Patria

 Patria

    Today we will break away from classical literature a little bit to look at a very contemporary but really unusual novel and already, after a very short time since its creation, a very important one. This book was written in response to specific events. Events that should never happen, the very thought of which fills a person with sadness and deep regret, and which constitute a large part of the contemporary history of a certain nation that is part of the territory of present-day Spain. We are talking about the Basque nation, in which one of the most disgusting groups in history - ETA (Euskadi Ta Askatasuna - Basque Country and Freedom) - has been formed as a result of growing separatist sentiment, which has divided and still divides Basque society. Today's entry will be devoted to a book by Basque author Fernando Aramburu, Patria.

    

    Released in 2016, it quickly attracted attention and in a few moments became a bestseller and at the same time the greatest literary success of the rather unknown a the time Fernando Aramburu. The success was so great that it compete with the greatest names in Basque literature such as Baroja or Dolores Redondo in terms of copies sold, with the difference that Patria achieved its success in just a few years. According to some critics, this novel is a kind of a statement of the end of a certain era, according to others (whose side I hold) it is a novel that is meant to serve as a therapy, summarizing turbulent events. The style of writing itself is simple, it does not require the reader to constantly reach for the dictionary, it does not use poetic expressions and sophisticated constructions, and the vast majority of the text is occupied by dialogues between the characters. 

    

    The story takes place between the 1980s and a few months after the announcement of ETA's ceasefire in 2011 and focuses mainly on the area of the Basque Country, including the Basque provinces of France. The most important city for the plot, where key events take place is unknown by name. The only thing we know is that it is in Guipúzcoa, very close to the capital, San Sebastián. The novel tells the story of friendly families - two married couples and their children who, under social and political pressure, broke off their long friendship, gradually drifted away from each other and finally, under the influence of the tragedy, broke off contact with each other. The first family is the marriage of Bittori and Txato and their children, Nerea and Xabier, the second includes Miren and Joxian with three children, Arantxa, Gorka and Joxe Mari. Chronologically, the events begin with the ordinary life of both families, which are very close to each other. Miren and Bittori have been best friends since childhood, and their husbands are friends too. Together they are part of a gastronic society, a bicycle club and meet friends in a local bar. Over time, however, nationalist tendencies begin to grow in the Basque Country, and radicalized youth begin to participate in the demonstrations. The nationalistic graphics appear on the walls, there are also riots and confrontations with the police...

    

    It would seem that this novel is intended mainly for the Spaniards, and even more specifically for the Basques themselves, so why should readers from outside this cultural circle, unrelated to these events, want to read it at all? Well, a human being, wherever he comes from, has a certain element in common. History has given many similar examples where things have taken a tragic turn, dividing societies, families and friends, and leaving many victims behind, which we often forget and from which we should finally learn. This book is about that.

Thank you for your attention. My compliments.