El Tunel

Customer Reviews:

My tunnel dark and lonely.......2006-01-18

As a resident in Argentina, I have learned that the Argentine dream comes true for someone who lives a good life in or around Buenos Aires, drives a European car, speaks English, travels to Europe and/or to the United States, and works for an international company. Hence Argentina, a nation built on immigrants and with a strong culture, has never developed a strong national identity. A friend of mine, studying here for her doctorate in counseling, commented recently that her time is spent studying French theories.
France is what I had in mind as I read Ernesto Sábato's El túnel (The Tunnel), which describes the descent and fall of Juan Pablo Castel, a noted Argentine painter who becomes addicted to María Iribarne, the only person he feels understands what his work really means. Castel does not love, can not love, will not love, and only briefly, at times, rises above his own demons to experience lucidity and the fresh air of common sense. His soul cannot be touched, and his dark world of pain is like a dark tunnel without end. María, a married woman touched to her core by one of his paintings, forgoes her vows to be with and comfort a man incapable of receiving it, thus losing out on the comfort she hopes to receive from him.
The book, written in 1948, impactingly expresses the existentialism and nihilism that came for fore (and in the case of nihilism returned to the fore) after World War II. The chief proponent of this existentialism was the French philosopher Sartre, and one character in The Tunnel is found reading a Sartre book. This is not to suggest that Sábato is merely rehashing the work of another. On the contrary his work plumbs the depths of these two schools of thought: he existentially looks for meaning as life does not inherently possess it, and in his case meaning can not be found, only nihilistic darkness. He ably expresses the inability of Castel to find joy, even when it is there for the taking. Even when Castel seems to break through to what might be called a more sound reasoning, the reader has doubts that it will endure. Sábato takes these schools of thought and gives them a novelistic passion, making this a classic of modern Latin literature. And, like other Argentine writes such as Manuel Puig and Julio Cortázar, he makes use of the geography of Buenos Aires, showing how the city has had its effect on contemporary literature.
Castel, due to his own worldview, never leaves his tunnel and suffers for it. The reader can leave it, but only after Sábato adroitly narrates why Juan Pablo Castel has done what he has done.

A very intriguing novel.......2005-05-23

First of all this was the first novel I have read by Ernesto Sabato and it has left me with a great impression of his writing style. It is very intriguing from the get go as one learns the outcome of the novel first and then the story develops afterwards. The protagonist Juan is a reclusive painter striving for acknowledgement. Maria becomes an obsession since she is the only one who can understand his work. His passion, obsession and desesperation leads him to kill Maria and gives the readers insight to his "tunel" (his torchered inner soul).

The only other novel that I read along these lines in terms of uniqueness of plot and intrigue was L'entranger by Albert Camus. Definitely they are both one of kind novels. A recommended read.

Watch this cult novel !.......2004-11-07

In every case there was a dark asnd loney tunnel : mine!
That is the initial premise who will open you the gate to get in in the complex world of Martell and Maria . The deeep influence this book has had since its first release has reached to Milan Kundera .
The complex and dramatic circumstances which involves the disturbed and introspective character of Martell is written with in a perfect style and it has not any to envy to the best works of Edgar Allan Poe or Guy de Maupassant .
Ernesto Sabato , Jorge Luis Borges and Julio Cortazar conform the gloriuous trilogy of Argentine writers in the XX Century.

One of a kind.......2003-04-13

This is the only piece of fiction I have read that has grabbed me to the point that 'I could not put it down'. Juan Pablo Castel is obviously insane ---- but then why do I keep reading his confession? This is 115 pages and it just does not stop. Don't bother trying to categorize this work. It is one of a kind.

A must-read book!!.......2002-02-20

It is amazing how the aothor make you keep on reading inspit of telling you the end of the book in the first line. You have to read it!!

LA Familia De Pascual Duarte and El Tunel: Correspondences and Divergencies in the Exercise of Craft

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LA Familia De Pascual Duarte and El Tunel: Correspondences and Divergencies in the Exercise of Craft
Cedric Busette
Manufacturer: Univ Pr of Amer
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Spanish | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0819196479

The Tunnel, the Bilingual Edition of El Tunel

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The Tunnel, the Bilingual Edition of El Tunel
Ernesto Sabato , and Margaret Sayers Peden
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Latin American | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Spanish | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
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El Tunel

ASIN: 0345351924
Release Date: 1988-04-12

The Rainbow Bird Tunnel Book: El pajaro del arco iris: un libro tunel (Take a Peek series)

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The Rainbow Bird Tunnel Book: El pajaro del arco iris: un libro tunel (Take a Peek series)
Joan Sommers
Manufacturer: Tunnel Vision Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0975415050

Book Description

The brilliant birds roost and strut in this expandable accordion book that provides a 3-D view of a scene from a Latin-American folktale. A 16-page guide tells the story of how these birds, once drab and grey, got their colorful plumage. The tale, in both English and Spanish, introduces young readers to birds both real and imagined, and teaches a lesson of patience.

The Dancing Skeletons Tunnel Book / El Gran Baile de Calaveras Libro del Tunel (Take a Peek series)

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The Dancing Skeletons Tunnel Book / El Gran Baile de Calaveras Libro del Tunel (Take a Peek series)
Joan Sommers
Manufacturer: Tunnel Vision Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0975415034

Book Description

The playful skeletons made popular in Mexican artist José Guadalupe Posada's etchings and lithographs dance the fandango, play music, make tortillas, and woo their lovers in this expandable accordion book that provides a 3-D view of Posada's cavorting skeletons. A 16-page, bilingual English–Spanish book on Posada's life, the social significance of his comic calaveras, and the Mexican tradition of the Day of the Dead is included.

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Analisis De El Tunel (Centro Literario)
Cesar Perez
Manufacturer: Panamericana Editorial
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Binding: Paperback

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El Tunel

ASIN: 9583011916

Aranas Tejodoras De Tunel/Funnel Web Spiders

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Aranas Tejodoras De Tunel/Funnel Web Spiders
L. Martin
Manufacturer: Rourke Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding

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Berlin : Tunel 21

Manufacturer: Lasser Press Mexicana S.A.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Spanish | Foreign Language Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 9684581432

Product Description

Spanish-language translation of the Cold War thriller "Berlin Tunnel 21."

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BERLIN TUNEL 21
Donald Lindquist
Manufacturer: LaSser Press Mexicana
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 9687063521

Con Los Vikingos De Leif Ericsson/Vikings With Leif Ericsson (Serie El Tunel Del Tiempo/Time Tunnel)

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Con Los Vikingos De Leif Ericsson/Vikings With Leif Ericsson (Serie El Tunel Del Tiempo/Time Tunnel)
David Salariya
Manufacturer: Grupo Anaya Comercial
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Book Description

Few books have captivated the imagination and won the devotion and praise of readers and critics everywhere as has George R. R. Martin’s monumental epic cycle of high fantasy. Now, in A Feast for Crows, Martin delivers the long-awaited fourth book of his landmark series, as a kingdom torn asunder finds itself at last on the brink of peace...only to be launched on an even more terrifying course of destruction.

A Feast for Crows

It seems too good to be true. After centuries of bitter strife and fatal treachery, the seven powers dividing the land have decimated one another into an uneasy truce. Or so it appears....With the death of the monstrous King Joffrey, Cersei is ruling as regent in King’s Landing. Robb Stark’s demise has broken the back of the Northern rebels, and his siblings are scattered throughout the kingdom like seeds on barren soil. Few legitimate claims to the once desperately sought Iron Throne still exist—or they are held in hands too weak or too distant to wield them effectively. The war, which raged out of control for so long, has burned itself out.

But as in the aftermath of any climactic struggle, it is not long before the survivors, outlaws, renegades, and carrion eaters start to gather, picking over the bones of the dead and fighting for the spoils of the soon-to-be dead. Now in the Seven Kingdoms, as the human crows assemble over a banquet of ashes, daring new plots and dangerous new alliances are formed, while surprising faces—some familiar, others only just appearing—are seen emerging from an ominous twilight of past struggles and chaos to take up the challenges ahead.

It is a time when the wise and the ambitious, the deceitful and the strong will acquire the skills, the power, and the magic to survive the stark and terrible times that lie before them. It is a time for nobles and commoners, soldiers and sorcerers, assassins and sages to come together and stake their fortunes...and their lives. For at a feast for crows, many are the guests—but only a few are the survivors.

From the Hardcover edition.

Download Description

George R.R. Martin sold his first story in 1971 and has been writing professionally ever since. He has written fantasy, horror, and science fiction, and for his sins spent ten years in Hollywood as a writer/producer, working on Twilight Zone, Beauty and the Beast, and various feature films and television pilots that were never made. In the mid 90s he returned to prose, his first love, and began work on his epic fantasy series A Song of Ice and Fire. He has been in the Seven Kingdoms ever since. Whenever he's allowed to leave, he returns to Santa Fe, New Mexico, where he lives with the lovely Parris, a big white dog called Mischa, and two cats named Augustus and Caligula who think they run the place.

From the Paperback edition.

Customer Reviews:

Great Book.......2007-10-11

Minimum Maturity Level - Adult
Strong violence. Strong language. Sexual situations.

Previous Reading Required - Major
You must read the previous three books, starting with "A Game of Thrones".

Reading Level - Average
Very easy to follow.

Rate of Development - Extremely Fast
Picks up where "A Storm of Swords" left off.

The Story - Anything said will be a spoiler. Mainly for those who haven't read the previous books.

My Suggestion - Highly Recommended
This book pretty much winds down when it comes to the action. There is still action, but not at such a grand scale as the battle of King's Landing. There is some shocking moments again, just like how GRRM likes doing it. I have heard many people gripe about this book but it is still an essential read to keep up with what is going on with all the characters. Part of the reason of gripes, I would think, is because GRRM had to split this book in two, which is why "A Dance of Dragons" will feature the other characters that everyone likes so much. Still, it's a great book to read.

Arrgh.......2007-10-10

I think he could have made this a five book series rather than a seven. While I have enjoyed the format and the character development, and the plot twists, its started to get hackneyed. Every time you start to take an interest in a character they are cruelly maimed or killed. We get it, life is tough, and if you are in any way involved with anyone in power, you are going to die a horrible death. If you are a nobody, you still die horribly, but with less ink. If you are cute and spunky, you die slower. And if we start to run out of the hundreds of cannon fodder characters, we just introduce new ones.

I don't know if I'm going to buy the next book.

Great novel but..........2007-09-30

I write this review with mixed feelings. Let me begin by saying that I think this book is great. Mr. Martin shows the same quality here as in the first three books. It is true that there is less action here, but every story has different stages with different requirements. It is obvious that the aftermath of a great war cannot be as tumultous as the war itself. Many people complain about their favorite characters not being here and I understand them. One reads this saga because of the characters. So, no matter how well written is something, if you don't care about the characters, you will not enjoy the book. I was fortunate, because my favorite character is Arya. Eventhough there were only a few chapters about her, I turned every page with the hope that there would be another Arya story. In short, I think this book is worthy of the same praise the other three received, but...

Let me now explain why I have mixed feelings. It is true that the pace of this book is slow. Not much happens in more than six hundred pages. At first sight this is not a problem. When one is reading quality literature, the more the better. But when one considers some implications, this point of view changes. At this pace, I think it is impossible that the series will end in three more books. A Dance with Dragons will not go in time beyond A Feast for Crows. This means the whole Cersei thing won't be resolved until book six. But not only that, we have to consider all the loose ends remaining in Feast added with those of Dance. Even assuming that some plots resolve quickly in book six, this means that there remains only one book and a half of story, and still the Starks are children, Jon and Daenerys are still teenagers. Despite all the talk that the series doesn't depict clearly good or evil characters, the truth of the matter is that the Starks and Daenerys are "the good guys", at least the leading characters. Not for nothing the saga is named A Song of Ice and Fire. I have been waiting to see them grow and become the characters they potentially are. For me the greatest strength of this series is that we have witnessed all the struggles and trials these characters endured in order to become the people they are. But the thing is that moment doesn't arrive, they continue to be children. This could mean that Bran, Sansa and Arya will not play a major role in the climax of the story, and that Jon and Daenerys will defeat rivals which surpass them in experience. If this is going to happen I will be dissaponted. On the other hand, this could mean that we will read only a book and a half with the grown protagonists. But then this would be a let down. If reading about children and teenagers has been a profound experience, can you imagine reading about them as mature and experienced people. I can't wait to read that. I have been waiting more than five years and I am ready to wait whatever it takes. I would like to read at least as many books of them as adults as have been published.

This takes me to the final point. If George Martin enjoys writing about Brienne in such detail, I think he will enjoy more writing about an adult Arya or Bran. This makes me think that the series will have more books than seven, which is a good thing for me due to what I have said. At the same time is a terrible thing, because that means that the most probable thing to happen is that the series will never be completed. Let me say the truth. Mr. Martin is a first class writer. In my opinion he is at the same level of Borges or Joyce, but most of his life he was just a little known writer with no fans. Then he began writing what could be one of the best works of literature of all time, and with it came fame and success. And he is enjoying that, because he waited his whole life for this, and he deserved it. The problem, I think, is that he lost his way in the process. He spends so much time with the fans, traveling, editing other books and many other innumerable projects, that he hardly has any time or energy to write his magnus opus. He took five years to publish what he calls half a book, and he will take probably three years to write a book which he said he had more than half already written. This means he will take at least seven years to complete the sixth book (or four if the publishers force him to split it too). Mr. Martin isn't young and if he dies before finishing his saga, all will be lost. What could have been one of the greatest stories of all time will be nothing. Cervantes wouldn't be what he is if he hasn't finished "El Quijote". Eventhough the Tuft stories are good, eventhough Fevre Dream is the best vampire story I've ever read, Mr. martin will be rembered by A SoIF.

I hope he realizes that he is an artist and that his legacy is at risk, I hope he finds again happiness in writing instead of being a torture that keeps him from going to conventions. I hope he finishes this series in a way that fulfills all expectations. I hope to see him occupy his rightful place in literature history. I hope and I wait.

Twice as long as necessary -- but I still loved reading it..........2007-09-20

Not since the Lord of the Rings has an author written a series that has such amazing SCOPE as GRRM has pulled together with these books. While arguments will be made for YEARS about the contributions of Terry Brooks, Terry Goodkind and others, it seems hard to place them in the same league simply because I consider those books good and entirely worth reading, but Martin has created one of the few Fantasy series that can also be considered true Literature. Again, some may disagree, but that is essentially how I consider it.

I finished this book quite a long time ago and while I normally post my reviews within a day or so of closing the last page, I kept putting this one off as I attempted to just figure out exactly what I thought of it. I believe the bulk of us Song of Ice & Fire readers have all heard that this book originally began as a single novel, and due to several unforseen circumstances, ended up being divided into two separate-but-equal parts of basically the same book. You can REALLY tell, too. The obvious omitting of several MAJOR POV's is the first and biggest obstacle against giving this a full 5 Stars. As MANY have also noted, even though there ARE some incredibly important issues brought up which help the plot move forward here, again it is nearly impossible NOT to notice how LITTLE forward the book takes us overall. Several reviewers have noted the possible absence of an editor with the stones to actually trim the fat, which this novel really needed. I would have rather waited an extra year and had what was cut out to make 'A Dance With Dragons' ADDED and then properly edited in order to seriously move the overall storyline AHEAD. There is little doubt that GRRM is likely the most talented Fantasy Author writing today (although the debate continues...), but if this series is expected to finish up before the end of the next century, I sincerely hope that GRRM steps up the pace--even if by just a little. Robert Jordan recently passed away, and so far (at least as I write this) the end of the Wheel of Time Series remains unfinished...now he may have finished writing the last novel before he passed away (gosh I hope so...) we can see what happens by doing this and dragging things out longer than necessary. While I honestly believe GRRM really DOES have a handle on where the story is going and he honestly does know the end from the beginning, I also hope that the end is in sight. Making us all wait what seems like decades in between these books is nothing short of torture and possibly against the Geneva Convention if I am not mistaken...

With that said, I STILL had a great time reading AFFC. Yes it dragged and lost momentum and I felt that my journey was basically 'Hurry Up And Wait', I have invested so much into these characters, (although through sad experience I have also discovered not to become TOO attached to any one character in particular) that even a SMALL glimpse into their world is better than none at all. I anxiously await the arrival of the 2nd half of this tale begun in 'A Feast For Crows', I also bite my nails wondering if part 2 isn't just more of the same here. I have learned to give the benefit of the doubt in a lot of instances, and because GRRM is so dang good at writing, I feel compelled to extend it here as well. But hopefully my patience won't have to be tested quite to this degree much longer...

Fading Fast.......2007-09-19

Where have all the editors gone?

With Feast, the 4th installment of the Song of Ice and Fire series, Martin has begun to get carried away with himself. Much like what readers experienced with Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series, Feast represents a serious departure from the tight narrative drive that powered the first three books.

Very little time is spent on the characters we came to care about in past installments and, even worse, the "splitting" of this volume leaves several major characters out of the mix altogether. The vast bulk of this book is dedicated to two characters who are either dead or marginalized by the end of the book and I found myself wondering how much of their plot impact could have been accomplished with several hundred less pages?

After all, if you spend 200 pages having someone wander about the countryside only to die at the end, the hope is they accomplished something that will have future plot implications. If they didn't, you wasted our time. If they did, then the importance of their accomplishment(s) must be weighed against the time taken to tell the story. Without seeing the impact in book 6, it's impossible to say how much of book 4 was unnecessary drivel, but I suspect that much of it should have hit the editing room floor.

Eric-

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A Feast of Crows
George Martin
Manufacturer: Bantam
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: B000KD0BFQ

The Captain of Guards Excerpt from A Feast for Crows

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The Captain of Guards Excerpt from A Feast for Crows
George R.R. Martin
Manufacturer: Bantam
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Pamphlet
ASIN: B000J9XV8A

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Feast for Crows 1ST Edition Us
George R R Martin
Manufacturer: BANTAM DOUBLEDAY @ DELL
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000Q59Y4C

A Feast for Crows: A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 4 (Unabridged)

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A Feast for Crows: A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 4 (Unabridged)
George R. R. Martin
Manufacturer: audible.com
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Download
ASIN: B000CQK04S

A Feast for Crows: A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 4, Volume 1 (Unabridged)

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A Feast for Crows: A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 4, Volume 1 (Unabridged)
George R. R. Martin
Manufacturer: audible.com
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Download
ASIN: B000C47RUA

A Feast for Crows: A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 4, Volume 2 (Unabridged)

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A Feast for Crows: A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 4, Volume 2 (Unabridged)
George R. R. Martin
Manufacturer: audible.com
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Download
ASIN: B000C47RUK

Feast For Crows - Book Four Of A Song Of Ice And Fire

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Feast For Crows - Book Four Of A Song Of Ice And Fire
George R. R. Martin
Manufacturer: Bantam Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000NY4QU8

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A Feast for Crows
George R.R. Martin
Manufacturer: Voyager Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000MI5JLK

Product Description

Bloodthirsty, treacherous and cunning, the Lannisters are in power on the Iron Throne in the name of the boy-king Tommen. But with fear and deceit in the air, their enemies are poised to strike. The Martells of Dorne seek vengeance for their dead and the heir of dead King Balon of the Iron Isles, Euron Crow's Eye, is as black a pirate as ever raised a sail. Across the war-torn landscape of the Seven Kingdoms, the daughter of Lord Selwyn of Tarth, called Brienne the Beauty in mockery of her great strength, seeks the late king's widow Sansa Stark. She promised the girl's dead mother to protect her from the wrath of Queen Cersei, Tommen's power-hungry mother. Meanwhile, apprentice Maester Samwell Tarly brings a mysterious babe-in-arms south to the Citadel from the cruel frozen north where the sinister Others threaten the wall.

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Feast for Crows

Manufacturer: HARPER COLLINS 0 PUB
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000GR985K

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