Where you win the time
- Text: GUS JIMENEZ / Images: NÚRIA FORTUNY :: Moradero Children and Youth Literature Elkar, 2014
This is, if I am not mistaken, Gus Jiménez’s first work, according to the information in the book. In this sense, we have no references to the author, and if we add that the title of the book does not give any hint ... it is difficult to know the scope of the book. The image of the Catalan illustrator Núria Fortuny, on the contrary, seems to lead us to a fantasy world. On the other hand, the counterpart text perfectly sums up the core of this novel.
Jiménez starts from a situation that is common today, in which a girl sends a letter to her mother, amazed, because it is a letter that comes from far away, at this time when invoices and propaganda fill our mailboxes, a letter, “It comes from far away, it has come by plane.”
This letter completely changes the life of June and Nelis. Thanks to the text written by Nelise's father, the girl discovers that she has a father, while her mother knows the man who has disappeared for years.
After these brief chapters, Saal, the father of Nelise, will report the life of the island upon arriving at Moradero. And that account is the one that most of the book does, and from that account we can understand why she did not return when her daughter Saal was born, why she has spent a few years disappearing, why the letter she sent from Moradero has arrived so late.
Gus Jiménez tells in this fantastic tale of everyday life and a world in which everything runs and hastens; the inhabitants of Moradero do not waste time, but have time to do many things with tranquility, stopping to chat, watching the landscape, with complete peace of mind. And all thanks to a watch: “It’s a gift for you,” said the mayor (…) Demeter is a wall clock made by the watchmaker. It is truly admirable machines that this man makes.”
Sometimes, the narrative of the book also seems to coincide with the rhythm of the watchmaker Demeter, slowly and in a state where nothing happens, but the end clarifies everything, as well as the slowness of the story.
The structure of the book, the presence of June and Nelise at the beginning and at the end, and the main core of the story, which took place in Saali Moradero, is perhaps forced and the story of simple facts does not catch the reader by itself; on the other hand, the presence of short chapters helps the novel to be read easily and astonished, with a point similar to the astonishment of the images of Núria Fortuny.
Dozenaka auzokidek babesa agertu diote proiektuari igandean. Alde Zaharreko lokala udalaren jabetza da, eta hiru urte dira hainbat eragilek elkarlanean okupatu zutela.
Perhaps we could say that this text is the result of an appraisal meeting. However, valuation meetings often leave a dry and bittersweet taste in the mouth. It's a sunny Tuesday afternoon. 16:53. We've connected to the valuation meeting, and we've decided to put a lemon candy in... [+]
