Sign
I have taken with desire and fear the book written by Kristof and translated perfectly by Eskarne Mujika Gallastegui. I'm eager, because I have a famous writer and I like it; I'm afraid, because I can't measure the intensity of short books, although I can suspect -- and I'm right. In 50 pages I have made a deep and clear journey as I have been reading.
It's a book based on the author's life, written first person. It is a story of what has had to go into the desert on the occasion of the war in Hungary, and the narrative thread is the protagonist’s relationship with language, which intertwines the whole book: the need to read everything that was small, the habit of telling stories in childhood, poems written in adolescence, plays in the boarding school, the loss of his tongue in the desert, the imposition of other languages and the fine emotional impact. In addition, he reads them in a language other than his own.
We can find some examples that show this: "That I come to Switzerland, inevitably to a city where French is spoken, and that I have to face a language that is absolutely alien to me. That is when I start my struggle to dominate it, a long and rabid struggle that I keep my whole life" (page 25).
"How to explain, without offending him, that his people are for us only a desert, for the refugees" (page 41). Humans seek to be part of something, it's an important part of our being. And the protagonist has lost two things that make us feel part: the mother tongue and the people, the community.
The book covers a wide interval of his life, as it recalls passages from young to adult. The entire book is written in the present and is composed of short and concise sentences that give an intense and light rhythm. The anecdotes that count are very appropriate, as it generates images and sensations to the reader.
I wanted to look at the external structure and for that I looked at the index which chapter devotes more pages. This was my surprise. Each chapter consists of four pages. No more and no less. Another example of accurate and reflexive writing.
At Agota Kristof we can read other books in Basque: Yesterday, Berdin gave and the Great Notebook. A unique opportunity to continue enjoying his works, literature and words.
PLEIBAK
Miren Amuriza Plaza
Susa, 2024
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Susa has published Miren Amuriza's second novel in the atrium of the Durango Fair: Plead. It's plebiscites because you're singing about an earlier recording. Berria includes the... [+]
Book Non sense
Edward Lear
Translation: Juan Kruz Igerabide
Denonartean, 2024
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The writer and illustrator Edward Lear published this work in 1846. As Igerabide says in the prologue of the book, “nonsense humor, absurd... [+]
Hetero
Uxue Alberdi
Susa, 2024
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In the era of negationism, the manosphere and trolls, the contribution of literature is essential, because it is an exceptional instrument to look at the folds of reality: the situations... [+]
Guardasola wants rain
Patxi Zubizarreta
Illustrations: Irrimarra
Ibaizabal, 2024
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30 years ago Patxi Zubizarreta published the book Marigoringoak hegan; J. M. Illustrated by Lavarello and by the hand of the Catalan publisher... [+]
Eyes on the horizon
Writer: Illustrator Miren Agur
Meabe: Ane Pikaza
Elkar, 2020
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Miren Agur Meabe has published several texts and books. He's worked with all the literary genres: children's and youth literature,... [+]
Barrengaizto
Beatrice Salvioni (Translation:
deceit Fernando Rey)
Txalaparta, 2024
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Fernando Rey has chosen the title of Barrizto to translate La malnata de Beatrice Salvioni. King says he has tried to be the voice of the... [+]
PELLOKERIAK
Ruben Ruiz
Illustrations: Joseba Beramendi, exprai.
Elkar, 2022
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Rubén Ruiz offers a new work of short stories. They are not micronarratives, because the stories, although they can be read independently, have a... [+]
Memet
Noemie Marsily and Isabella
Cieli For Centos, 2022
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We opened the zipper of the camping in red and looked through the leek along with Lucy. With this cover, the reader receives the comic book Memet. Simple words... [+]
A Heart Museum
Leire Vargas
Elkar, 2024
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The Basque cultural system has a thirst for young people. That's what Leire Vargas said in the written column in Berria. The industry is looking for fresh, varied and diverse... [+]
What you love. Word recall, live reading
Miren Billelabeitia
Pamiela, 2022
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Miren Billelabeitia has been a professor at the institute, a literary aficionado and a professor of Universal Literature for years. In 2022 he... [+]
Snarka Lewis Carroll
Hunting
Images:
Translation and Edition of Henry Holiday:Manu LÓpez Gaseni
Pamiela, 2024
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The work we have before us was published in the spring. After the works of Alice in Wonderland,... [+]
Lighting
Miriam Luki
Susa, 2023
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Translations
Miren Agur Meabe
Elkar, 2023
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Last year, Miren Agur Meabe published the novel Itzulerak. As the main characters are young people, we could say that it is juvenile literature, but when literature is good, it is for... [+]
Text:
Ilan Brenman
Illustrations: Guilherme Karsten
translation: In Alkain
Denonartean, 2024
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At the end of this album is a quote from Benjamin Franklin: “There has never been a good war, nor a bad peace.” And... [+]
Pozo
Goiatz Labandibar
Erein, 2024
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The Pozo de Goiatz Labandibarren is a growth novel that takes place one day: the descent of menstruation. Or in other words, a hero's journey, why not.
As often happens in this... [+]