What I'm Reading

"Doña Bárbara" by Rómulo Gallegos is a landmark Venezuelan novel that explores the clash between civilization and barbarism in the vast plains of the llanos. The story follows Santos Luzardo, an educated man who returns to his family’s ranch to reclaim it from the ruthless and seductive Doña Bárbara, a woman hardened by betrayal and symbolic of the untamed, lawless frontier. Through their conflict—and the awakening of Doña Bárbara’s daughter, Marisela—Gallegos crafts a powerful allegory about Venezuela’s struggle between progress and primal instinct, reason and passion. Rich in regional color and psychological depth, the novel stands as a cornerstone of Latin American literature and a vivid portrayal of national identity.