Joao CerqueiraReseñas
Autor de The Tragedy of Fidel Castro
Reseñas
The authors reincarnation of Jesus in modern day life and the trials and tribulations he would face and how he would deal with them is first rate. The novel starts off with Mary and the 12 disciples (apostles) fighting against gm crops and trying to influence the local church and people not to use them. Head of the group is Judas who wants full on direct action and then along comes Jesus with his pacifism.
Using study and teachings from the bible the novelist brings them to life in our modern day lives and gives us a timely reminder of how change no matter what it is can have a devastating effect not just now but for future generations as well.
As a politician recently stated a lot can be learnt from humour and puts the mind in a more relaxed state to comprehend the full consequences of any actions that are implemented. This is what I believe the author is trying to achieve.
A strong message that also comes across is which is the right path to follow to achieve your goal or influence people to believe in your idea/concept, do you use aggression (Judas character ) or pacifism (Jesus character ). Very nature of the rudimental teachings of the holy book.
This novel and storyline along with the characters portraits would not be possible without the author’s immense knowledge and research into the bible. Being a Christian at no point in this storyline was I offended, I really believe through the humour the writer has given us a timely reminder of what virtues are important today.
I loved the exchanges between God and Jesus; a troubled Father / Son relationship. However the majority of the novel involved JFK and Castro, so it was a long wait between the clever and humorous dialogue.
I found it a chore to get through, and no book should be that. Having said that, I understand that this is a political satire and I may not be in the correct target audience (a sleep deprived new mother may not have the required concentration and patience).
1 
tashlyn88 | 7 reseñas más. | Feb 5, 2016 |
tashlyn88 | 7 reseñas más. | Feb 5, 2016 | Long passages of introspection characterize this tale, combined with complex and conflicting motivations, mystical rumination, and the greater tragedy of human history, rendered magically surreal. Biblical parables and parallels abound. The madness of Nebachudnezzar repeats itself in a different frame. And diplomacy might be heaven’s only hope a well as mankind’s.
The Tragedy of Fidel Castro is a long, slow, complex read, weightily self-conscious, with darkly tragi-comic humor, fierce determination, and a powerfully unsettling sense of unhinging divinities behind the scenes.
Disclosure: I was given a free ecopy and I offer my honest review.
So I won't try to synopsize because you can read the description. What I will tell you is that this is deep and tangled satire. It's entirely possible that my lack of appreciation for it is due to a lack of patience on my part but I just could never grasp onto the flow of the narrative. I found my mind constantly wandering to some other topic as I tried to trudge through this book.
I'll leave it at that. If you have an inherent interest in the subject matter and love deep and ponderous satire then this book could be perfect for you but I just couldn't wrap my mind around it. Too bad too because it's got a nice cover. Oh well.
1 slavenrm | 7 reseñas más. | Feb 5, 2014 |
slavenrm | 7 reseñas más. | Feb 5, 2014 | When I saw this book available at NetGalley without request, I decided to download it because its synopsis seemed interesting. An alternative reality where Jesus, aided by Our Lady of Fátima, helps avoid the conflict between Kennedy and Fidel Castro seemed like a story with so much potencial. And on top of that I immediately suspected (and later confirmed on Goodreads) that the author was portuguese, not only for his name, but for the fact that he included Our Lady of Fátima in the story.
Sadly, I could not finish it, and gave up at 26%. I could never really get into the story or connect to the characters and, honestly, it often happened that I would stop reading and could not remember what I had just finished reading... I got the feeling maybe I would have liked it better written in portuguese, cause it felt weird in english.
I really don't like giving up on readings, but with so many books on the bookcases and on the kindle, I simply cannot read just for the sake of reading. Maybe one day I'll give it another chance.
2 landslide | 7 reseñas más. | Jan 14, 2014 |
landslide | 7 reseñas más. | Jan 14, 2014 | Translated from the Portuguese by Karen Bennett and Chris Mingay
River Grove Books
The Tragedy of Fidel Castro by João Cerqueira can be read as alternate history, political fable, or dark comedy. The novel finds JFK and Castro in a fatal battle. Beset by demonstrations and riots, Castro must find a way to prevent his ouster. But this is not your usual political thriller, although it is populated by spies, conniving advisers, and renegade priests. The novel is also about the limitations of faith in the modern world and the mutual shortcomings of the two dominant socioeconomic systems of the Cold War.
After an initial prologue in Heaven, the novel begins at a muddy fairground where JFK has come to exchange goods with the Cuban government. He gets quality Cuban cigars and Castro gets bourbon. Beneath all the bluster and rhetorical bombast of the two leaders, Cerqueira reveals the humanity beyond the politics. In the end, these are two men who appreciate the finer things, not because cigars and bourbon are key indicators of capitalist decadence or Cuban Communist hypocrisy, but because of the inherent human desire for pleasure.
Backing up to the prologue in Heaven, we meet God as he gets interrupted by Fátima.
“Oh, for God’s sake!” exclaimed God in exasperation.
The Fátima in the novel refers to Lúcia, the last surviving sibling from Fátima, Portugal, who witnessed a series of miracles in 1917. These miracles included “extraordinary solar activity” and that “Russia would be converted to the Immaculate Heart of Mary and Communism would soon come to an end.”
Tragedy follows two parallel tracks. On the temporal plane, we see the rivalry between JFK and Fidel Castro, each castigating the other’s socioeconomic system. Anyone even slightly awake since 2009 knows that unfettered capitalism has a few weak spots. Anyone with a decent memory of events prior to the 1990s realizes that Communism was far from a pro-worker utopia. In the heavenly sphere, God attempts to persuade Christ to return to earth to stop the imminent battle between Castro and JFK. Unlike other conflicts, the Cold War involved thermonuclear missiles. The end result wouldn’t mean one side would be victorious, but could very well result in human extinction.
Amidst the political wrangling and theological struggle, Cerqueira fills the novel with humor. There is a wrestling match between a priest and a prostitute, each representing a political faction as Cuba descends into chaos. Castro journeys deep into the jungle to come to terms with his military plans and collapsing popular support, only to be admitted into an insane asylum as someone who thinks he’s Fidel Castro.
When Christ and Fátima meet and journey towards the final battle between the opposing forces, both discuss what can be done to get humanity’s attention. Unlike earlier eras, humanity wouldn’t be easily swayed with miracles. Science, society, and morality have all changed drastically. Their discussions about faith and morality are introspective and melancholy without being heavy-handed. There’s enough irony and dark humor in the book to forestall any conclusion that Cerqueira is a sanctimonious scold.
Tragedy is a funny strange little book. There are some historical inconsistencies that occasionally trip up the book, but once understood as a farcical political fable, the readers can let them slide. Except for those minor things, the book possesses a lean beauty and a humane perspective, Fellini-esque in its carnival of excess.
http://driftlessareareview.com/2013/03/19/translation-tuesday-the-tragedy-of-fid...
Even though the author states in his prologue that his characters are not the real, JFK, Fidel Castro, God and God's son Jesus, I think this is the author sense of humour which is strongly evident throughout, it's hard not to relate the characters to the real people.
In order to prevent conflict between JFK and Castro God sends his son to earth to solve it.
The author's knowledge and research shines through the characters and the way they think. A struggle of ideologies of two different people who wanted to achieve the same goal for the best of their people, one through a dictatorship and the other through democracy.
This booked had me hooked from page one , the descriptions and thoughts of the characters give the readers real food for thought .The author uses very clever examples of how one mans actions
can make you think about your beliefs and are they the right or can you change them for the better.
As the story developed the writers humour really comes through on a par with Tom Sharpe .The author places Castro in some excellent situations which both challenge and explain his reasoning and beliefs.
This is an excellent and enthralling read and I really hope that I can obtain or purchase the authors other publications.
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Joao Cerqueira es un Autor de LibraryThing, un autor que tiene listada su biblioteca personal en LibraryThing.
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Ofertas anteriores
- Perestroika: An Eye for an Eye, a Tooth for a Tooth (enero 2024)
- Perestroika: An Eye for an Eye, a Tooth for a Tooth (noviembre 2023)
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Cerqueira paints a vivid, if terrifying picture of a brutal regime and the characters who struggle against it are drawn with great pathos. He manages to render even the most odious, self-serving among them as vulnerable, human. The author expertly weaves each narrative into a tense fabric of despair and asks, finally, if there is any redemption in revenge or is true forgiveness the only way to peace, both for individuals and a nation.
A surprise plot twist ties each of the separate, yet intersecting lives of the main characters together in a beautifully poetic way. Readers of political intrigues and Cold War dramas will enjoy this.