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bookdragon36's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
I enjoyed this informative book. Gary Jennings weaved Aztec mythology and religious rites seamlessly. But I found that, I don't want to assume here just because the author is a man, the brief incestuous relationship to be unnecessary. As well as how the man character always seems to be infatuated with every new woman he meets on his travels.
dykish's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
billymac1962's review against another edition
5.0
(this review from my website)
Whew! Man, it's been over two months since I've made any updates and this behemoth of a novel is to blame. As some of you may already be aware, I'm not all that keen on marathon reads.
Losing a month out of your life for something like Stephen King's Insomnia will do that to you.
It's for that reason that after buying Aztec it sat on my shelf for several months before deciding to venture into it.
Well, two months later I can look back on this as a time travel trip
well worth the effort. This review could easily be placed in any of my pages. Horror, for the multitudes of human sacrifices and torture; Mystery/Suspense, for assorted intrigue and adventures; even Sci-fi/Fantasy, for the total immersion into an alien culture.
Aztec is all of these, and I must warn you, that apart from being a wonderful history lesson (an Aztec recounts his life story to the conquering Spanish officials) , this novel is not for the squeamish or easily offended. There are graphic depictions of human sacrifice and torture, and explicit and illicit sex scenes.
So now you know what you're in for. Highly recommended, and best read during a heatwave.
Whew! Man, it's been over two months since I've made any updates and this behemoth of a novel is to blame. As some of you may already be aware, I'm not all that keen on marathon reads.
Losing a month out of your life for something like Stephen King's Insomnia will do that to you.
It's for that reason that after buying Aztec it sat on my shelf for several months before deciding to venture into it.
Well, two months later I can look back on this as a time travel trip
well worth the effort. This review could easily be placed in any of my pages. Horror, for the multitudes of human sacrifices and torture; Mystery/Suspense, for assorted intrigue and adventures; even Sci-fi/Fantasy, for the total immersion into an alien culture.
Aztec is all of these, and I must warn you, that apart from being a wonderful history lesson (an Aztec recounts his life story to the conquering Spanish officials) , this novel is not for the squeamish or easily offended. There are graphic depictions of human sacrifice and torture, and explicit and illicit sex scenes.
So now you know what you're in for. Highly recommended, and best read during a heatwave.
chicokc's review against another edition
5.0
La novela nos cuenta la grandeza de los Mexicas, su cultura, su valentía, su forma de vida y cultura. A su vez, vemos la bajeza, el rencor, el coraje, la sumisión, la traición y todas las fascetas de cualquier cultura.
scoticus_maximus's review against another edition
5.0
Wow. There were moments when I put this book down and was disgusted at the idea of continuing on. Yet, there were moments when putting it down seemed impossible. It is an incredible engulfing read that puts you at the heart of a foreign, ancient, violent civilization and yet you experience great empathy, if not love, for the main character. I feel so conflicted about the contents of this book because much of it is so gratuitous in its deplorability and yet paints a vivid picture of a people who are making sense of the world with the best tools they have and a limited experience. So, if you’re a blusher or have any aversion to graphic violence or sexuality, maybe stick to The Indian in the Cupboard but if you press through you will be submerged in a grand adventure. Enjoy! (Or don’t. That’s fine too.)
jillyrabb101's review against another edition
5.0
I love this book because its told in the POV of one of the natives. We have so much information as told by the conquerors, it was incredibly refreshing to find a different perspective. I felt like I was an Aztec too and couldn't understand why these Spaniards thought they were the superior race. I read it for a history class requirement and thoroughly enjoyed it!
jpeaslee's review against another edition
5.0
I love this book. I loved it when I was a teenager and I felt deliciously wrong reading the lurid descriptions of human sacrifice and various sexual practices. I was pleased to discover that I loved it just as much as a slightly jaded thirty-something.
This 750 page epic follows Mixtli, the Forest Gump of the Mexica (more on him later). It is filled with vivid descriptions of Aztec civilization, ranging from people, customs, and territories. That said, it is a product of its time, and certain historical elements are inaccurate. However, it's worth reading if only to glimpse our journey of understanding the historicity of Cortes and Motecuzoma.
As I have mentioned, there's a lot of sex in this book. Like. A lot. We follow Mixtli, a common middle class citizen, through his sixty-odd years of life, approximately half of which is spent engaging in some sexual lewdness or other. There is incest, many different kinds of rape, and the kind of pedophiliac literature you only get by reading the coke-fueled writings of the 80s.
Mixtli also goes on so many adventures that by the end of the book I felt his credibility was tested. He invents monocles. He meets several kings (or the equivalent thereof) and even kills one. Every important historical event in the last fifty years before Cortes landed is attended - or directly influenced - by Mixtli. It's a little much at times.
Although almost all of this book is engrossing, and easy to read, I felt like the last fifty or so pages of the novel drag. This final section goes into the struggle against the Spanish, containing very little dialogue, and I did not find the battles as interesting as the cultural exploration in earlier pages.
That said, it is all worth it. Aztec is funny, romantic, enraging, heartbreaking, and everything in between.
This 750 page epic follows Mixtli, the Forest Gump of the Mexica (more on him later). It is filled with vivid descriptions of Aztec civilization, ranging from people, customs, and territories. That said, it is a product of its time, and certain historical elements are inaccurate. However, it's worth reading if only to glimpse our journey of understanding the historicity of Cortes and Motecuzoma.
As I have mentioned, there's a lot of sex in this book. Like. A lot. We follow Mixtli, a common middle class citizen, through his sixty-odd years of life, approximately half of which is spent engaging in some sexual lewdness or other. There is incest, many different kinds of rape, and the kind of pedophiliac literature you only get by reading the coke-fueled writings of the 80s.
Mixtli also goes on so many adventures that by the end of the book I felt his credibility was tested. He invents monocles. He meets several kings (or the equivalent thereof) and even kills one. Every important historical event in the last fifty years before Cortes landed is attended - or directly influenced - by Mixtli. It's a little much at times.
Although almost all of this book is engrossing, and easy to read, I felt like the last fifty or so pages of the novel drag. This final section goes into the struggle against the Spanish, containing very little dialogue, and I did not find the battles as interesting as the cultural exploration in earlier pages.
That said, it is all worth it. Aztec is funny, romantic, enraging, heartbreaking, and everything in between.
oddskyla's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Incest, Rape, War, Child death, Sexual assault, Pedophilia, Sexual violence, Animal death, Violence, and Death
smrbogie's review against another edition
2.0
Badly written Aztec Forrest Gump
I have three complaints about this book:
1) The writing is just awful. It’s belabored, inelegant and just frankly boring. I commend the author for his perseverance in research and laboring through penning 750 pages. But not a single phrase, sentence or paragraph struck me as even mildly evocative or inspiring. It’s the writing of a 15 year old.
2) Its a lazy “Forest Gump” trope in Aztec disguise. By that I mean the protagonist meanders or happens or blunders through all kinds of dramatic episodes that really are just plot devices. Again, it’s lazy storytelling and writing. There is no “force” in the main character. He is also weak of eyesight which again was a needless story arc that also weakens the credibility of future escapades.
3) It is needlessly long. I am more than happy to work through a 700+ page book as long as there is some value in it - whether the writing, or moving characters or a compelling story. This has neither. Many of the divergent storylines don’t add to the experience in anyway.
I had to give it one star so I could write this review.
I added a star because of the historical research and narrative.
This could be a far better read if some charitable “editor” would take it upon herself to rewrite it, cut out the unnecessary fluff (5 pages about how he wishes he had told his wife he loved her sooner? And none of them moving or well written!), and shorten it to maybe 400 pages.
I have three complaints about this book:
1) The writing is just awful. It’s belabored, inelegant and just frankly boring. I commend the author for his perseverance in research and laboring through penning 750 pages. But not a single phrase, sentence or paragraph struck me as even mildly evocative or inspiring. It’s the writing of a 15 year old.
2) Its a lazy “Forest Gump” trope in Aztec disguise. By that I mean the protagonist meanders or happens or blunders through all kinds of dramatic episodes that really are just plot devices. Again, it’s lazy storytelling and writing. There is no “force” in the main character. He is also weak of eyesight which again was a needless story arc that also weakens the credibility of future escapades.
3) It is needlessly long. I am more than happy to work through a 700+ page book as long as there is some value in it - whether the writing, or moving characters or a compelling story. This has neither. Many of the divergent storylines don’t add to the experience in anyway.
I had to give it one star so I could write this review.
I added a star because of the historical research and narrative.
This could be a far better read if some charitable “editor” would take it upon herself to rewrite it, cut out the unnecessary fluff (5 pages about how he wishes he had told his wife he loved her sooner? And none of them moving or well written!), and shorten it to maybe 400 pages.