Tortuga: A Novel

This is one of the best novels I have ever read, and I read a lot. But that probably means little to you without some context, so here are a few of my top picks in literature: Jane Eyre - I especially enjoyed the lively dialog in this book, but there is little not to like. Lolita - for many years this was my favorite, and I love Nabokov's writing style, even enjoying his introductions. 100 Years of Solitude - a magnificent intellectual and imaginary achievement, building and bringing to an end an entire universe of its own.The most obvious comparison here to Tortuga is 100 Years, since both are stories of societies living in isolation and infused with magic, and both are self-contained. But like Jane Eyre, Tortuga is full of lively and subtle conversation, beautifully written throughout, and shows the power of faith in and acceptance of others including their "flaws" - it is a fully human story. It's more difficult for me to find a similarity in the story line or the characters to Lolita, but there is an intellectual match in the way both books invite you to look beneath the surface of people who commit unspeakable acts, and again both are books where I often reread passages just to enjoy them again. All of these books bring smiles, laughs and tears, and it is impossible for me to say which of the four I like best - probably it is the one that is freshest in my mind at the time.I won't tell you much about the story itself, because it is really something that you should (yes you really should) read for yourself without the baggage of some inadequate retelling. I will tell you that while I just compared it with three other novels, it is really very different from any of those or any other book I have ever read. It has changed my view of the world and it can probably change yours as well. And it does that without telling you what you should do or think, but by helping you see more deeply into life and relationships with others. And at the same time it brings you an entertaining and heartfelt story filled with pain and joy, laughter and tears, loss and overcoming - in short everything that life offers.In case you have not figured this out yet, I really thing that you should read Tortuga, so do yourself a favor.

I can't begin to describe this book; I don't have Mr. Anaya's ability to bring the reader into my heart, to truly convey how the story makes me feel. I can describe the plot and the events, but other reviewers have done that better than I could. I can say that I spent short stretches of my childhood in hospitals, where I encountered other children who were misshapen and disabled, and I had my own physical challenges (though nothing approaching Tortuga's), and that I recognize the characters he weaves into us as we read. I can tell you that Mr. Anaya was THERE, and he takes the reader back with him---back to experience all the pain, suffering, humiliation, and also triumph. This is not a tale for the faint-hearted, nor for those who like everything to be sweetness and light throughout. There are moments of confusion, of pain and agony; moments of laughter and of sheer horror. And there is the laying bare of the human mind, psyche, heart, and soul, and finally, the dawning of understanding. And with the understanding comes the acceptance and ultimate triumph of Tortuga, the Turtle-boy becoming a man. Tortuga wins the fight to recover physically, but it is his recognition and acceptance of the responsibility he's been destined for that ennoble him and transform him into a man to be reckoned with in the world. You won't soon forget this story or these characters. It will burn itself into your soul with a fiery brand.

I was fortunate to find this novel many years ago when I was compiling a list of recommended reading for teachers of Mexican ESL students. It's a haunting story that took me into the world of magical realism within the realm of Mexican legend and myth. Anaya's entire body of writing is invaluable if you're interested in other cultures and their stories; this is my favorite! It is NOT easy to read; but it may have special meaning to those of us who were stricken with polio many years ago. Anaya's writing is poetic, and he captures the voices of the Southwest, especially Natives, through characters like Jerry.

Rudolfo Anaya has written a wonderful book with all the pain and tenderness exposed in the characters who are in a hospital for crippled children off in the desert of New Mexico. Tortuga is a mountain outside the window that has a humped back appearance (like a turtle in Spanish) and which becomes the nickname of the principal character who is admitted to the hospital. The book is a novel but it follows the actual experience of Rudolfo Anaya, who was injured in a diving accident and was placed in such a children's hospital. His insights are unique, tender and powerful. As a person who remembers the ward in a children's hospital, he weaves the details of the story with wonderful images in the minds of the children. This is classified as a book for children or young adults. However, it is a gripping tale for the older reader also, particularly those who can remember those wards of polio victims prior to the discovery of the Salk and Sabin vaccines. This book is not a "downer" because it fills the reader with the love and hope that are in those chidren.

Fascinating story and part allegory about the journey of healing. A young man is injured in some type of accident and is sent to a sanitarium for surgery and recovery. Part poetry, dreams, reverie, and novel, this book weaves the story through the eyes of this young man, nicknamed "Tortuga," the name of the "Turtle Mountain" that he can see from his window. The cast of characters is both vivid and heartbreaking, with the voice of wisdom coming through a severely affected polio patient. Bittersweet, wise, and insightful, this book challenges the reader to consider what health and healing means, on a physical, emotional, and spiritual path.

This book grabbed my heart and gracefully opened it. If you have ever felt hope and then despair, this book should help you find hope again. It did for me.