For its time...

From thepickygirl.com:

El Zorro, the Curse of Capistrano, is, according to the government, a highwayman, a vicious bandit who steals from the hardworking. But the caballeros, friar, and poor know the truth. El Zorro is a hero. Defending the defenseless and meting out justice in a corrupt government is Zorro’s mission, but he does it with such aplomb, he wins the hearts of the just, including Senorita Lolita Pulido, the daughter of a man with good blood who has been disgraced by the governor.

El Zorro’s first entrance is in the local bar, where Sergeant Gonzalez has been boasting of facing down Zorro and his 20 followers. Not a word of it’s true, and Zorro slaps the sergeant across the face, humiliating him in front of all present. But Zorro takes few things more seriously than honor, and Gonzalez is not an honorable man. The soldiers are ready for blood, but Don Diego Vega’s entrance seems to calm everyone. Don Diego is a caballero, but he isn’t exactly robust. His blood and family name command respect, however. He often complains of tiredness and though he wishes to marry Senorita Lolita Pulido, he can’t summon the energy to court her. In short, he’s a bit of a joke.

The story here is classic but not complicated, and what wins the novel is the dialogue. It’s quickly apparent that Don Diego’s insipidness is a front for his true spirit, but the gullibility of those around him, who see only what they want, is really funny. Plus, el Zorro is harsh, and his insults are both humorous and stinging.

Armando Durán narrates, and he is absolutely fantastic, so much so that I happily did chores for about four hours Friday night, including cleaning out my closet, so I could have more time with The Mark of Zorro.

This book cracked me up. It was just so... cheeky. So funny. I loved it. I loved reading it and seeing where the movie people got their ideas from. I loved the characters. They were just so ridiculously over the top.

Just a fun, short read. Which also happens to be a classic so you can pretend to be educated after you read it! Sweet!

"A book by an author with your same initials"

they are backwards, but I'm counting it.

I did enjoy this book. I love the tale of Robin Hood, so I tend to love the variations of that tale that are written. Zorro is no exception. There were a couple of things I didn't like: the constant "by the Saints!" and it was a little melodramatic for my taste, but I have to remember when it was written. It was a quick read. I would consider it light and fluffy, but fun!

A fun, frivolous, and cheesy bit of pulp adventure escapism that is not at all great writing, but works as a quick read to pass the time in a boring afternoon. It’s the perfect airport/waiting room reading -- the kind of novel where the wind is always “shrieking” and the rain is “a solid sheet.” The bad guys twirl their mustaches and exclaim "Meal mush and goat's milk!", while the good guys (in this case, “Señor Zorro”) are always everywhere at once (when the hell does this guy sleep?) to save the fair señorita from some mildly threatening occurrence. The novel was published in a pulp magazine in 1929 in five parts, and it reads like it. We know the identity of Zorro practically from page one, which I can only hope was McCulley’s intention. (I mean, if you’re shocked by the reveal at the end, I imagine you were probably also blown away by Clark Kent’s clever glasses disguise…) While Zorro himself is a memorable character as the Spanish Robin Hood of the American southwest, the supporting stock characters are totally forgettable. The plot is silly and flimsy and clichéd, but perfect for adapting into the kind of Saturday morning serial television show that would be produced in the 50s. Not recommended, unless you’re curious to read the original Zorro tale. And even then there are better versions and adaptations (both literary and cinematic) that would give you the same bit of adventure at a higher quality.

I read this because I recently watched the 1940 movie and really enjoyed it, so I wanted to read the source material, and I was surprise how different the two were.

This book wasn't bad it just wasn't great. Overall I liked the story, it was fun and fast paced but there was a lot of little this that really annoyed me. I didn't really like that the story was told from everyone perceptive except Diego's and Zorro's, and I mean everyone else's perceptive. Lolita, her parents, the bar keeper, Captain Ramon, Sergeant Gonzales, Diego's father and even the Governor. Also found it extremely annoying how "manliness" was described and constantly brought up. I get this is an older book but the sexism and hetero-normative gender roles were extreme even for an older book. I also didn't really get what the deal with Diego, the other characters made it seem like he "unmanly" while only every describing him as bored and tired. Like even though he hated talking about violence, it wasn't because it made him sick, it was because it was an exhausting topic. And than there was Sergeant Gonzales catchphrase "Meal mush and goat milk" that had no meaning but was repeated constantly. Also the confrontation with the governor and the reveal were both anticlimactic.

Overall I preferred the movie. I liked the story told from Diego's pov, him outsmarted everyone and I prefer him coming back to Los Angeles instead of the story starting in the middle of his days as Zorro. But despite it's flaws it was still a fun read.

MEAL MUSH AND GOAT’S MILK!!! XD