This Book Made Me Hate Men Called “Quimet” - The Time of the Doves

 This week, I delved into Merce Rodoreda's "The Time of The Doves," and despite its weighty subject matter, I found it to be quite an engaging read. Rodoreda's ability to craft vivid imagery really drew me into the story. Initially, I was concerned that Natalia wouldn't find her happy ending, but I was relieved when things turned out well with Antoni.The book follows Natalia as she navigates her relationship with three men. The first Pere, who was very fond of her was a much better fit then Quimet, justice for that poor guy. Quimet, her first husband, was truly despicable. From trying to convince her to leave Pere to outright violence (when he STRANGLED HER), he crossed a line that I couldn't forgive. His manipulation tactics, like gaslighting Natalia about Pere and feigning illness in his leg for attention. He was a stinky narcissist and got what he deserved. Finally we have the second husband Antoni, who married Natalia to have a family. The thing that stood out the most with Antoni was that he called her by her real name, Natalia, and not “Poor Maria” or “Colmeta” like Quimet did. I think this showed that Antoni, unlike Quimet, saw her as a person to respect, with her own agency. Throughout the book, Quimet consistently disregarded Natalia's wishes, especially when she gave birth to her children and had no say in what she would name them.

In the book, I couldn't help but empathize deeply with Maria due to the immense sacrifices she made.  We see this especially with how hard she works when Quimet went to war and when he died. She would ration her food so that the children would have a little more to eat. Honestly, her decision to marry Antonio, despite the risks involved (he could be like Quimet), spoke volumes about her determination to secure a brighter future for her kids. Regarding her children, I initially had some concerns about her son's behavior. I was a bit worried about the boy because he tried to STRANGLE HIS BABY SISTER, but after he went to the “boys camp” he seemed to not be as insane. I was honestly worried he would turn out like his father, but when she married Antoni, I found it pretty cute that her son wanted to grow up and be like him. For the sister, Rita, I was worried she was gonna die at first because Natalia kept referring to her as “girl” (maybe she didn’t want to get attached?) but I'm happy to see that she got married to a boy that’s obsessed with her. Overall this book was really engaging, and I enjoyed seeing Natalia's character find her happiness after all the loss and pain she experienced.

Question:

Do you guys think Quimet actually suffered of tuberculosis or was he lying about that like he lied about his “leg pain”