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Las tres de la Madrugada
La acción de esta novela corte transcurre en el tiempo que tarda un tren en hacer el recorrido desde Santander, de donde parte a las 10 de la noche, hasta Madrid, a donde llega por la mañana temprano. El lugar de la acción son los vagones del tren en sus tres clases: 1a, 2a y 3a. Con finura extraordinaria el autor define los comportamientos de las personas que viajan en cada una de estas clases al enfrentarlas con el único hecho importante: el nacimiento de un niño en un vagón de 3a. Los comportamientos van desde la indiferencia (viajeros de 1a, con excepciones) hasta la solidaridad total (viajeros de 3a) pasando por la actitud no del todo indiferente de los de 2a. Como el viaje tiene lugar en el mes de diciembre, el libro presenta un curioso simbolismo con el nacimiento de Cristo. Queda flotando la esperanza en la solidaridad entre los hombres.
64 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1972
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
June 6, 2017
Es un libro pequeño con muchas detalles significas. Solo es un viaje por tren, pero hay el círculo de la vida en los vagones.
Me parece un buen libro para estudiantes que quieren leer. Hay mensajes importantes, muchos personajes interesantes y apoyo con el vocabulario en el texto.
Me parece un buen libro para estudiantes que quieren leer. Hay mensajes importantes, muchos personajes interesantes y apoyo con el vocabulario en el texto.
July 24, 2022
So Much To Happen On a Train at 3AM
Three In the Morning is a story that takes place on a train in Spain during the early hours of a December morning. It is a graded reader for those learning Spanish, and has basically the departure, three stops, and the arrival chapters... with questions at the end of each. But, it is meeting the passengers and what happens in between those stops that carry the plot.
I read this treasure first around the turn of the Century, when it was already about 30 years old. Now it has been around for half a century, and so recently I purchased a brand new copy of this "Easy Reader" Spanish paperback. So, when I woke up in the early hours of the morning, I found myself finishing this once again. In re-reading it, I see why I have always remembered it especially.
The story carries a bit of symbolism. If you enjoy religious themes, stories about people living their lives, loving, grieving, babies being born, this book has it all in just 60+ pages. Of course, it takes place on a train, so many lives from all three social classes can be brought together easily here. In that sense, it reminds me of a few other books and notable authors:
-Menschen im Hotel by Vicki Baum, 1929 (German text)
-Three Lives by Gertrude Stein, 1909
-Foreign Faces by V. S. Pritchett, 1964
If you are looking for something in a similar style in English, these last two books may interest you. But, this book is only available in Spanish to my knowledge. I have recently found the book scanned and available free online at The Internet Archive (archive.org). Either way, it is an easy Spanish reader you are sure to enjoy.
Update: This Spanish reader is on a B2 level (per the European framework.) It's from a different series from the others I have, and it has less than a 600 word vocabulary. This places it halfway between level 1 and 2 in the Leer en español series. It is perfect for multiple re-read and provides great reading practice.
Three In the Morning is a story that takes place on a train in Spain during the early hours of a December morning. It is a graded reader for those learning Spanish, and has basically the departure, three stops, and the arrival chapters... with questions at the end of each. But, it is meeting the passengers and what happens in between those stops that carry the plot.
I read this treasure first around the turn of the Century, when it was already about 30 years old. Now it has been around for half a century, and so recently I purchased a brand new copy of this "Easy Reader" Spanish paperback. So, when I woke up in the early hours of the morning, I found myself finishing this once again. In re-reading it, I see why I have always remembered it especially.
The story carries a bit of symbolism. If you enjoy religious themes, stories about people living their lives, loving, grieving, babies being born, this book has it all in just 60+ pages. Of course, it takes place on a train, so many lives from all three social classes can be brought together easily here. In that sense, it reminds me of a few other books and notable authors:
-Menschen im Hotel by Vicki Baum, 1929 (German text)
-Three Lives by Gertrude Stein, 1909
-Foreign Faces by V. S. Pritchett, 1964
If you are looking for something in a similar style in English, these last two books may interest you. But, this book is only available in Spanish to my knowledge. I have recently found the book scanned and available free online at The Internet Archive (archive.org). Either way, it is an easy Spanish reader you are sure to enjoy.
Update: This Spanish reader is on a B2 level (per the European framework.) It's from a different series from the others I have, and it has less than a 600 word vocabulary. This places it halfway between level 1 and 2 in the Leer en español series. It is perfect for multiple re-read and provides great reading practice.
April 3, 2016
Det känns fel och väldigt konstigt att säga det men den var faktiskt rätt bra. Den fick en mycket djupare innebörd efter att boken var utläst. Intressant story. Har några frågetecken kring slutet som jag får ta med min lärare imorgon, men annars var den rätt lätt/ okej att förstå sig på.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews