[POA]≡ [PDF] Nights in the Gardens of Spain Witi Ihimaera 9780790004068 Books

Nights in the Gardens of Spain Witi Ihimaera 9780790004068 Books

Download As PDF : Nights in the Gardens of Spain Witi Ihimaera 9780790004068 Books

Nights in the Gardens of Spain Witi Ihimaera 9780790004068 Books

I'll go ahead and say it as I feel it: if I had died knowing I had not read this book, I would have regretted it. I experienced all kinds of strong emotions with this book, which is something I can say about very few books.

This is not a book about a hero; it is a book about a real person. It's not a book about meeting others' expectations but your own, as a whole person, in order to be who you really are; because by being who you really are, you will truly be happy, or at least be on your way to happiness.

David Munro is a Pakeha. He has the perfect life in the eyes of everyone around him, but what about in his own eyes? He can come off as a little selfish at times, but aren't other people's expectations based on their own selfishness at times, too?

"Nights in the Gardens of Spain" is a book about the life of a closeted gay man coming to terms with who he really is. It's also a book about an array of characters who show you what being gay is like for many.

Although there's a movie adaptation of it called "Kawa", the film and the book are almost two different things, so don't watch the film thinking "I'll watch the film first and if I like it, I'll go ahead and read the book". The movie is about being a gay Maori; this novel is about being a gay Pakeha. If you want to read a book about a gay Maori, read his superb novel "The Uncle's Story", which along with "Nights in the Garden's of Spain" have become two of my all time favorite novels.

I read the 2010 Raupo edition, which, in the author's own words, he rewrote in a less explicit manner. I am curious as to why he felt compelled to do so, but I loved this second version all the same. This is my third Witi Ihimaera book, and I cannot wait to read more of his novels.


Tags : Nights in the Gardens of Spain [Witi Ihimaera] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers.,Witi Ihimaera,Nights in the Gardens of Spain,Raupo Publishing (NZ) Ltd,0790004062,4564870

Nights in the Gardens of Spain Witi Ihimaera 9780790004068 Books Reviews

Little to do with Spain has this charming narrative of a bi middle class kiwi man experiencing the problems of coming out. Mr Ihimaera takes us through different settings to explain the perceptions, relations and crafty names the hero gives to the people who make up his sentiments. In fact the nick names and images are the most imaginative part of the tale. 'The gardens' are a gay sauna that the hero returns time and again as if to gain perpective from his inner ad outer conflicts. Gripping as the story is the author could have left more to the imagination of the readers with out being so explicit about what is what in the tale.If he would have done so it could have been forgiving the over sugary romantic, politically correct, family orienteted, post aids poor ending he gves to the story. Nevertheless it's a good one for someone who wants to 'come out' clean saleswise.
This is an excellent novel - very different from Whale Rider - a major departure from Witi Ihimaera's previous work. I enjoyed it immensely, though I found it painfully sad and harrowing in parts. For me personally, I could relate to the story well because it brought up memories and emotions from my own marriage breakup and also when my father left when I was a six year old child. I felt the author portrayed the emotions of every character superbly - in fact the story was so real I found it hard to believe that the book was a novel and not an autobiography. It offers a rare and somewhat voyeuristic glimpse into the private life of gay and bisexual men - be warned it is quite raunchy and this may put some people off. I know quite a few gay men and know what their lifestyles can be like, and I found the story to be very real, very honest and extremely well written. His portrayal of the children and the effects of the marital separation on them was just right on the button. This book made me cry, big time. It is an unusual story but in my experience, reflects just how life can be. Complex, unfair, imperfect, unfathomable ... and yet somehow we can survive and life can work out for us in the end.

Don't be put off by any bad reviews of this book - but again, be warned that it contains quite graphic accounts of gay sex.
A realistic, heart rending tale of a middle class professional New Zealander who comes out following a brief heterosexual marriage complete with children. Like many gay men, the main character internalizes much of the homophobia directed towards him from mainstream society. Ihimaera conveys quite poignantly David's restless dissatisfaction with himself, his work, his gay lovers, the loss of his intimate live-in relationship with children he loves deeply, and the need to justify his total lifestyle change to friends, work colleagues and extended family.

The Gardens of Spain are a gay sauna - that our hero seeks out repeatedly when the conflict within himself becomes too intense to handle any other way.

A fitting allegory for the internal struggles of gay men in a profoundly homophobic society.

Dr Stuart Jeanne Bramhall, author of THE MOST REVOLUTIONARY ACT MEMOIR OF AN AMERICAN REFUGEE
The complicated coming-out story of a succesful married man in his mid-30s in Auckland, New Zealand. The story could have been situated anywhere but the characters are very well drawn and the process of the protagonist's evolution from dutiful son, provider, husband and father to the fulfilment of his sexual self and his reconciliation of all of the above into the person he becomes at the end of the novel is compelling and will ring true to any man who has expereiced the same stresses, ambiguities and conflcits in his own life.
I'll go ahead and say it as I feel it if I had died knowing I had not read this book, I would have regretted it. I experienced all kinds of strong emotions with this book, which is something I can say about very few books.

This is not a book about a hero; it is a book about a real person. It's not a book about meeting others' expectations but your own, as a whole person, in order to be who you really are; because by being who you really are, you will truly be happy, or at least be on your way to happiness.

David Munro is a Pakeha. He has the perfect life in the eyes of everyone around him, but what about in his own eyes? He can come off as a little selfish at times, but aren't other people's expectations based on their own selfishness at times, too?

"Nights in the Gardens of Spain" is a book about the life of a closeted gay man coming to terms with who he really is. It's also a book about an array of characters who show you what being gay is like for many.

Although there's a movie adaptation of it called "Kawa", the film and the book are almost two different things, so don't watch the film thinking "I'll watch the film first and if I like it, I'll go ahead and read the book". The movie is about being a gay Maori; this novel is about being a gay Pakeha. If you want to read a book about a gay Maori, read his superb novel "The Uncle's Story", which along with "Nights in the Garden's of Spain" have become two of my all time favorite novels.

I read the 2010 Raupo edition, which, in the author's own words, he rewrote in a less explicit manner. I am curious as to why he felt compelled to do so, but I loved this second version all the same. This is my third Witi Ihimaera book, and I cannot wait to read more of his novels.