A Simple Habana Melody
by Oscar Hijuelos
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It is 1947 and Israel Levis, a Cuban composer whose life had once been a dream of music, love and sadness, is returning to Habana, Cuba, from Spain, where he has just recovered from the physical and spiritual malaise resulting from his experiences in Paris, then Buchenwald, during the Nazi occupation of France. (A devout Catholic, Levis had been mistakenly identified as a Jew because of his name.) When Levis arrives back in Habana, after an absence of many years, his mind is reeling with show more beautiful memories of his life in Cuba and in Paris before the war, a life of pleasure and excitement that he owes, in part, to an unrequited, nearly "chivalrous" romance with a certain Rita Valladares, a singer for whom Levis had written his most famous song, "Rosas Puras," or "Pretty Roses." This 1928 composition becomes the most famous rumba in the world and changes both American and European tastes in music and dance - forever; and it is the song, symbolic of the composer's love for Rita Valladares, that sets Levis's life in Europe in motion. This is at once a love story - for art, family and country - as well as a portrait of Habana at the turn of the last century, when "the world was good." A Simple Habana Melody is a virtuoso performance from one of our most important wr. show lessTags
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What a wonderful find. This is the first book I have read by Oscar Hijuelos, but it certainly won't be the last. The character of Israel Levis is so real and "historical" that I found it almost impossible to believe he wasn't. The mixture of culture, history, and music is writing at its best. The complexity of Israel's character causes one to be revolted by him, feel sorrow for him, but at the same time admire him. His naive and optimistic outlook on life may cause him suffering, but shows an indefatigable core of goodness tempered by reality. I would strongly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the human character.
Corre el ano 1947, e Israel Levis -- un compositor cubano cuya vida había sido un ensueño de música, amor y tristeza -- regresa a Cuba después de haber sido equivocadamente encarcelado durante la ocupación nazista de Francia. Cuando Levis regresa a La Habana, su mente vuelve al pasado al recordar su amor no correspondido por la hechizante Rita Valladares, una cantante para quien Levis había escrito su canción mas famosa, Rosas Puras. Esta composición que data de 1928, se convirtió en la rumba mas celebre del mundo, y cambio para siempre el gusto por la música y el baile. Una historia de amor por el arte, la familia y la patria, Una Sencilla Melodía Habanera es una actuación de virtuosismo por parte de uno de nuestros mas show more importantes escritores. show less
Jul 13, 2016Spanish
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16+ Works 4,841 Members
Óscar Jerome Hijuelos was born in Manhattan, New York on August 24, 1951 to Cuban immigrant parents. He received a bachelor's degree and a master of fine arts degree from City College. His first novel, Our House in the Last World, was published in 1983 and won the Rome Prize of the American Academy of Arts and Letters. His other works include The show more Fourteen Sisters of Emilio Montez O'Brien, Mr. Ives' Christmas, Empress of the Splendid Season, A Simple Habana Melody (From When the World was Good), Beautiful Maria of My Soul, Another Spaniard in the Works, and Twain and Stanley Enter Paradise. His novel, The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love, won the 1990 Pulitzer Prize for fiction and was made into a 1992 movie starring Armand Assante and Antonio Banderas. He also wrote a young adult novel entitled Dark Dude and a memoir entitled Thoughts Without Cigarettes. In 2000, he received the Hispanic Heritage Award for Literature. He died after collapsing with a heart attack while playing tennis on October 12, 2013 at age 62. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
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- Original publication date
- 2012
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- Reviews
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- Languages
- 5 — Dutch, English, French, Spanish, Swedish
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- Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
- ISBNs
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