This week’s reading of The Time of the Doves by Mercé Rodoreda was definitely a very interesting read yet unfortunately not one of my favourites. I felt the writing style was a bit exhausting to keep up with because such grand and seemingly important plot points would be spoken of in a single sentence with few words, whereas descriptions of the house Natalia worked at as a servant, for example, would take up whole chapters. It was interesting to kind of have those breaths of description however I still wish there was more emphasis on plot points such as Quimet going to war, and Natalia having to enroll Antoni at an abusive school. I just wish there was more time spent on these pivotal moments so that someone reading the book who has no knowledge of the Spanish Civil War, could further comprehend the lifestyle and circumstances of the war.
“I felt very surprised listening to him because I was seeing another Cintet, and I thought how war changes men.” (126).
What I did like about this book however was how similarly to Nada, it emphasized the change in perception and character after one goes off to fight in the war. Before Cintet dies in the war he has a change in perception where he discovers that war is better to be read with history than to be made with guns, therefore I think that this line does a good job of implicitly stating the atrocities and brutalities of the Spanish Civil War and their lasting effects. I think that Cintet’s character at this time can be contrasted with Juan from Nada. Whereas Juan returns from the Civil War as a more violent and abusive character, there seems to be a more calmness manifested in Cintet. This makes me wonder about what changes in character there would be in Quimet had he survived the war. Would his trauma manifest more violently than it was before, or would he become a more gentle character as opposed to the Quimet we see throughout the whole book? Similarly to Natalia, I do wish he came back from fighting so we could really feel that change in disposition since we had become so familiar with Quimet’s personality before he enlisted.
I also really enjoyed Julieta’s character even though she was only mentioned a few times. Specifically, when she’s talking to Natalia about her experience with love, Natalia realizes what different lives they have led and yearns to experience love like Julieta but is then hit with the realization that her reality is one that involves cleaning, and dusting, and taking care of her kids. It felt really heart-wrenching that Natalia doesn’t believe that her life is capable of the lovely things in life she admires such as the gardens, wind, and the living ivy.
My question for this week would be as follows: What do you think is the relevance of the title of this book?
(I personally think that it’s because the representation about how important the doves were to Quimet. Arguably more important than his wife and own kids. Therefore, as the book highlights Natalia’s struggles and unfortunate circumstances, from Quimet’s point of view, it still becomes all about the doves.)