In diary form, legendary seducer Don Juan Tenorio tells us in his own words how he got his reputation, how he goes about seducing women, and more intriguingly, his own love stories. Who knew Don Juan could fall in love? We learn that he seduces because he loves women as a whole, not for particular reasons of his own, but that he’s finally stymied by one woman who is particularly hard to win over and in the end challenges Don Juan to consider his own philosophies as he’s confronted with the startling loss of his heart.
I thought it sounded interesting, particularly because I’ve read reviews all over the blogosphere and they were universally praising. Don Juan is one of those characters who exists in phrases and popular knowledge but without much substance behind him. Abrams has provided that substance and done so in a way that Don Juan could conceivably be a real person, albeit a rare one. I think I was a bit let down, though, as I expected a bit more from it. I wanted deeper characters and more to the story than a fight to win a particular woman and a trail of lovers. I didn’t feel attachment and I knew the ending as soon as Don Juan met Dona Ana. That’s not what I look for in regular historical fiction, but I suppose given the subject I shouldn’t have expected so much. It would have been much better if I’d gone into it without any expectations and was looking for something lighter at that particular time instead of taking a break from that lighter fiction. I did enjoy it, but I felt it was lacking in complexity for my particular mood. So, most likely my fault, not Abrams’!
To sum up: a good read, but don’t expect much more than a book about Don Juan and his various exploits! Many others have loved this novel and so might you, don’t take my word for it.
Buy The Lost Diary of Don Juan
Recent Comments