"La Suma de los Dias" Comentario

Asignada a leer por mi profesora Eneyda Morraz, La Suma de los Días es una novela la cual yo esperaba ansiosamente por leer. Esta novela fue escrita por Isabel Allende, una autora que gano mi interés y apreciación tras leer su otra novela Paula. La novela no la he terminado todavía, sin embargo no me ha decepcionado en lo más mínimo. Cada vez que leo solo deseo leer más y más para descubrir más de la caótica e interesante vida de Isabel Allende. La Suma de los Días trata de la vida de Isabel después de la muerte de su hija Paula. Relata sobre las vidas de sus amigos y familiares pintorescos, como Tabra, su primera amiga  que hiso en California que vestía " con amplias faldas de gitana, los brazos cubiertos de la muñeca al codo con pulseras de plata y el cabello de un color imposible." Isabel mantiene una vida tan fuera de lo común que me deja impresionada con cada página que leo y lo único que quiero es leer aún más para ver que podría posiblemente pasar, y siempre viene algo aún más interesante que lo pasado. Estoy ansiosa por terminar pero al mismo tiempo quisiera que nunca terminara. Disfruto inmensamente de esta lectura relatada de una manera fácil de seguir y entender y con un contenido que nunca falla en asombrarme.

Fiction Vs. Reality: Civil War Edition

We all know what fiction is, it s a story that is not real. However, this does not mean that every fiction is pure invention. A fiction story can be based on a historical event, with real historical people, however the main characters will tend to be fictional. This is called historical fiction. Historical fiction is quite a popular genre. People tend to be interested in historical events, wishing to know what effects it had on a certain matter, how people were affected by this event. However, history books can make the real story a bit dull and that is when historical fiction comes to the rescue. Historical fiction tries to capture the time's mood and spirit as it allows the person who reads or watches it to experience the event through the character's point of view. Historical fiction can be found in all sorts of media like books, television, movies, among others.

The American Civil War was fought between 1861 and 1865. It arose due to the decades of tension between the northern states and southern states. These tensions rose to their highest level with the election of the president Abraham Lincoln in 1860. Months after his election, eleven sourthern states seceded and formed the Confederate States of America. The southerners won numerous victories over the first two years, however, began to lose power after the losses of Gettysburg and Vicksburg. After this, the northern states began to gain control of the southern states and forced them to surrender in April 1865.

All sorts of historical fictions have been created around this time of epic change. Donald McCraig's Jacob's Ladder: A Story of Virginia During the War is one of the countless books that take place during this time. This novel pays attention to white and non-white people of Virginia, telling the story of a white couple who is imprisoned during the war for giving shelter to a runaway slave. This novel details the life of the time and describes the war with great accuracy and detail. The Wolf Pit by Marly Youmans is yet another book dated back to the Civil War and takes place in Virginia. It tells the the story of a Confederate soldier who endures life at Elmira prison camp and of the daughter of a hired-out slave who stuggles to survive loss and degradation. In Tracy Knight's words: "Marly Youmans' third novel is a literary treasure. . . . 'Wolf Pit' is a haunting Civil War novel, poetic and intensely engaging."

Countless of movies of the time have been created as well. Shenadoah, directed by Andrew McLaglen, provides an entirely different perspective of the war as it takes place in the point of view of a Virginian farmer who did not believe in the war and wished no involvement, however his land lied exactly in the middle of the war zone. North and the South, directed by Richard Heffron, is one of the most complete Civil War movies you can watch. Lasting twelve hours, this television mini series covered each issue that the Civil War dealt with. North and the South held an all-star cast which executed greatly the different perspectives of the movie, involving two best friend, one of them being from the north and the other from the south.

Fiction is an extremely helpful way to spread knowledge in an interesting way. The amount of people who actually enjoy reading a history book is quite small, but people who enjoy a good novel or great movie is of huge proportions. Those who do not like reading, can watch a history based movie and be amazed by the effects a certain historical event had. Those who love a good novel can sit back and immerse themselves into the lives of the characters who endure those moments of history that amazes us. You do not need to look into a history book to learn history, just walk into a Barnes & Nobles or to the nearest movie theatre and knowledge will be there to greet you.

Sources: http://www.overbooked.org/booklists/subjects/war/civil.html
http://www0.epinions.com/content_4021985412
http://militaryhistory.about.com/od/battleswars1800s/p/AmCivilWar.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historical_Fiction