I, Juan de Pareja: The Story of a Great Painter and the Slave He Helped Become a Great Artist

I just finished reading this novel to my children. The prose is beautiful and my children are too young to appreciate sentence structure and word usage, but not too young to hang on every lovely phrase, even when not quite knowing what it means. This was a gentle introduction to the world of slavery. Children in the U.S. often think of it as just a part of our history and not part of the history of the world (in this case, Spain) which continues to this day in many parts of the globe. It is good for them to know that respect for human freedom is something that people have been fighting for many years before our civil war (in this case the mid-17th century). As for the critics who needed more action, good literature is not a comic book. There are some stories which unfold on dark, velvety canvases like Velazquez, subtle and rich. Others complain that Juan didn't seem to mind being a slave..where was the outrage? Toward the end of the book another slave provides a contrast in attitude, and throughout the book it is clear that Juan is strangely at peace with his life as a servant. In my daughter's opinion, Juan felt loved and his masters were kind and never whipped him like you usually hear. He enjoyed his work and it was in his persona to be content and not dwell on the negative-the fictionalized character of Juan de Pareja is one we came to care for. In addition, this was a great choice for art appreciation. After reading the book, we looked at works by Velazquez and by Juan de Pareja on the internet and instead of being old works by Spanish masters, it was like meeting old friends.

This book is one of my favorites ever. It has a smooth flowing plot. There is a lot of action and there isn't. It depends on your definition of action. There is action between the character's relationship and setting. But there are no battles, etc. It a good story. It will make you want to read it over and over.

Here I am, 27 years old and writing about a book I read when I was 11 or so. Juan de Pareja was a slave, a man of courage and devotion to his painter master who takes up painting itself. As a historical novel for youngsters, it just doesn't get any better. I remember reading it and wondering how my peers couldn't also be into this kind of writing.

I read this book in the sixth grade, and I thought I should just read it because my teacher, Ms. Aperribay, had us and I didn't want to get a "F" for this work. So I read it, bored with it in the first chapter. Then... I thought it was wonderful! Juan de Pareja is a true story of a slave of the famous painter, Diego de Silva y Velazquez, and he studies, just by watching, the arts of true painting. Secretly, he does his own pieces, and they are beautiful! He wishes he could share it with someone, but if he tells, he will be sinned because slaves aren't supposed to paint! This book disserves a 100 thumbs up, but I guess there is no such thing. I read this in spanish, and even though I didn't understand it well, I loved it.