Spanish Fantasy Novels

Novel..

DominiRican said:

Hello all,

I was wondering if anyone can recommend a good fantasy novel in Spanish, so I can strengthen my spanish. I was born into a hispanic family, but I don't recall ever speaking it, and I can only understand it when I'm in a conversation. I'm into fantasy books, so I thought this would be a fun way to strengthen my grammar. Thanks in advance!

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Hey, I've only seen the movie myself, but I've heard the book 'Como Agua para Chocolate' is a really good book. I watched it in one of my Spanish classes last year and my professor was raving about it. The movie wasn't too bad...

lilcanadiangal :classic:

Please be more specific

DominiRican,

I think "Como Agua para chocolate" is too difficult if you don't speak Spanish-per se. Now when you say fantasy novels can you be more specific? Also, what level of Spanish do you think you can handle? I am an avid reader of Spanish literature but my suggestions must help you not deter you. Reading is great but there's plenty of material on the market and it is important to get what is suitable for you.

Let me know, I would love to help.

lilcanadiangal said:

Hey, I've only seen the movie myself, but I've heard the book 'Como Agua para Chocolate' is a really good book. I watched it in one of my Spanish classes last year and my professor was raving about it. The movie wasn't too bad...

lilcanadiangal :classic:

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"Mi Palabra" vol. 1 by Hipolito Mejia. Pretty high fantasy. Unless he used a ghost author the spanish is probably pretty second rate though. Last I saw it was on clearance for 100 pesos at La Sirena.

Dominirican, that kind of literature is not particualrly popular in Iberoamerican cultures. Latin American nerds prefer poetry. Anglo-Saxon nerds seem to enjoy science-fiction better. If you must stick to this genre, then you will essentially be reading mostly translated works (from English to Spanish). I'm not sure that reading re. mythical forest creatures, time warps, wizards and other pseudoscience will help you understand your Latin roots better, but the mind does work in mysterious ways.... just go ahead and do a Google search with "ciencia-ficci?n" or "narrativa +fantas?a" and explore the booksellers sites. Most likely translated books by old-timers like Asimov, Bradbury and others.

If your Spanish is very good and your really wish to experience Latin ideas and characters, then just go straight ahead for the likes of Julio Cortazar and his genre-defying writings ("Historias de cronopios y de famas" may be a good start), or try reading "La Triste Historia de la C?ndida Er?ndira y su Abuela Desalmada" by Garc?a M?rquez. A much lighter read might be Paco Ignacio Taibo II's "Cuatro Manos".

Buena suerte,
-Tordok

DominiRican said:

Hello, thanks for the help. I'm interested in LoTR, Dragonlance, Magic Time, Dark Elf trilogy type books. I think I can handle most any level of spanish, I intend on looking up any words I don't understand, and will ask my roommate that's fluent questions on anything I don't understand. I basically would like anything that has magic in it.

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No clue what you are looking for....

DominiRican,

Listen I would love to help but this genre of literature that you are looking for is foreign to me in Spanish. Sorry. I am super familiar with the literary giants in the genre of "ciencia-ficcion" from Spain and Latin America. But what you mentioned is just totally foreign to me.


Good luck!@

DominiRican said:

Hello, thanks for the help. I'm interested in LoTR, Dragonlance, Magic Time, Dark Elf trilogy type books. I think I can handle most any level of spanish, I intend on looking up any words I don't understand, and will ask my roommate that's fluent questions on anything I don't understand. I basically would like anything that has magic in it.

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I have a friend from Spain and he told me he read alot of Michael Moorcock books translated into spanish as a kid, if a semi obscure sci-fi writer like that would get translated then I imagine the rest of them must be as well. But I don't think you are going to find many of these titles in the DR, I have looked for similar material in Thesaurus both in Santiago and SD and most of the translated literature available was NYT bestseller stuff. You will have to order them via internet most likely and pay a premium for them.

The problem is that the whole sci-fi Fantasy genre is largely thinly veiled sociological commentary and speculation, sometimes insightful, sometimes grossly oversimplified. Authors create worlds where the rules of social interaction and distribution of power are altered by as-yet undiscovered technology (simbolized by magical powers in the fantasy genres) and try to see how their lives would be different if the rules were thus changed.

Latin American authors are much more concerned with observing society as it is, primarily emotional responses to everyday life and are less inclined to see technological advances as a potential saviour, since technologically advanced cultures have largely created havoc in Latin American countries, conquored them, perpetrated genocides, enslaved them etc. (yes, ships, steel and black powder muskets were once high technology)