Month: February 2026

The Time of the Doves by Mercè Rodoreda tells the story of Natàlia, a working-class woman living in Barcelona before, during, and after the Spanish Civil War. What stood out to me most was how quiet and emotional the story felt. Instead of focusing on big historical events, the novel shows how everyday life, relationships, and survival are affected by war and social pressure. This made the story feel more personal and real.

One thing I noticed right away was the simple writing style. The language is easy to read, but it carries a lot of emotion. Natàlia’s voice feels honest and natural, which makes it easy to understand her thoughts and feelings. I also noticed how often the story shows her feeling trapped in her marriage, her home, and her responsibilities. As the story goes on, her life becomes smaller, which shows how limited her choices are.

What I found most interesting was the symbolism of the doves. At first, they seem gentle and peaceful, but later they become a burden. This change reflects Natàlia’s marriage, which begins with hope but slowly becomes controlling and overwhelming. I also found it interesting how the war stays mostly in the background, yet completely changes her life. Instead of showing battles or politics, the novel focuses on how regular people struggle to survive, which made the impact of war feel more real.

One thing I liked was how honest Natàlia’s experiences felt. Her struggles with fear, poverty, loneliness, and identity were easy to understand and connect with. I also liked the quiet, simple way the story is told. It allows readers to think more deeply about what is happening instead of being told directly.

However, I sometimes found the middle of the book slow. Some parts felt repetitive, especially when describing Natàlia’s daily routine and exhaustion. While this probably shows how tiring and hopeless her life feels, it made parts of the story drag. I also found Natàlia’s passiveness confusing and frustrating at times. Her silence and acceptance of her situation made me wonder whether she truly had no choices or if she had learned to believe she didn’t deserve better.

In class, I would like to talk more about the meaning of the doves and how their symbolism changes. I would also like to explore whether Natàlia’s later changes show growth, strength, or just survival. Overall, The Time of the Doves is a powerful novel that shows how ordinary people experience hardship, and it leaves a strong emotional impression.

After reflecting on each chapter, I either felt a sense of loss or weight. I believe the author wanted the reader to not have an easy time reading the novel.

Ernesto observed his surroundings like a curious child. He saw things that one may perceive to be insignificant; however, in the end, they ended up being everything. For example, stones weren’t just stones, walls weren’t just walls, and rivers weren’t just rivers, but rather they were living things that have memories of their own. There were times where I almost didn’t know how to feel about this. But then again, I thought to myself, what a good way to portray how children see the world as long as they lack the verbal abilities and power to describe what they see. The world is alive with energy and larger than life.

I was surprised by the parts involving the pongo. Not in an entertaining way (that’s not the best way to explain it), but because they dragged on for so long. The treatment of the pongo is humiliating; the even more unsettling part is that no one is disturbed by the treatment of the pongo, they appear to be all in agreement with how the pongo is being treated. Also, it made me think that Ernesto is observing this action, but does not have the words to describe what’s going on. However, he knows something is wrong. This made sense to me because I know when something is wrong even if I can’t articulate why yet.

Cuzco felt overwhelming to me. Although it’s beautiful, it still feels a bit heavy. To me, the sound of Maria Angola’s bell wasn’t relaxing, but rather it sounded sad and judgmental, like it carries the weight of everyone’s suffering rather than bringing comfort. I wondered why there was so much emphasis on religion throughout the novel, and why religion does not seem to provide any relief to anyone.

At times, I hoped that Ernesto would be more proactive in expressing his thoughts. However, sometimes I thought this is not entirely fair considering he is a young boy who has been forced to move many times and is used to seeing adults abuse one another as if there’s nothing wrong with it. Silence may be the only thing he knows. Overall, this book wasn’t a sudden emotional hit, but rather more of a slow build-up of sadness that stayed as I continued to read. I noticed that the book is full of bells, churches, and religious imagery, but everyone is still suffering. One question I’d like to discuss is, What do you think religion is actually doing there? Is it helping people, controlling them, or just distracting them?