The Fox Allende has created is slightly conceited, while at the same time chivalrous, entertaining, and likable. The men are also vivid, from the traumatized, silent Bernardo to the honorable, justice-driven Zorro. The women in this novel, as in all of Allende’s work, are exceptionally well drawn. The cast of characters includes everyone you’d expect in a swashbuckler, from gypsies, pirates, and swooning maidens to the token villain. Full of romance, danger, swordplay, and occasionally humor, Zorro is an Errol Flynn flick in book form. For example, a Spanish idiom translated literally in the book as “Tomas ordered Juliana to talk things over with her pillow” would have been better rendered as “sleep on it.” These are minor quibbles, however. This is an English version of the Spanish original, and at times the translation can be a bit too literal. It follows young Diego and his “milk brother” sidekick Bernardo as they travel to Spain, fall in love, have amazing adventures, and become men. The novel begins with the relationship of Diego’s parents, one a distinguished California hidalgo and the other a Shoshone warrior. Though adventure plays a large part, this is as much a tale of how Diego de la Vega evolved into The Fox as it is the story of Zorro’s famous exploits.
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