venganza, terror, compasión, pasión y erotismo. Muestra perfectamente ambas caras de la moneda, tanto por el lado cristiano como el musulmán.

Aunque pareciera no tener fin y pasar por una brecha en la cual la h...more

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May 21, 2011

Pilvi rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: drama, history, own-a-copy

Very lengthy book and set me really behind in my Reading Challenge 2011. But nevertheless, it was worth reading.

You could well notice and understand the things that are behind prejudice. Neither side was willing to let others believe in what they want, not Christians nor Moor. Both sides did incredibly cruel things, and still each side believed that only the others had done wrong and they were just justified to pay it all back. Propably both of those things are the reasons behind rel...more

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Oct 26, 2011

Kevin rated it

· review of another edition

Interesting period of history, with a fairly balanced view. The story line was good with some good strong characters, rich in details of the period.
It was a tough time to live.

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Oct 25, 2011

Laeticia Söderman rated it

Just like with the Cathedral, the first 200 or so pages were hard to get through. After that I barely could set the book down.

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Oct 24, 2011

Thomas Nielsen rated it

All good comes to those who wait!

I must admit that I was very close to not finishing this book. The first 500 pages are too much Spanish History telling and very little action around the characters.

But then you start to feel the characters and the story gets exiting. The dilemma’s gets interesting and the last 400 pages are so much better….

Two stars for the first 500 and four stars for last 400 pages = Three stars

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Nov 28, 2010

Alex Bazenga rated it

Muito, muito bom! De leitura compulsiva. Informativo, de magnífica pesquisa histórica, belas descrições, muita acção.

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May 30, 2010

Paloma Peña rated it

Shelves: en-mi-biblioteca, novela

Temática en la misma época pero completamente distinta de "La catedral del mar". Muy bueno.

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Jul 20, 2009

Malia Lemond rated it

Excellent! A lot of really interesting historical information about the Moors in Spain.

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Aug 22, 2011

Aline rated it

Shelves: historical-fiction

Ildefonso Falcones describes, through Hernando Ruiz, a part of the story of Andalucia.
The novel begins with the 1568 "war" that opposed the muslims and the catholics. During this, both sides will endure cruel treatment from its opponent.

What is truly striking about this time of history, is the way women were treated by their husbands. They had nothing to say to them, even when the men's decisions concerned the whole family. Muslim women were particularly awfully treated,...more

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Nov 10, 2011

Solvej added it

Jeg opgiver, den er simpelthen for deprimerende.

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Aug 05, 2011

Pedro Martinez rated it

· review of another edition

Abandonado después de 158 páginas...

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Mar 25, 2011

Baloo rated it

· review of another edition

La morte è una lunga attesa

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Sep 17, 2011

Pat rated it

· review of another edition

Not nearly as good as La Catedral del Mar. I liked learning about the expulsion of the Moriscos, but the writing was very dry. And almost every character had two names--their Morisco name and their Spanish name--confusing.

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About Ildefonso Falcones

ldefonso Falcones de Sierra, married and the father of four children, is a lawyer who lives and works in Barcelona. The cathedral of the sea is his homage to a people capable of building, in the then unusual span of fifty-four years, what is undoubtedly one of the most lovely churches in the world.

A historical novel that has become an unprecedented bestseller, recognized by both reader...more

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