Rudolfo AnayaAlburquerque: A Novel

Anaya is a master story teller. He tells the story of a divided culture and heritage. His protagonist is part native (Mexican) and part Spanish. He is a fighter who needs to discover his identity and the identity of his father before he can navigate his world. His story is also the story of Albuquerque -- a city with dual identities. It is a fascinating tale with characters you learn to love. Highly recommended.

As a person born in Albuquerque with grandparents who homesteaded in the 1890's, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It brought back many memories of my youth and passed down family stories because the author brought New Mexican's complex multicultural history to life in his details and use of interspersed Spanish.New Mexico's politics of water, population growth, and the unique combination of Hispanic, Indian, and Anglo cultures makes Albuquerque unique, and Rudolfo Anaya's detailed descriptive prose made me feel like I was actually there with the main character as he drove on Central Avenue passing by the University of NM buildings.Over the centuries intermarriage among the three cultures has affected the history of the state. Anaya's main characters each reflect his or her cultural background. The love stories are poignant and compelling reading. The political aspects of the novel realistically reflect some actual history in which water rights played (and continue to play) a major role.It’s a good read, and one learns quite a bit about New Mexico’s complex history.

This book,copyrighted in 1992,precedes the trilogy about detective Sonny Baca beginning with Zia Summer (1995), and then Rio Grande Fall (1996), and the latest Shaman Winter (1999). I read Alburquerque after these three novels and enjoyed them all very much, but I feel that it would have been better to read Alburquerque first before the Sonny Baca novels. This is because some of the characters are presented in full detail in Alburquerque and play a major part in the later novels. It did feel strange to read Alburquerque in which Sonny Baca plays a very minor role. Here the center of attention is Abrán González who undergoes rapid growth of character in relationship to his search for his biological mother and biological father, his relationship to his adoptive parents, and his discovery of his true love Lucinda. Those who find boxing disgusting should still read this, in which the boxing is handled with grace and drama. The story is written in a direct style with great warmth. You find yourself really caring about the characters. The 293 pages fly by as the book plunges into its whirlwind ending.

Having lived in Albuquerque for 15 years this novel really interested me due to its references to locales and history of the area. It is a story of unknown identity and its clarification and of very personable characters. It is fiction but a very believable story. Highly recommended to anyone with an interest in this area and the people who live there.b.

I found Anaya’s expose of the city, Albuquerque, to be well done. However, the major flaw I found, besides the bland writing, was the reveal of Abrán’s father. The early revel made the story much more frustrating in my opinion. It was like watching an I Love Lucy episode where you scream at the screen saying that if Lucy just communicated the issue would be resolved. Anaya could of made the identity of the father more ambiguous, more of a spiritual journey, more of an exploration of the main philosophy of the novel (tú eres tú), but instead you’re left reading the book knowing exactly what will happen next.I did enjoy the book & would recommend it to someone interested in Chicano literature, but I would hesitate to say it’s a good book, especially with its many flaws. I would suggest you read Bless Me Ultima before reading Albuquerque.

I found the book very interesting. Rich with historical and cultural details. It clearly depicts how in the name of development, rights of native Americans and poor Hispanics in the barrios can be violated. The book has some magical happenings. Coyote could be a symbol, a mythical character or a person of mixed heritage. The interplay of hard work, money, greed, and ambition is very well depicted. All in all, a very fine saga.

Love the story, well written. You could imagine all the characters alive in the pages.

Plan on reading the rest. Really puts everything I remember from growing up in Mora into place.Thank you Rodolfo, May you Rest In Peace.