El hombre solo

by Bernardo Atxaga

El lugar: es un sótano y es una charca y es un hotel situado en las afueras de Barcelona. Paredes blancas, arbustos y matorrales pardos que arañan la piel y un agua mansa que invita al sosiego y mata al descuido.
El tiempo: son cinco días, pero pesan como siglos, el miedo dilata las horas muertas y destila los días previos a la acción, con cruel sabiduría. Luego, casi de repente, se inicia la cuenta atrás...
La historia: es la vida del hombre al que todos llaman Carlos, un luchador obligado a pactar con el pasado, con aquellos seres vivos y muertos que hicieron de él lo que hoy es: un hombre solo que teje su futuro con desgana y asume el riesgo como si de algo inevitable se tratara.
Para hablarnos de él, Bernardo Atxaga -Premio Nacional de Literatura con Obabakoak- ha roto un silencio largo y fecundo. La espera ha valido la pena.

Genres: Fiction, Spain, Spanish Literature, Novels

381 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1993

About the author

Bernardo Atxaga (Joseba Irazu Garmendia, Asteasu, Guipúzcoa, 1951) belongs to the young group of Basque writers that began publishing in his mother language, Euskara, in the Seventies. Graduated in Economics for the Bilbao University, he later studied Philosophy at the University of Barcelona.

His first short story, Ziutateaz was published in 1976 and his first book of poetry Etiopia in 1978. Both works received the National Critics Prize for the best works in the Basque language.

He cultivates most genres: poetry, radio, cinema scriptwriting, theatre, children's books, articles, short stories... His national –and soon after international– recognition arrived with Obabakoak (1988) which, among other prizes, was awarded the National Literature Prize 1989 and that has been translated into more than twenty languages.

Many of his poems have also been translated into other languages and published by prestigious magazines such as Jahbuch der Lyrik, 1993, Die horen, 1995, Lichtungen, 1997 (Germany), Lyrikklubbss bibliotek, 1993 (Sweden), Vuelta, 1990 (Mexico), Linea d'ombra, 1992 (Italy) and others.

Reviews

[Argos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Atxaga'dan mükemmel bir roman daha. Bu okuduğum üçüncü kitabı. Bask Ülkesi ve Bask'lıları yakından tanıyorsunuz. Kurgu çok iyi, anlatım çok gerçekci, detaylara dalınmış ama hiç yormuyor ve okuma ritminden koparmıyor. Dil akıcı, heyecan dozu çok iyi verilmiş. Bu yıl yaptığım en iyi işlerden biri de Bernardo Atxaga'yı keşfetmek oldu.

[şenay izne ayrıldı]

bu kitabı sahafta buldum, arka kapak yazısını okuyup "alalım bakalım" deyip aldım. böyle hakkında bir fikrim olmadan, çok bir şey beklemeden aldığım ve sonra bombastik çıkan kitapları çook seviyorum. çok çok iyi bir roman. karakterler inandırıcı, diyaloglar zekice, arka planda gündem, politika, geçmişin hatıraları vs. çok iyi yani.

[Calzean · Rating 3 out of 5]

1994. Barcelona is focused on the World Cup. In a local hotel owned by a former Basque Separatist, the Polish team is housed and protected by a special police squad. As a favour for old comrades the hotelier Carlos has hidden two Basque operatives who are on the run after a bomb killed a young child.
Carlos has to deal with the voices in his head of his institutionalised brother, his former guerrilla mentor, and the evil Rat. He is also dealing with his love life.
I just couldn't get into this one. Carlos remained a mystery, his motives were a bit unclear and the risks he was taking seemed to greatly out balance the benefits.

[Jim Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just finished this dark and brooding and brilliant novel by a Basque writer, which explores the fate of a former ETA militant in 1982 Barcelona. Best book I have read this year, and I've just special ordered his The Accordionist's Son. For some reason it felt like Camus.
for so dark a novel, it seems odd to say "I loved it"; but I did.

[María José Jiménez Tubío · Rating 4 out of 5]

He estado intrigada hasta el final. Muy bien escrito. Algunos pasajes se me han hecho un poco pesados, por eso no tiene 5 estrellas

[Nick Grammos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this a long time ago. At the time I wasn't old enough to experience my own past catching up with me as we all do in some form, not only in the political sphere. So now I recall it, a wonderful book about commitment and getting on with the business of living. And a football background, what more could I ask for!

[La Churri · Rating 2 out of 5]

Densa y lenta hasta escasas páginas del final donde coge carrerilla para llegar a un desenlace totalmente inesperado. Atxaga sabe hacerlo mejor!

[Ⰰⱃⰿⰰⱀⰴ Ⱆⰾⰴⰵⱃⰻⰽⱁ Ⱅⰵⱄⰾⰰ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ozvjezdičeno djelce pročitano je u izdanju "Demetre" (Faustovska biblioteka Dimitrija Savića) iz 2012. godine.
Prvo izdanje "Samotnika" u matičnoj filologiji je izašlo daleke 1994.
Jezična strana teksta nije na nekoj razini šklovskijeve aktualizacije. Stil pisanja odiše žurnalističkim utiskom, podsjeća na članke National Geographica. Valja istaći da to nije učinjeno svjesno jer je pripovjedač objektivno realističke naravi. Fragmenti pisama Rose Luxemburg su ubačeni izravno u sam tekst.
Običnost samog teksta te stil koji bi se mogao prozvati "tržišnim realizmom" začuđuju da je ovo djelo izdato od strane "Demetre".
Sama radnja možda donekle objašnjava da je ova knjiga ugrijana od zagrljaja "Demetre". Prati skupinu baskijsko-ljevičarskih bivših aktivista koji su vlasnici hotela nedaleko Barcelone. Radnja je smještena u prvu polovicu osamdesetih godina prošlog stoljeća. Razdoblje Clasha, Hezbollaha, Arafata te mnogobrojnih komunističkih urbanih gerila zapadne Europe.
Psihološki je kvalitetno produbljen glavni lik, Carlos. Nakon što je proveo svoje omladinstvo kao ljevičarski fundementalist svoju zrelost provodi kao pekar. Carlosu se neprestance javljaju glasovi njegova psihički bolesna brata te poginula druga. Navedeni glasovi mu služe poput opomena kada srlja u bilo koju akciju. Carlosa sveudilj slijede sjećanja.
"Samotnik" je aktivistička knjiga koja pokušava prikazati baskijsku borbu za socijalno i nacionalno oslobođenje. Razlog činjenici da su baskijski nacionalisti uglavnom komunisti i anarhosindikalisti leži u tome što je fašistički režim generala Franca putem katolicizma te kastilijanstva desetljećima trnuo svaki plam Euskadije (tako Baski zovu vlastitu domovinu na baskijskom).

[Felix Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tras haber leído las novelas más recientes y famosas de Bernardo Atxaga me propuse leer aquellas que por el tiempo ya quedaban más en el olvido. Esta es una de esas novelas. Eclipsada quizá por otras más célebres y aplaudidas tengo la impresión de que injustamente no se ha hecho el caso merecido a esta novela llena de política, ideología, pérdida de la inocencia, madurez y, sobre todo, suspense de principio a fin.

Escrita a mediados de los 90 y ambientada durante el Mundial del 82 en un hotel cerca de Barcelona, Atxaga trata sin complejos el tema de ETA confrontando además dos visiones distintas de lo que fue la banda terrorista surgida durante el franquismo como organización de lucha contra la dictadura y la represión. Con la euforia de la España mundialista de fondo, con el fútbol como droga anestesiante, el autor vasco nos presenta una novela muy notable, muy bien escrita (son constantes las referencias a la patria vasca, a sus paisajes, a sus gentes, a sus tradiciones), que mezcla suspense policial y político, con las reflexiones del protagonista y sus amigos y socios y antiguos compañeros de lucha y cárcel. Humanizando todo lo que, por no querer muchas veces entender ni investigar, siempre se ha dado por hecho con una versión oficial de un asunto lleno de matices, complejidades y contradicciones.

https://leyendolavidaenpapel.blogspot...

[Andrew McDougall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Atxaga builds tension excellently in this novel that deserves better than to be labelled merely a "thriller". Conflict, mistrust, the voices; just some of the things that our former-militant protagonist must contend with against the backdrop of the 1982 World Cup in a state where democracy is still young.

'The Lone Man' will appeal to those with an interest in the Basque armed struggle, although the novel is set in Catalonia and doesn't dwell too much on the nature or roots of ETA's campaign. What Atxaga does is give us an intense insight into the internal struggle of an individual who thought he had left that life behind. Relationships are tested and ideologies challenged as the past seems irreconcilable and the future beyond grasp.

The reader is drawn deeply into Carlos' psyche and his sometimes claustrophobic world that rarely strays far beyond the hotel grounds, and, while the ending didn't seem befitting of the quality of the rest of the novel, perhaps I just didn't want to leave. I look forward to exploring more of this author's work.

[Iraultza · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tituluak esan bezala, eleberrian Carlosen bakardadea eta bere gizontasuna nabarmentzen dira.


Carlos, bere izaeragatik, lagun gutxiko tipoa dirudi, baina liburua irakurri ahala konturatzen gara nola bere presentziaz gozatzen duten jendeaz inguratuta dago, beraz, beste bakardadea mota bati buruz hitz egiten digu. Ulertuta sentitzen ez diren pertsonen bakartasuna. Nebak idatzi zion gutunak ematen digu klabea: Lagunik Gabeko Lurran sartu da (o. 86).

Bere pertsonaren ezaugarri gutxi dakizkigu, ezta bere egiazko izena ez dakigu. Guztiarekin, bere pentsamenduen narrazioak bere barnean sartzeko aukera ematen digu. Alde batetik, emakumeekin duen jokaeran nabaria da bere maskulinitatea. Eta bestetik, Danutak irakurritako poetak esan bezala, konturatzen gara itsasoaren olatuetan galdutako gizona dela; ez du bere ibilbidea jorratu, bere eskutik at dauden olatuak erabaki dute ibilbidea. Horregatik inork ezin du ulertu zergatik izkutatu dituen, berak ez baitu erabakia hartu. (o. 84) Horrela, eleberria urarekin hasi eta amaitzen da, Carlosek bizitza den itsasoan murgilduta baitago.

Carlosen bizitza lasaia hotelean bi ETAkideen etorrerarekin amaitzen da. Nahiz eta bere izaera pentsakor eta lasaia mantentzen saiatu, tentsioa areagotuz doa goardien presentziarekin, Pascalek arma bat ikusi duela noiz esango duen beldurrarekin, Ugarteren susmoekin, Stefanoren galderekin... Baita Atxagak hautatutako espazioek sortzen duten sentsazioarekin. Carlos espazio txiki gutxi batzutan dauka finkatuta bere bizitza (hotela, La Banyera, okindegia eta gasolindegia) eta, era berean, ezagun gutxi batzuez osatutako taldean mugitzen da. Horrek guztiak giro ia klaustrofobikoa sortzen du, gainera, horri gehitu behar diogu bi ETAkide izkutatuta eukitzeak eragiten duen tentsioa.

Atxagak nobela polifonikoa idatzi du; Carlosen pentsamenduak ez baitira soilik bereak, Sabino, Arratoia eta Kropotkiren ahotsek ere osatzen dute. «Arratoia» deitzen duen ahotsaren izena rratoia ez da kasualitatea, ahotsak Carlosen pentsamenduetatik sartzen baita, sagu bat bezala, Carlos kaxa batean harrapatutako sagua baita. Azkenean, Carlosek ahotsekin bat egiten doa, Guimoarrek esaten dionean bere anaia bezala hitz egiten duela eta Jonek pelikulero deitzen dionean, sabinori deitu ohi zuten bezala.

Beste hainbat ezaugarri daude aztertzeko, baina ezinezkoa da guztia hausnartu orri bakar batean.

Hau guztia esanda, aitortu behar dut Kropotkiren pertsonaia Carlos baino interesgarria dela.

[Tony · Rating 4 out of 5]

A taut thriller set during Spain's hosting of the 1982 World Cup. Former ETA Basque terrorists own a hotel outside Barcelona where the Polish team is staying. One of them, Carlos, has allowed two fugitive terrorists to hide out on the grounds without telling his compatriots. The tension gradually mounts as the police close in, others at the hotel find out, and relationships get tangled and tense until the stunning denouement. What raises the book above the level your average thriller is the author's brilliance at getting inside Carlos's head to illuminate his ambivalence about his former activities and current allegiances, as well as his relationships to his dead mentor and mad brother. Gripping book, would make a very interesting film in the right hands.

[Norma · Rating 3 out of 5]

El final es confuso. El libro no está dividido en capítulos, lo que lo hace cansado de leer. Hay muy poca referencia histórica. En resumidas cuentas es la historia cotidiana y aburrida de un hombre. Los temas políticos se pasan muy por encima y tangencialmente. Viviendo de un Vasco, deja mucho que desear.

[Lara Facchi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Una mezza delusione: Atxaga ha un ottimo ritmo, quasi cinematografico, che ti butta nel corso delle azioni e nel piano terroristico di una cellula basca. Il suo limite, però, è dare poco spessore emotivo ai personaggi, appena abbozzati, nascondendosi dietro continui dialoghi o litigi botta-e-risposta non sempre utili ai fini della trama.

[Cgonzalezj · Rating 3 out of 5]

En español, claro. Vuelta a leerlo en la saga de Euskadi

[Montse · Rating 5 out of 5]

Me ha encantado. Un libro de los que me hacen pensar y que me ha dejado huella. Lo recomiendo.

[Penelope Ausejo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Me ha gustado mucho. Tanto la historia (suspense) como su manera de escribir. Buscaré más libros suyos.

No estoy segura de si he entendido bien el final.

[Asun · Rating 4 out of 5]

Esta bien. Fácil de leer. Leído enero 2020

[Adriana Morales · Rating 4 out of 5]

No imaginaba que con este libro iba a sentir tanta necesidad de leer el desenlace. Realmente es un thriller.

[Carlos Gamez Perez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Novela muy sólida y muy original. Excelente.

[Katia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Intriguing, unsettling and yet enlivening - I do not usually gravitate towards crime fiction, however this is one that I believe has been paced, written and executed exquisitely. The reader follows the life of a man who was once part of a Basque terrorist organisation during the Basque conflict. But that was years ago, before some years in prison. Now, he, alongside his friends from the group, has created a new life for himself in the form of a hotel - he is a baker, and a brilliant one at that.

However. Deep inside he senses the pull of that life, the adrenaline, and what he calls the land of Fear. He knows how lucky he currently is in life, he understands the fragility of his position, and he hopes that it will never bring him back to a cell. And yet, he plunges himself back into that world in harbouring two terrorists in the hotel.

Now, he must evade the police, his friends and the other half of his psyche, which he calls The Rat.

As a police chase novel, I believe Atxaga has mastered the art of suspenseful storytelling, with the climax playing out before my eyes as the most intense of movie action scenes. And further, as a book on questioning man's psyche, and of discerning our desires, I sense that depths of wisdom can be picked out through this book.

I gave it three stars for the fact that I was a bit underwhelmed by some of the other plot lines that encircled the primary one. Atxaga beautifully constructed a multitude of deeply interesting personas but we as readers are only able to take a glance at their surfaces. While I loved the depth and complexity of the main character, I felt a pull to many others that, to me, remain a mystery. I admit that it adds another layer of secrecy to the novel, but this is one riddle that I wish I could solve, and, sadly, Axtaga doesn't provide me with the clues.

[Igor Duijvestijn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Muy entretenido, me gustan los personajes. Carlos es un tio intrigante y misterioso.

[Miquel Rovira · Rating 4 out of 5]

#eldracblau recomana “L’home sol”, de Bernardo Atxaga, @columnaedicions.

En una Espanya submergida en l’atmosfera del mundial de futbol del 82, Carlos, antic militant del grup armat nacional més famós, decideix amagar, a la fleca del seu hotel barceloní (hotel on també s’allotja la selecció polonesa i que gestiona amb dos altres amics), dos activistes que recentment han comès diversos atemptats. En aquesta situació, Carlos haurà de fer front a l’angoixa perquè els policies que protegeixen els futbolistes no l’enxampin; a la desesperació per idear un pla per fer sortir els delinqüents d’allà; a les moltes i diferents veus que, com a bon home solitari, sent al seu interior i que la majoria sonen en basc.

De ritme lent, especialment la primera meitat, i sense capítols, ens trobem davant d’una història magníficament construïda en la qual no manca cap detall. Ara que vaig tenint més experiència en l’estructuració de novel·les, sé advertir millor quan una d’elles presenta una excel·lent construcció al darrere: personatges complexos i disseccionats; elements que es descriuen en profunditat perquè tindran rellevància en el desenllaç; factors que s’inclouen de forma correcta i natural a la trama i que t’indiquen quins han estat els camins d’idees que l’escriptor ha trepitjat.

Com a la majoria de llibres que compta amb un nombre de pàgines elevat, alguna informació, descripció o esdeveniment és sobrer. Com a la majoria de grans històries, el lector “ho ha de passar/ho passarà” per alt.

Res més, només que, per casualitat, m’ha ajudat a complir una casella del #reptereducte2022, ja que l’obra és editada el 1995, el meu any de naixement.

[Carlos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sí, su desarrollo es lento, pero probablemente porque cabalga a medio pelo entre la novela de suspenso y las revisiones ideológicas a las que son tan adeptos ciertos novelistas anteriores a la modernidá interneta. Me quedo con las partes donde el personaje debe confrontar sus nebulosas convicciones con la "buena vida pequeñoburguesa" del hotel. Y está buena la reflexión de que las revoluciones socialistas fracasan porque no comprenden los caprichos de los individuos, y que finalmente lo que nos describe son más nuestros caprichos que nuestras necesidades comunes.

[Kirrin Tao · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aspaldi irakurri nuen, baina beste eleberri askoren aldean ez bezala, istorio hau 'bizi' egin nuen irakurraldi hartan. Inoiz berrirakurri beharko dut baina nago atsekabetuko nauela, dudan oroitzapen ezin hobeago horren mailara nekez helduko dela. Ez dakit ere, denborarekin nola garatu den liburua, irabazi edo galdu duen, hori baita askotan literaturaren galbaheetako bat.

[Hosanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wish Atxaga went further in explaining the circumstances and origins behind the political tension between the ETA and the democratized Spanish government, in order for readers to truly understand the significance in the actions and decisions made by Carlos and his conspirators.

[Christine · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was OK - never really jelled for me, I didn't find the characters believable, there wasn't the suspense, there were instances where I thought I would have used a different word- lost in translation, and the author looks a right smarmy git in his photo on the back.

[Francisco · Rating 2 out of 5]

Anécdota original, desarrollo muy lento y con una resolución previsible. En cuanto a la ubicación... no comment.

[Libros Imprescindibles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excelente visión, sin histerismos ni demagogia, de la soledad de quien se rinde a la violencia en busca de unos ideales.

[David Mills · Rating 3 out of 5]

Joe Lewis, thanks for the recommendation and loaning me your copy..