Showing posts with label el violinista. Show all posts
Showing posts with label el violinista. Show all posts

Saturday, April 24, 2010

El Violinista de los Brazos Largos by Ana María Guiraldes


I guess this could be considered a children’s book, but I’m more inclined to believe it is an ageless book. “El Violinista” tells the story of violin-player Josefo, who one day unexpectedly begins to grow taller. His good friend, the old doctor Dulcelino, sets out on a mission to discover the nature of his illness and the way in which he can stop it. As Josefo- very painfully- becomes a giant, he and Dulcelino will meet the wickedness of ignorant prejudice, of scientific coldness, and of selfish fear.

I loved this book. It is short, and sweet, and I read it in one morning. The characters are charming. Even with all the horrid things happening around them, Dulcelino and Josefo (and a couple of other misfit friends), manage to create a pocket of warmth and love. In the end, it is not Josefo who needs a cure for his tallness; it is the world that needs to be cured of its blindness in order to accept a man of real stature.