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Izgubljena prtljaga
Christof, Christophe, Cristopher i Cristòfol četiri su brata, sinovi četiriju majki, koji žive u četiri kuta Europe i sve donedavno nisu znali jedan za drugoga. Još manje im je bila poznata nit koja ih povezuje: život i sudbina Gabriela Delacruza, stravstvenoga kartaša i neuhvatljivoga vozača kamiona, oca koji ih je napustio i o kojemu već dvadeset godina nisu čuli ni slova.
Sve do jednoga dana; do sada.
Kamo je nestao Gabriel i što mu se dogodilo? Zašto ih je jednoga po jednoga ostavljao i zašto im je nadjenuo isto ime? I zbog čega im se čini da je svoje prste imao čak i u ovom susretu, u ovoj neočekivanoj obiteljskoj fotografiji bez oca?
Potraga na koju se tragom svoga oca kamiondžije otiskuju kristofori u briljantnom romanu ceste Jordija Puntíja neće nas voditi samo do Frankfurta, Pariza, Londona i Barcelone, nego će nam otvoriti i druge karte: maglovite zemljovide vremena, s humorom i toplinom iscrtane karte ljubavi, prijateljstva i obiteljskih odnosa. Autocestu života.
"Izgubljena prtljaga" jednoga od najznačajnijih suvremenih katalonskih pisaca trijumf je pripovjedačkog umijeća, mudrosti i optimizma, roman koji ćete nositi sa sobom kamo god i kad god putovali.
Sve do jednoga dana; do sada.
Kamo je nestao Gabriel i što mu se dogodilo? Zašto ih je jednoga po jednoga ostavljao i zašto im je nadjenuo isto ime? I zbog čega im se čini da je svoje prste imao čak i u ovom susretu, u ovoj neočekivanoj obiteljskoj fotografiji bez oca?
Potraga na koju se tragom svoga oca kamiondžije otiskuju kristofori u briljantnom romanu ceste Jordija Puntíja neće nas voditi samo do Frankfurta, Pariza, Londona i Barcelone, nego će nam otvoriti i druge karte: maglovite zemljovide vremena, s humorom i toplinom iscrtane karte ljubavi, prijateljstva i obiteljskih odnosa. Autocestu života.
"Izgubljena prtljaga" jednoga od najznačajnijih suvremenih katalonskih pisaca trijumf je pripovjedačkog umijeća, mudrosti i optimizma, roman koji ćete nositi sa sobom kamo god i kad god putovali.
432 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2009
47 people are currently reading
915 people want to read
About the author
Jordi Puntí
33 books23 followersJordi Puntí is a writer, translator (Paul Auster, Amélie Nothomb and Daniel Pennac, among others), and a regular contributor to the Spanish and Catalan press. He is currently the editor of the literary supplement, Quadern, published by the newspaper El País.
Puntí is considered one of the most promising new voices of contemporary Catalan literature. In 1998 he published his first book of short stories, Pell d’armadillo (Proa, 1998) that won the Serra d’Or Critics’ Prize.
Lost Luggage is his first novel.
Puntí is considered one of the most promising new voices of contemporary Catalan literature. In 1998 he published his first book of short stories, Pell d’armadillo (Proa, 1998) that won the Serra d’Or Critics’ Prize.
Lost Luggage is his first novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 104 reviews
January 12, 2014
I was slowly bowled over by this warm-hearted saga about sons coming to terms with the failings of their fathers. Correction—we are dealing here with four sons in different cities of Europe who have a common father who abandoned them at a tender age. At first I saw the scenario as an amusing take on a likely tabloid headline story, but later came to appreciate the set-up as a means to explore the role of chance and choice in one’s life trajectory.
The main character, Gabriel Delacruz, had sons by four different women, and, after periodically playing house with each family in his journeys with a Barcelona moving company, disappeared from the scene in their boyhood. Now, decades later, they discover each other’s existence and together take up an obsession with piecing together his life and solving the mystery of what happened to him. The sons reside in Barcelona, London, Frankfurt, and Paris, and each is named for a variant of “Chistopher”. They interview anyone they can find who knew Gabriel and meet periodically as the “Christopher Club” to swap stories. The first stage is sharing their sense of abandonment, the hole in their lives as kids. Christophe telegraphs his feelings:
Me. I miss him. I turn three. I turn four, five, six. I forget him with rage. I hate him. Stop.
What the set of half-brothers seek (and by proxy the reader) is some kind of emotional resolution. Is Gabriel worthy of any lingering love or only of condemnation for exploiting their mothers? Was Gabriel any kind of hero or just a selfish drone? If periodic visits were working at some level, what prevented Gabriel from continuing? The task of the sons is well captured in these disparate quotes:
We tell ourselves that with all the hours we’re spending tracking down our dad and his friends, we’re saving on psychologists’ fees. …
You can say that life’s a pile of shit if you want, and you won’t be wrong, but that would lead us down a dead end—and we all know truck drivers prefer an open road with good visibility …
I see it like this: we’re four people pulled together by destiny at a specific moment. It’s like being stuck in a lift. We’re talking in order to keep fear at bay and discover a shared past. Our lives are an accident. Our father is an accident. And don’t forget that.
Starting with what they learn from their mothers, they come to appreciate Gabriel’s character, forged from his early experience in a Catholic orphanage, his life-long friendship with fellow orphan Bundo, and the ups and downs in their work in a moving company that becomes their virtual family. For romance on the road, Bundo prefers young prostitutes, and their partner Petroli seeks out older women in Spanish émigré groups. Gabriel instead just happens into accidental meetings with women that end up sweeping them along with the magic of love. For example, one minute the crew is unloading a wardrobe in a Paris street in the mid-60’s, and the next Gabriel gives the nod to a lovely radical student to use the chest as a hiding place from gendarmes crackdown on the student protests.
The paradox of the phenomenon of Gabriel soon becomes obvious from these distillations:
We finally understand what our mothers have said a thousand times. When he arrives he’s on his way out. When he leaves, he stays behind. …
It’s a telling sign that all four mothers portray Gabriel as a good man, independent, evasive, and certainly not someone to have and to hold. A sweet affliction, they say, a bitter gift.
As a reader, you have in store for you some endearing and humorous tales of brilliant survival in the orphanage, of classic, slightly over-the-top adventures on the road, and a delightful whirlwind of romance . The author obviously loves all his characters, and I did too. There are no true villains or victims, just a few buffoons and mean-spirited folk who usually meet their karma. The prose is translucent, and Punti shines with dialog and the pacing of an oral storytelling tradition. The experience of Gabriel with the currents of social change across Europe in the 60’s provides a playful working-class angle, especially in France and Spain with their struggle with the suppressive politics of De Gaulle and Franco. A tradition of petty larceny from moving crates in Gabriel’s crew and among the airport crew of the lost luggage department of his Barcelona lover makes for an amusing take on making a “trickle-down” economy work in practice.
So much that the sons end up with is a reconstruction from one person’s memory of another person’s filtered account, such as their mothers’ recall of Gabriel’s stories . The Four Musketeers bring back a lot of potential gold from their mining of the past, but how much is fool’s gold?:
The passage of time always distorts reality. In his capacity as a lecturer in quantum physics, Christophe insists that we jot down that sentence. …
They say the past is a foreign country where things are done differently. [famous quote from Hartley’s “The Go-Between”]…
There’s a problem with the past, Christophers: it’s untouchable and nobody can change it. Since we can only observe it from a distance we are, however, granted the gift of omniscience. So, we might be mere spectators but we’re everywhere at once and able to admire the artful designs of crossed paths.
Only we four are with him, about him, for him, against him (add all the prepositions you wish) and hence our mothers are not included. …
Ultimately, the blend of stories in this novel made for me a great balance of the warm heartedness without sentimentality and humor without being madcap or vicious. I cast the book onto my personal shelves in the company of the likes of Kingsolver, Hijuelos, Wally Lamb, Mark Helprin, and the Ondaatje of “The Cat’s Table.” I leave a little room at the top for those authors in my rendering of 4 stars. Punti wrote the novel in his native Calalan, which I have learned is a distinct Romance language, not just a dialect of Spanish. I like to imagine this wonderful tale is infused with the heart and soul of Catalan literary traditions, so I hope someone with real knowledge can speak to that.
This book was provided as an e-book load from the publisher through Netgalley.
The main character, Gabriel Delacruz, had sons by four different women, and, after periodically playing house with each family in his journeys with a Barcelona moving company, disappeared from the scene in their boyhood. Now, decades later, they discover each other’s existence and together take up an obsession with piecing together his life and solving the mystery of what happened to him. The sons reside in Barcelona, London, Frankfurt, and Paris, and each is named for a variant of “Chistopher”. They interview anyone they can find who knew Gabriel and meet periodically as the “Christopher Club” to swap stories. The first stage is sharing their sense of abandonment, the hole in their lives as kids. Christophe telegraphs his feelings:
Me. I miss him. I turn three. I turn four, five, six. I forget him with rage. I hate him. Stop.
What the set of half-brothers seek (and by proxy the reader) is some kind of emotional resolution. Is Gabriel worthy of any lingering love or only of condemnation for exploiting their mothers? Was Gabriel any kind of hero or just a selfish drone? If periodic visits were working at some level, what prevented Gabriel from continuing? The task of the sons is well captured in these disparate quotes:
We tell ourselves that with all the hours we’re spending tracking down our dad and his friends, we’re saving on psychologists’ fees. …
You can say that life’s a pile of shit if you want, and you won’t be wrong, but that would lead us down a dead end—and we all know truck drivers prefer an open road with good visibility …
I see it like this: we’re four people pulled together by destiny at a specific moment. It’s like being stuck in a lift. We’re talking in order to keep fear at bay and discover a shared past. Our lives are an accident. Our father is an accident. And don’t forget that.
Starting with what they learn from their mothers, they come to appreciate Gabriel’s character, forged from his early experience in a Catholic orphanage, his life-long friendship with fellow orphan Bundo, and the ups and downs in their work in a moving company that becomes their virtual family. For romance on the road, Bundo prefers young prostitutes, and their partner Petroli seeks out older women in Spanish émigré groups. Gabriel instead just happens into accidental meetings with women that end up sweeping them along with the magic of love. For example, one minute the crew is unloading a wardrobe in a Paris street in the mid-60’s, and the next Gabriel gives the nod to a lovely radical student to use the chest as a hiding place from gendarmes crackdown on the student protests.
The paradox of the phenomenon of Gabriel soon becomes obvious from these distillations:
We finally understand what our mothers have said a thousand times. When he arrives he’s on his way out. When he leaves, he stays behind. …
It’s a telling sign that all four mothers portray Gabriel as a good man, independent, evasive, and certainly not someone to have and to hold. A sweet affliction, they say, a bitter gift.
As a reader, you have in store for you some endearing and humorous tales of brilliant survival in the orphanage, of classic, slightly over-the-top adventures on the road, and a delightful whirlwind of romance . The author obviously loves all his characters, and I did too. There are no true villains or victims, just a few buffoons and mean-spirited folk who usually meet their karma. The prose is translucent, and Punti shines with dialog and the pacing of an oral storytelling tradition. The experience of Gabriel with the currents of social change across Europe in the 60’s provides a playful working-class angle, especially in France and Spain with their struggle with the suppressive politics of De Gaulle and Franco. A tradition of petty larceny from moving crates in Gabriel’s crew and among the airport crew of the lost luggage department of his Barcelona lover makes for an amusing take on making a “trickle-down” economy work in practice.
So much that the sons end up with is a reconstruction from one person’s memory of another person’s filtered account, such as their mothers’ recall of Gabriel’s stories . The Four Musketeers bring back a lot of potential gold from their mining of the past, but how much is fool’s gold?:
The passage of time always distorts reality. In his capacity as a lecturer in quantum physics, Christophe insists that we jot down that sentence. …
They say the past is a foreign country where things are done differently. [famous quote from Hartley’s “The Go-Between”]…
There’s a problem with the past, Christophers: it’s untouchable and nobody can change it. Since we can only observe it from a distance we are, however, granted the gift of omniscience. So, we might be mere spectators but we’re everywhere at once and able to admire the artful designs of crossed paths.
Only we four are with him, about him, for him, against him (add all the prepositions you wish) and hence our mothers are not included. …
Ultimately, the blend of stories in this novel made for me a great balance of the warm heartedness without sentimentality and humor without being madcap or vicious. I cast the book onto my personal shelves in the company of the likes of Kingsolver, Hijuelos, Wally Lamb, Mark Helprin, and the Ondaatje of “The Cat’s Table.” I leave a little room at the top for those authors in my rendering of 4 stars. Punti wrote the novel in his native Calalan, which I have learned is a distinct Romance language, not just a dialect of Spanish. I like to imagine this wonderful tale is infused with the heart and soul of Catalan literary traditions, so I hope someone with real knowledge can speak to that.
This book was provided as an e-book load from the publisher through Netgalley.
May 13, 2023
"فالإنسان ليس إلا مشروع الوجود الذي يتصوّره، ووجوده هو مجموع ما حقّقه، وهو نفسه ليس إلا مجموع أفعاله، ومجموع أفعاله هو حياته؛ فهو مجموع أفعاله." —جان بول سارتر، الوجودية مذهب إنساني، ترجمة: عبد المنعم الحنفي، الطبعة الأولى 1964، (ص39)
رواية كاتالونيّة من حجر الواقع، تصور وتوثق المشهد التاريخي والاجتماعي والسياسي في حقبة الستينات والسبعينات لمدينة برشلونة بكل ما تحفل به الأيام والتفاصيل اليومية الصغيرة للمعاش واليومي، من أحداث وزخم ذات أثر محلي أو عالمي؛ بما فيه من بعض النتاج الإبداعي المعاصر.ك -أغاني البيتلز./(كيف غيرت موسيقا البيتلز العالم.)
ينسج من خلالها الراوي حكايته، التي تكبر وتصغر حيناً في جلباب الواقع الذي يضيق ويتسع بين الحقائب الضائعة!
الرواية مبنية على عدد من التراكيب المشهدية المستمدة من وقائع حقيقية أو مستوحاة من نصوص أدبية أو إخبارية أو أرشيفية ، إضافة إلى مخيلة الكاتب وذاكرته الجمعية. أهم ما ميز العمل الذاكرة الفوتوغرافية للكاتب.
(والذي كان قادراً على رسم آفاق مدينة كاملة، بتاريخها وتفاصيلها الدقيقة؛ وإستعادة هاته التفاصيل و الصور و المشاهد عند اللزوم في زمن الحكاية. من خلال الاتصال والتبادل بين الشخوص تُظهر الذاكرة لها سردياتها، التي تحيلنا إلى أماكن وأزمنة ترتبط بالماضي المستعاد في الرواية، أو النصّ. فهو يملك ذاكرة عظيمة. )
"الحاضر يسكن لحظة الكتابة في النص، ويتخلل فعل الاستعادة التاريخية التي يقوم بها الكاتب."
و كذا اشتغاله المميز على نمذجت الشخصيات في الحكاية، الأنساق والظواهر الاجتماعية، بما تحمله من عبء سيكولوجي- دور الذاكرة في تكوين الهوية، والتعمق في الكتابة في إظهار المشاعر وليدة اللحظة. هوامة الهوية وآليات الصراع. والهوية الشبحية المتمثلة في شخص الأب ( غابرييل)؛ اللعب على خيط النسيان والتذكر الحرّ، والانفلات من الذات أو من جدار العائلة والبقاء خارجها. وهو يجسد حالة( نفي التجارب المعاشة التي يصطنعها الناس، والكشف عن الحرّية والمسؤولية اللتين تجبران الإنسان على خلق التبريرات)؛ بعد أن عاش غثيانه!
مع تفكيك الوقائع التي قادت إلى تضخّم المشكلة، وتحوّلها إلى وعيٍ مأزوم يهدم التعايش والاتساق مع الذات والآخر. "يدخل الشبح، يخرج الشبح، يعود ثانية." والتعاطي معه، تحويلاً، وتأويلاً، وتفكيكاً، عبر تمثّلات وسرديات تغيّب إدراك الذات لنفسها، ما يخلق علائق متنوّعة، إذ يتولّد سلوكاً يعتمد على الإخفاء والكبت للمشاعر الفردية.
أفضل توصيف لشخصية الأب ( غابرييل) بالنسبة لي هو : "المقيم في العبور ."
رواية تدور في فلك لوعة المأزق الوجودي، وشتات الإنسان بين ذواته الممكنة بين شد وجذب لكون الإنسان الاجتماعي.
الترجمة رائعة !
رواية كاتالونيّة من حجر الواقع، تصور وتوثق المشهد التاريخي والاجتماعي والسياسي في حقبة الستينات والسبعينات لمدينة برشلونة بكل ما تحفل به الأيام والتفاصيل اليومية الصغيرة للمعاش واليومي، من أحداث وزخم ذات أثر محلي أو عالمي؛ بما فيه من بعض النتاج الإبداعي المعاصر.ك -أغاني البيتلز./(كيف غيرت موسيقا البيتلز العالم.)
ينسج من خلالها الراوي حكايته، التي تكبر وتصغر حيناً في جلباب الواقع الذي يضيق ويتسع بين الحقائب الضائعة!
الرواية مبنية على عدد من التراكيب المشهدية المستمدة من وقائع حقيقية أو مستوحاة من نصوص أدبية أو إخبارية أو أرشيفية ، إضافة إلى مخيلة الكاتب وذاكرته الجمعية. أهم ما ميز العمل الذاكرة الفوتوغرافية للكاتب.
(والذي كان قادراً على رسم آفاق مدينة كاملة، بتاريخها وتفاصيلها الدقيقة؛ وإستعادة هاته التفاصيل و الصور و المشاهد عند اللزوم في زمن الحكاية. من خلال الاتصال والتبادل بين الشخوص تُظهر الذاكرة لها سردياتها، التي تحيلنا إلى أماكن وأزمنة ترتبط بالماضي المستعاد في الرواية، أو النصّ. فهو يملك ذاكرة عظيمة. )
"الحاضر يسكن لحظة الكتابة في النص، ويتخلل فعل الاستعادة التاريخية التي يقوم بها الكاتب."
و كذا اشتغاله المميز على نمذجت الشخصيات في الحكاية، الأنساق والظواهر الاجتماعية، بما تحمله من عبء سيكولوجي- دور الذاكرة في تكوين الهوية، والتعمق في الكتابة في إظهار المشاعر وليدة اللحظة. هوامة الهوية وآليات الصراع. والهوية الشبحية المتمثلة في شخص الأب ( غابرييل)؛ اللعب على خيط النسيان والتذكر الحرّ، والانفلات من الذات أو من جدار العائلة والبقاء خارجها. وهو يجسد حالة( نفي التجارب المعاشة التي يصطنعها الناس، والكشف عن الحرّية والمسؤولية اللتين تجبران الإنسان على خلق التبريرات)؛ بعد أن عاش غثيانه!
مع تفكيك الوقائع التي قادت إلى تضخّم المشكلة، وتحوّلها إلى وعيٍ مأزوم يهدم التعايش والاتساق مع الذات والآخر. "يدخل الشبح، يخرج الشبح، يعود ثانية." والتعاطي معه، تحويلاً، وتأويلاً، وتفكيكاً، عبر تمثّلات وسرديات تغيّب إدراك الذات لنفسها، ما يخلق علائق متنوّعة، إذ يتولّد سلوكاً يعتمد على الإخفاء والكبت للمشاعر الفردية.
أفضل توصيف لشخصية الأب ( غابرييل) بالنسبة لي هو : "المقيم في العبور ."
رواية تدور في فلك لوعة المأزق الوجودي، وشتات الإنسان بين ذواته الممكنة بين شد وجذب لكون الإنسان الاجتماعي.
الترجمة رائعة !
October 20, 2025
"معظم الناس يحتاجون إلى مكان ينتمون إليه ويضعون جذورهم فيه. قد يكون ركنًا ضائعًا على الخريطة، أو مركز أشدّ المدن اضطرابًا وفوضى. قد يكون حيث الجميع قريبون منه، أو حيث الجميع بعيدون عنه لكنّهم دائمًا يحتاجون إلى مكان من العالم يشعرون فيه بأنّهم أحياء. بينما هناك آخرون لا يستطيعون الثبات والاستقرار في مكان واحد، بيوتهم دائمة الحركة، وهروبهم يومي مستمر. من دون وجهة. من دون اتجاه."
وهكذا كان "غابرييل" -مثل أسماك القرش، عليها أن تستمر في السباحة. بل إنّها تنام وهـي تسبح، لأنّها إن توقفت عن السباحة، فسـتختنق وستموت- فمنذ أن كان في السابعة عشرة من عمره، بعدما غادر الميتم هو وصديقه "بوندو" وذهبا للعيش في البانسيون، وهو يضع حقيبتين تحت سريره: كانتا بمثابة جواز سفره إلى المستقبل، خزانته الرئيسة، ففيها كان يحتفظ بكنوز طفولته، ونصيبه من سرقات حقائب نقلات العفش. كانت حياته في تينك الحقيبتين: حملًا خفيفًا يتناسب ورحلات -لا إيبريكا- التي فرضت عليه حياة متنقلة وسكنًا موقتًا وعابرًا. دأب على الحركة والتنقل بين دول أوروبا بأقل خسارة ممكنة، لكنه توقف فجأة، ذات صباح، ولم يعاود الحركة والظهور، ولوقت طويل؛ مخلفًا وراءه، أربعة أبناء غير أشقاء ولدوا من أمهات غير شرعيات، في أربعة دول مختلفة، لا يعلم أحدهما عن الآخر شيئًا!
"هل نحن أيتام؟
- نحن الأربعة أبناء وحيدون لأب كان وحيد أهله. ولبنات كن وحيدات أهلهن. يمكنك أن تقول إننا لم نكن، طوال الوقت الذي لم نكن نعلم فيه بوجود بعضنا، أيتام أب بل أيتام إخوة، إن كان لهذا المصطلح من وجود.
- أيتام على النصف. ناقصون."
أربعة أشقاء يلتقون بعد عشرين عامًا من اختفاء والدهم، لينشأ مع لقاءهم أسئلة كثيرة حول والدهم وحياته. وكما أن الانطلاق لا يكون إلا إلى الأمام، فإن الوجود، لا يمكن أن يكون له معنى إلا إذا نظرتَ إلى الوراء وحاولتَ فهمه في مجمله. وهكذا؛ في محاولتهم لإيجاد "الأب" كان عليهم استعادة الماضي، من خلال تتبع تحركاته حتى اختفاءه، وإعادة سرد قصته من خلال سرد حيواتهم وحيوات أمهاتهن وما تعرفه كلًا منهن عنه. وهكذا ينسج كلًا حكايته، التي تكبر حينًا، وتصغر آخرًا في مستودع الحقائب الضائعة.
الحقائب الضائعة؛ عن الشتات الوجودي، ومعضلة الهوية وتشتتها، واغتراب الإنسان بين ذاته وذويه، عن العائلة والبحث عن الجذور . رواية تصور المشهد التاريخي والاجتماعي والسياسي في حقبة الستينيات والسبعينيات للواقع المعاش في أسبانيا وأوروبا من أحداث ذات أثر محلي أو عالمي. رواية جميلة، كتالانيّة بإمتياز، وترجمتها ساحرة.#تمت😍
وهكذا كان "غابرييل" -مثل أسماك القرش، عليها أن تستمر في السباحة. بل إنّها تنام وهـي تسبح، لأنّها إن توقفت عن السباحة، فسـتختنق وستموت- فمنذ أن كان في السابعة عشرة من عمره، بعدما غادر الميتم هو وصديقه "بوندو" وذهبا للعيش في البانسيون، وهو يضع حقيبتين تحت سريره: كانتا بمثابة جواز سفره إلى المستقبل، خزانته الرئيسة، ففيها كان يحتفظ بكنوز طفولته، ونصيبه من سرقات حقائب نقلات العفش. كانت حياته في تينك الحقيبتين: حملًا خفيفًا يتناسب ورحلات -لا إيبريكا- التي فرضت عليه حياة متنقلة وسكنًا موقتًا وعابرًا. دأب على الحركة والتنقل بين دول أوروبا بأقل خسارة ممكنة، لكنه توقف فجأة، ذات صباح، ولم يعاود الحركة والظهور، ولوقت طويل؛ مخلفًا وراءه، أربعة أبناء غير أشقاء ولدوا من أمهات غير شرعيات، في أربعة دول مختلفة، لا يعلم أحدهما عن الآخر شيئًا!
"هل نحن أيتام؟
- نحن الأربعة أبناء وحيدون لأب كان وحيد أهله. ولبنات كن وحيدات أهلهن. يمكنك أن تقول إننا لم نكن، طوال الوقت الذي لم نكن نعلم فيه بوجود بعضنا، أيتام أب بل أيتام إخوة، إن كان لهذا المصطلح من وجود.
- أيتام على النصف. ناقصون."
أربعة أشقاء يلتقون بعد عشرين عامًا من اختفاء والدهم، لينشأ مع لقاءهم أسئلة كثيرة حول والدهم وحياته. وكما أن الانطلاق لا يكون إلا إلى الأمام، فإن الوجود، لا يمكن أن يكون له معنى إلا إذا نظرتَ إلى الوراء وحاولتَ فهمه في مجمله. وهكذا؛ في محاولتهم لإيجاد "الأب" كان عليهم استعادة الماضي، من خلال تتبع تحركاته حتى اختفاءه، وإعادة سرد قصته من خلال سرد حيواتهم وحيوات أمهاتهن وما تعرفه كلًا منهن عنه. وهكذا ينسج كلًا حكايته، التي تكبر حينًا، وتصغر آخرًا في مستودع الحقائب الضائعة.
الحقائب الضائعة؛ عن الشتات الوجودي، ومعضلة الهوية وتشتتها، واغتراب الإنسان بين ذاته وذويه، عن العائلة والبحث عن الجذور . رواية تصور المشهد التاريخي والاجتماعي والسياسي في حقبة الستينيات والسبعينيات للواقع المعاش في أسبانيا وأوروبا من أحداث ذات أثر محلي أو عالمي. رواية جميلة، كتالانيّة بإمتياز، وترجمتها ساحرة.#تمت😍
October 22, 2013
Well okay, I'm not really finished. Because I did the most liberating thing I've done in ages. I decided I'd had enough. It's not terrible, but it is very tedious. 148 pages in, it had been a struggle since about page 30 and I still had 350 to go. That was going to be three weeks of my reading life I'd never get back.
I don't mind when it's enjoyable prose. But this is contrived rubbish. The narrator is smug, his 'mysterious' father deathly uninteresting. It was when the ventriloquist's dummy came out that I pulled out my bookmark and closed the book.
Sadly, this was recommended to me, and more sadly, by my Dad, who usually has quite good taste. Don't know what he saw in it.
I don't mind when it's enjoyable prose. But this is contrived rubbish. The narrator is smug, his 'mysterious' father deathly uninteresting. It was when the ventriloquist's dummy came out that I pulled out my bookmark and closed the book.
Sadly, this was recommended to me, and more sadly, by my Dad, who usually has quite good taste. Don't know what he saw in it.
November 4, 2022
Lamentablement... no m'ha agradat.
La idea es força bona i interessant, i està ben escrit, però tota la primera part no només no m'interessava gens el que passava sino que fins i tot el narrador(s) em resultava insofrible.
La segona part millora...
Tot i així, no entenc el premi llibreter.
I a més em sap molt de greu xq el Jordi Puntí em cau molt bé personalment.
La idea es força bona i interessant, i està ben escrit, però tota la primera part no només no m'interessava gens el que passava sino que fins i tot el narrador(s) em resultava insofrible.
La segona part millora...
Tot i així, no entenc el premi llibreter.
I a més em sap molt de greu xq el Jordi Puntí em cau molt bé personalment.
September 22, 2013
Jordi Punti's Lost Luggage, translated from the Spanish by Julie Wark, reminds me of those nested Russian dolls; open a layer of the story and inside is another layer, couching another, and so on, until you get to the tale's vibrant, pulsing heart. Lost Luggage is storytelling at its best. On the surface, it is the quest of four brothers--each named some variable form of Christopher--for a father they have each barely known. Although he has always been missing from their lives, he has now gone officially missing, and the brothers believe that by piecing together the story of his life from their disparate points of view, the completed puzzle may lead to the discovery of the man. What is interesting to me is that even though the story is told in sections from each of the four Christophers' points of view, there is very little variation in voice between them. The decision is clearly deliberate, as if each brother is a piece of clay cleaved from the same block. The result is a novel that unfurls slowly, quietly, and gracefully toward that golden moment of denouement. As if we sit with Jordi Punti at a crackling fire, listening to hims spin his tale, we wait for that moment spellbound. We know it is coming, but we know, too, that it will surprise us, a sleight of hand delivered by a master magician.
My one complaint is that it was a bit tedious in parts. My test is "skimmable-ness," and yes - I did skim. I believe he could have lost perhaps 50 - 100 pages without losing anything of the story.
*This review first appeared on BookBrowse. Disclosure - I was given an ARC to review.
My one complaint is that it was a bit tedious in parts. My test is "skimmable-ness," and yes - I did skim. I believe he could have lost perhaps 50 - 100 pages without losing anything of the story.
*This review first appeared on BookBrowse. Disclosure - I was given an ARC to review.
August 31, 2014
I was sucked in by the wonderful cover and by the premise outlined on the back: Christopher, Cristof, Christophe and Cristofol all had the same father who abandoned them each in turn when they were young. He was a truck driver who moved around Europe and started families for some mysterious reason. When one of them is informed his father hasn't been seen in while, he discovers he has three half-brothers. They get together for the first time in their lives to try and puzzle out who their father was and where he might be.
But really that's as interesting as the book gets. I must be missing something cultural that's lost in the translation, because I don't get why this won awards in Spain.
I suppose I could find the deeper meaning here by saying that the novel is about the fact that the mysteries of the past lose their power when you find out the truth behind them and all parents inevitably lose their godlike status to us as we grow, until we're reminded of something magical about them... but I suspect all of that would be me projecting.
This is really just a plotless novel that's indolent like a country vacation which at first is charming but wears on you quickly and you just want to do something rather than listen to your weird uncle's stories for another day.
But yeah, pretty cover.
But really that's as interesting as the book gets. I must be missing something cultural that's lost in the translation, because I don't get why this won awards in Spain.
I suppose I could find the deeper meaning here by saying that the novel is about the fact that the mysteries of the past lose their power when you find out the truth behind them and all parents inevitably lose their godlike status to us as we grow, until we're reminded of something magical about them... but I suspect all of that would be me projecting.
This is really just a plotless novel that's indolent like a country vacation which at first is charming but wears on you quickly and you just want to do something rather than listen to your weird uncle's stories for another day.
But yeah, pretty cover.
July 11, 2020
Four Christophers from four different countries set out to find their long-lost father. A bit slow in places, this was a lovely read about the choices we make and the unexpected places to which life takes us.
March 31, 2019
Part of the Marple bookworms Book Club read.
Hmm.. this was odd.
It felt very rambling and repetitious and after a while just too convoluted in places. The book needed a good edit.
I think the premise was interesting and the characters were ok.
The ending was completely out there and unbelievable.
Hmm.. this was odd.
It felt very rambling and repetitious and after a while just too convoluted in places. The book needed a good edit.
I think the premise was interesting and the characters were ok.
The ending was completely out there and unbelievable.
April 24, 2019
A big read that took me a few days as so many characters and different storylines to keep up with .
The four Chris’s stories were intriguing as they were reunited later in life as half brothers who never knew about each other.
It felt quite a long read in some ways but not slow as the plot Kept you interested due to such well thought out characters .
The four Chris’s stories were intriguing as they were reunited later in life as half brothers who never knew about each other.
It felt quite a long read in some ways but not slow as the plot Kept you interested due to such well thought out characters .
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 8, 2020
The story seemed too long to me. The idea is original, but at some point the book is a bit boring, it starts to get better by the end.
January 30, 2021
Molt divertit
March 18, 2013
“Ma chi è quello, Paul McCartney?”
Ecco, è bastato questo a farmi prendere in mano il libro la prima volta, e a farlo entrare nella mia casa. Un libro di cui non ha mai parlato nessuno, di un autore pressoché sconosciuto, che mi incuriosisce anche perché dalla foto nel risvolto sembra tutto fuorchè uno scrittore. Ovviamente il tizio che fa le smorfie in tre pose formato fototessera sulla copertina non è Paul McCartney, e a guardarlo bene da vicino non ci somiglia nemmeno un po’, ma ormai è fatta, quel libro mi ha chiamata, ha attirato la mia attenzione. E’ mio. Sembrerà irrilevante questa premessa, ma i miei libri hanno dimostrato che spesso mi raccontano una storia anche fuori dalle loro pagine… stando fermi sugli scaffali, hanno, il più delle volte, un senso e una ragione diversi per ognuno; incomprensibile ai più, inaccessibile a tutti gli altri.
Ed è tutta una sorpresa dalla prima pagina, è un libro bizzarro e folle anche per il modo in cui è raccontata la storia, con quattro voci narranti, con quattro stili narrativi diversi, come diversi tra loro sono i quattro fratelli che scoprono ognuno l’esistenza dell’altro proprio nel momento in cui il padre scompare. Ma è proprio la sua scomparsa che ne rende improvvisamente manifesta e ingombrante la presenza, nella vita dei figli, ma anche nel corpo narrativo del libro… Gabriel, il protagonista assoluto di questa storia, semplicemente non c’è; la sua figura vive, e rivive, attraverso i ricordi, i pezzi di puzzle messi insieme da chi lo ha conosciuto, in tempi e in posti diversi. Gabriel ha attraversato l’Europa in camion, è stato testimone spesso inconsapevole di momenti storici cruciali, e durante queste scorribande ha lasciato dietro di sé una scia di valigie smarrite, che sono appunto il filo conduttore di questa storia surreale quanto suggestiva e coinvolgente. Le valigie smarrite assumono un senso diverso a seconda del protagonista che racconta la sua versione di Gabriel, la parte di Gabriel che ognuno ha avuto per sé. Valigie smarrite sono, per certi versi, gli stessi Cristofori, figli per caso deposti come uova in giro per l’Europa quasi a scadenza fissa l’uno dall’altro; ma le valigie smarrite hanno anche un significato tutt’altro che metaforico, reale ma sempre diverso e soggettivo per ognuno dei protagonisti narranti, ironico e a volte spiazzante per il senso che l’autore dà loro in ogni diversa versione del racconto, così come è diverso il ruolo che Gabriel ha nelle vite di ognuno dei personaggi che lo hanno conosciuto. Le valigie smarrite sono le tracce che rimangono di noi nelle vite degli altri, gli oggetti, i pensieri, ciò che abbiamo detto, ciò che non abbiamo fatto in tempo a dire, ciò che parla di noi quando sembra che non abbiamo più parole... quando siamo, o ci sentiamo, in stand by, come quei bagagli che scorrono sui nastri trasportatori degli aeroporti, in attesa di essere recuperati, o smarriti, perché finiti da tutt’altra parte... in attesa di raccontare una nuova storia... un po’ come questo libro che, volutamente o no, lascia addosso il sapore dolceamaro tipico di quei romanzi che, finita l’ultima pagina, regalano al lettore la possibilità di un seguito tutto da immaginare.
Ecco, è bastato questo a farmi prendere in mano il libro la prima volta, e a farlo entrare nella mia casa. Un libro di cui non ha mai parlato nessuno, di un autore pressoché sconosciuto, che mi incuriosisce anche perché dalla foto nel risvolto sembra tutto fuorchè uno scrittore. Ovviamente il tizio che fa le smorfie in tre pose formato fototessera sulla copertina non è Paul McCartney, e a guardarlo bene da vicino non ci somiglia nemmeno un po’, ma ormai è fatta, quel libro mi ha chiamata, ha attirato la mia attenzione. E’ mio. Sembrerà irrilevante questa premessa, ma i miei libri hanno dimostrato che spesso mi raccontano una storia anche fuori dalle loro pagine… stando fermi sugli scaffali, hanno, il più delle volte, un senso e una ragione diversi per ognuno; incomprensibile ai più, inaccessibile a tutti gli altri.
Ed è tutta una sorpresa dalla prima pagina, è un libro bizzarro e folle anche per il modo in cui è raccontata la storia, con quattro voci narranti, con quattro stili narrativi diversi, come diversi tra loro sono i quattro fratelli che scoprono ognuno l’esistenza dell’altro proprio nel momento in cui il padre scompare. Ma è proprio la sua scomparsa che ne rende improvvisamente manifesta e ingombrante la presenza, nella vita dei figli, ma anche nel corpo narrativo del libro… Gabriel, il protagonista assoluto di questa storia, semplicemente non c’è; la sua figura vive, e rivive, attraverso i ricordi, i pezzi di puzzle messi insieme da chi lo ha conosciuto, in tempi e in posti diversi. Gabriel ha attraversato l’Europa in camion, è stato testimone spesso inconsapevole di momenti storici cruciali, e durante queste scorribande ha lasciato dietro di sé una scia di valigie smarrite, che sono appunto il filo conduttore di questa storia surreale quanto suggestiva e coinvolgente. Le valigie smarrite assumono un senso diverso a seconda del protagonista che racconta la sua versione di Gabriel, la parte di Gabriel che ognuno ha avuto per sé. Valigie smarrite sono, per certi versi, gli stessi Cristofori, figli per caso deposti come uova in giro per l’Europa quasi a scadenza fissa l’uno dall’altro; ma le valigie smarrite hanno anche un significato tutt’altro che metaforico, reale ma sempre diverso e soggettivo per ognuno dei protagonisti narranti, ironico e a volte spiazzante per il senso che l’autore dà loro in ogni diversa versione del racconto, così come è diverso il ruolo che Gabriel ha nelle vite di ognuno dei personaggi che lo hanno conosciuto. Le valigie smarrite sono le tracce che rimangono di noi nelle vite degli altri, gli oggetti, i pensieri, ciò che abbiamo detto, ciò che non abbiamo fatto in tempo a dire, ciò che parla di noi quando sembra che non abbiamo più parole... quando siamo, o ci sentiamo, in stand by, come quei bagagli che scorrono sui nastri trasportatori degli aeroporti, in attesa di essere recuperati, o smarriti, perché finiti da tutt’altra parte... in attesa di raccontare una nuova storia... un po’ come questo libro che, volutamente o no, lascia addosso il sapore dolceamaro tipico di quei romanzi che, finita l’ultima pagina, regalano al lettore la possibilità di un seguito tutto da immaginare.
May 13, 2023
بدأت هذه الرواية مفككة ومع تكاثر الصفحات وتعاقب الأحداث ازدادت تفككا، حتى تجمعت كل قطع البازل عند نقطة ما، وأخرجت الماتريوشكا أفرادها بمتتالية فريدة تمتاز بأجواء برشلونة الساحرة.
من يزرع هوية في نفس رضيع رُمي ذات صباح على أرضية سوق السمك، وفرّت والدته هاربة، لم تترك أي أثر يدل عليها سوى ورقة ملتصقة ببطنه العاري كُتب عليها "غابرييل".
غابرييل بطل حكايتنا المتخفي وراء حكايات الآخرين، لم أره مُطلقا وإنما سمعت عنه، يحتمي في زاوية مظلمة من مقدرتي الهزيلة على التخيل بينما أسير إلى نقطة غير معلومة في مدينة أرّقتها حاجتي الملحة للوجود أتوقف بين التقاطع والآخر إن صادفني مقهى مغروس خلف رصيف الطريق المُشيّد في خيالي. أجلس وقد أتعبني المشي منذ الصباح، أخرج قارورة الماء من حقيبتي وهذه الرواية وقلم التحديد ومحفظة النقود، يقترب نادل المقهى بنظرة متعجبة من هذه الثنائية النادرة الآن "فتاة وكتاب" ويسجل طلبي _"فطيرة جبنة فرنسية وقهوة".. أحاول قبل فتح صفحات الكتاب أن أجمع خيوط الأحداث وأعقدها بطريقة تزيد تفككها وتفككي لكني لا ألبث أن أتداخل مع همهمة الأصوات الخارجة من العالم المكتوب.
يصعد غابرييل البيغاسو برفقة بوندو وبيترولي ويجوبون أوروبا لنقل الأثاث وشحن البضائع في ستينيات وسبعينيات القرن الماضي، حين كان الجنرال فرانكو يحكم إسبانيا.
يصمت الكريستوفرات الأربعة حين أدلف منطقة سردهم المحرمة، ينظرون بتوجس إلى خطواتي الحازمة باتجاههم فأخبرهم بأنّي لست سوى صديقة أحبّت رفقتهم وحكيهم ولا شيء يدعو للقلق..
يسرد الحكاية أربعة رواة، كريستوف، كغيستوف، كريستوفر، كريستوفول، أربعة إخوة غير أشقاء من أربعة أمهات وأب واحد بماض مجهول ومستقبل مُشوّش وحاضر متشظّي بين فرنسا وألمانيا وإنجلترا وبرشلونة، حيث يعيش أبناؤه وأمهاتهم بانتظار دائم لعودته..
مع كل طفل يولد كان يكتسب غابرييل وضوحا جديدا في شخصه وبعثرة شديدة في هويته يتخبط في هذه العوالم الأربعة ويختار الفرار كل مرة على طرقات خريطة شبحية. "تقول سيغرون إنها أحبت غيابه قدر ما أحبت حضوره، وتتذكر ميري أنه كان يصل وعليه أمارات من يهم بالرحيل."
لم يستطع أن يتوقف، لقد كان دائم الإبحار في محيط الحياة يحمل حقيبتي سفر�� ويعيش في بانسيون، لم يرد أن تنبت من أرجله جذور تلزمه، ظل يدور في مدار حول الحرية المطلقة حتى لو كان الكوكب ممتلئ بأبنائه، اختار دوما الوقوف على السطح دون أن تغمره المياه.
ماذا سيمنح والد يعيش مأزق الوجودية لأربعة أطفال أنجبهم بغير حول ولا قوة سوى مقتنيات من حقائب مسروقة خلال رحلات نقل الأثاث المتتالية!.
من يزرع هوية في نفس رضيع رُمي ذات صباح على أرضية سوق السمك، وفرّت والدته هاربة، لم تترك أي أثر يدل عليها سوى ورقة ملتصقة ببطنه العاري كُتب عليها "غابرييل".
غابرييل بطل حكايتنا المتخفي وراء حكايات الآخرين، لم أره مُطلقا وإنما سمعت عنه، يحتمي في زاوية مظلمة من مقدرتي الهزيلة على التخيل بينما أسير إلى نقطة غير معلومة في مدينة أرّقتها حاجتي الملحة للوجود أتوقف بين التقاطع والآخر إن صادفني مقهى مغروس خلف رصيف الطريق المُشيّد في خيالي. أجلس وقد أتعبني المشي منذ الصباح، أخرج قارورة الماء من حقيبتي وهذه الرواية وقلم التحديد ومحفظة النقود، يقترب نادل المقهى بنظرة متعجبة من هذه الثنائية النادرة الآن "فتاة وكتاب" ويسجل طلبي _"فطيرة جبنة فرنسية وقهوة".. أحاول قبل فتح صفحات الكتاب أن أجمع خيوط الأحداث وأعقدها بطريقة تزيد تفككها وتفككي لكني لا ألبث أن أتداخل مع همهمة الأصوات الخارجة من العالم المكتوب.
يصعد غابرييل البيغاسو برفقة بوندو وبيترولي ويجوبون أوروبا لنقل الأثاث وشحن البضائع في ستينيات وسبعينيات القرن الماضي، حين كان الجنرال فرانكو يحكم إسبانيا.
يصمت الكريستوفرات الأربعة حين أدلف منطقة سردهم المحرمة، ينظرون بتوجس إلى خطواتي الحازمة باتجاههم فأخبرهم بأنّي لست سوى صديقة أحبّت رفقتهم وحكيهم ولا شيء يدعو للقلق..
يسرد الحكاية أربعة رواة، كريستوف، كغيستوف، كريستوفر، كريستوفول، أربعة إخوة غير أشقاء من أربعة أمهات وأب واحد بماض مجهول ومستقبل مُشوّش وحاضر متشظّي بين فرنسا وألمانيا وإنجلترا وبرشلونة، حيث يعيش أبناؤه وأمهاتهم بانتظار دائم لعودته..
مع كل طفل يولد كان يكتسب غابرييل وضوحا جديدا في شخصه وبعثرة شديدة في هويته يتخبط في هذه العوالم الأربعة ويختار الفرار كل مرة على طرقات خريطة شبحية. "تقول سيغرون إنها أحبت غيابه قدر ما أحبت حضوره، وتتذكر ميري أنه كان يصل وعليه أمارات من يهم بالرحيل."
لم يستطع أن يتوقف، لقد كان دائم الإبحار في محيط الحياة يحمل حقيبتي سفر�� ويعيش في بانسيون، لم يرد أن تنبت من أرجله جذور تلزمه، ظل يدور في مدار حول الحرية المطلقة حتى لو كان الكوكب ممتلئ بأبنائه، اختار دوما الوقوف على السطح دون أن تغمره المياه.
ماذا سيمنح والد يعيش مأزق الوجودية لأربعة أطفال أنجبهم بغير حول ولا قوة سوى مقتنيات من حقائب مسروقة خلال رحلات نقل الأثاث المتتالية!.
November 25, 2013
Lost Luggage: A Novel by Jordi Puntí is the tangled tale of four half-brothers who come together to unravel the mysteries surrounding the disappearance of their father, Gabriel Delacruz Expósito, who disappeared more than 20 years ago.
It is a fascinating and hilarious story and you’ll go along with Jordi Punti across Europe as he takes you to the cities where the half-brothers lived - Frankfurt, Paris, London, and Barcelona. Just imagine four half-brothers, spread all over Europe, all bearing different forms of the name Christopher, not knowing each other, but with a common father who abandoned them all, working together to peel off layers after layers of mysteries to get to the bottom of the story on how they all got the same name.
The story begins when one of the half-brothers named Christòfol was called in by police officers investigating his almost-forgotten father’s abandoned flat. He soon discovers files revealing that he has half brothers in London, Paris, and Frankfurt – named Christof, Christophe, and Christopher.
The original version of the book is in Catalan, which won several awards in Spain. Readable, enjoyable but at times painful, Lost Luggage is a delight to read. Readers will enjoy going through the story of Gabriel Delacruz, an orphan and and a truck driver, along with his best friend Bundo, based in Barcelona, criss-crossed Europe with Petroli, meeting different sorts of women, and in the process developing intimate relationships, which in the case of Gabriel resulted in the birth of his sons.
Lost Luggage is both fun and painful. But all the same, it’s an exciting read!
It is a fascinating and hilarious story and you’ll go along with Jordi Punti across Europe as he takes you to the cities where the half-brothers lived - Frankfurt, Paris, London, and Barcelona. Just imagine four half-brothers, spread all over Europe, all bearing different forms of the name Christopher, not knowing each other, but with a common father who abandoned them all, working together to peel off layers after layers of mysteries to get to the bottom of the story on how they all got the same name.
The story begins when one of the half-brothers named Christòfol was called in by police officers investigating his almost-forgotten father’s abandoned flat. He soon discovers files revealing that he has half brothers in London, Paris, and Frankfurt – named Christof, Christophe, and Christopher.
The original version of the book is in Catalan, which won several awards in Spain. Readable, enjoyable but at times painful, Lost Luggage is a delight to read. Readers will enjoy going through the story of Gabriel Delacruz, an orphan and and a truck driver, along with his best friend Bundo, based in Barcelona, criss-crossed Europe with Petroli, meeting different sorts of women, and in the process developing intimate relationships, which in the case of Gabriel resulted in the birth of his sons.
Lost Luggage is both fun and painful. But all the same, it’s an exciting read!
May 25, 2014
Lost Luggage is a fairly big paperback book. I found Lost Luggage a remarkable astonishing novel that was impossible to put down. This novel gives the account of Gabriel Delacruz Exposito a father that leads an extraordinary unfaithful life. Gabriel has four sons are all named the same Christof, Christophe, Christopher and Cristofol. Each son has different mothers from different parts of Europe in Frankfurt, Paris, London and Barcelona. Each time he had a son he would disappear and never see his sons again. Their father was linked by their mother from driving a truck that took him to one side of Europe to the other. The fourth city which he went to was Barcelona. Each time he said his farewell it was almost like he rehearsed it. Nobody was spared any pain and heartbreak and certainly not any of his sons he left behind each time. The three brother physically are alike, But their mothers are not. All of the four sons have the same memory of their father for the last time. With their father disappeared it had been thirty years with a blurry image of him. The four brothers get together and decided to find their father. They wanted to know where he is?. Who is he?.and ask for an explanation as the brother all recognised that their father was a compulsive liar. I highly recommend this work of literary fiction to everyone because Jordi Punti is a brilliant storyteller. I hope that many reader will buy Lost Luggage and enjoy it as much as I have.
August 28, 2013
This is like reading 4 different authors in the same book. Each narrative is different and unique to the character the chapter/ifomation is about, but they also narrate against and with each other at times...strange. How can one man cause so many issues and problems? Well having many children with many different women is a good start. 4 brothers that are not aware of each other, each the same father and name but different mothers. Lots going on in this book, lots of people and lives affected by this one man, fathers are important even if they are not involved. Everyone has one and everyone needs one that is more than a name or signature on a check.
I think that this book will make you think and ponder your life and your relationships with your loves ones and especially your parents. This book doesn’t move fast like I would have likes, lots of repeating of things and many, many memories that are important, yet slow down the progress for the reader. Also this is a translated book and so the pacing and word choices are not what you might expect and that will slow you down as a reader also. Watch out for the British language that many Americans are not familiar with, it may be English, but it is not American English.
This book is interesting and I think many readers would enjoy it. Some of it does come off a bit fairy tale like, but that is life for some of us.
I think that this book will make you think and ponder your life and your relationships with your loves ones and especially your parents. This book doesn’t move fast like I would have likes, lots of repeating of things and many, many memories that are important, yet slow down the progress for the reader. Also this is a translated book and so the pacing and word choices are not what you might expect and that will slow you down as a reader also. Watch out for the British language that many Americans are not familiar with, it may be English, but it is not American English.
This book is interesting and I think many readers would enjoy it. Some of it does come off a bit fairy tale like, but that is life for some of us.
August 31, 2013
I received a free copy of this novel from Bookbrowse.com and also posted a review there. This is a novel translated from the Catalan to English and won several awards in Spain. It is the story of Gabriel Delacruz, who was orphaned and grew up to be a mover with his best friend Bundo. Based in Barcelona, they do the longer moves around Europe with a third man, Petroli. They all meet women in different countries, but Gabriel seems to meet women from all the countries and develops relationships which lead to four different sons named Christopher, Christophe, Cristof and Cristobal (Cristofol). The brothers meet up, as Gabriel has been declared missing even though none of the brothers have seen him for more than 18 years. This is a beautifully written story, but at times the descriptions are very long. The plot moves slowly with lots of back story given, so those who read for plot may be disappointed and disheartened. The ending of the story was worth the read, but I could have eliminated 50 -100 pages and still enjoyed the book.
February 16, 2016
Una gran novel·la que no només parteix d'una premissa argumental excel·lent, sinó que a més a més està molt ben construida, dosificant molt bé les anècdotes i les diferents ramificacions argumentals, així com combinant nombrosos tons que converteixen cada capítol en una experiència diferent. Potser cap al principi hi ha certa sensació de perdre's entre tants fils que semblen no centrar-se, però ràpidament se supera aquesta sensació.
December 10, 2021
This is one of those unusual quirky books that slowly grew on me. Great storytelling. I had to suspend belief that the "Christopher's" could know so much about their father who they had only met infrequently when they were very young.
October 2, 2013
A fascinating and well written story.
March 6, 2021
DNF
I tried, but I couldn't get into this at all. It seemed so promising, but it was dull and none of the characters were interesting.
I tried, but I couldn't get into this at all. It seemed so promising, but it was dull and none of the characters were interesting.
July 5, 2017
My experience of this book is neatly divided into two parts, corresponding precisely to the two halves of the novel. If asked to comment on this, Jordi Punti would probably have made some overly witty observation. His style is somewhat over-stylised. There really is no need to repeat the same sentence in four different languages. Il n'y a aucune raison de se répéter en quatres langues différentes... This gets really, really, really irritating, as do the other gimmicks which Punti seems to so love.
The plot and ending are lacking. Especially in the first half, the plot hardly moves at all, and then it feels rushed in comparison in the second half, but the latter is still firmly better.
Some of the characters are great -- I like how the personalities of the four Christophers are built up over the novel -- and you certainly can't fault Punti's effort here. The only real issue I had was that I did not find Gabriel's personality psychologically believable, but then again, that may just be me. Another really nice touch was the way that Punti presents the acquisition of the Cristophers' knowledge, through tapes, interviews, records etc.
These final nice features made reading this novel not a complete and utter waste of time, and thus saved the book from receiving a 1 star review. But they can't compensate any more than that so I awarded no more than 2 stars.
The plot and ending are lacking. Especially in the first half, the plot hardly moves at all, and then it feels rushed in comparison in the second half, but the latter is still firmly better.
Some of the characters are great -- I like how the personalities of the four Christophers are built up over the novel -- and you certainly can't fault Punti's effort here. The only real issue I had was that I did not find Gabriel's personality psychologically believable, but then again, that may just be me. Another really nice touch was the way that Punti presents the acquisition of the Cristophers' knowledge, through tapes, interviews, records etc.
These final nice features made reading this novel not a complete and utter waste of time, and thus saved the book from receiving a 1 star review. But they can't compensate any more than that so I awarded no more than 2 stars.
June 2, 2021
"Verloren bagage" van de Spaanse auteur Jordi Punt is... bijzonder. Bijzonder origineel. Bijzonder gelaagd. Bijzonder van opbouw. Bijzonder van personages. Maar ook bijzonder traag in het begin, waardoor ik het boek bijna aan de kant had gelegd. Ik ben blij dat ik volhield, want het was meer dan de moeite. Het verhaal ? Een jonge Spaanse vrachtwagenchauffeur uit Barcelona, die als verhuizer voor een internationale verhuisfirma werkt, verwekt bij vier verschillende vrouwen, in vier verschillende landen, 4 zonen die Christof, Christophe, Christopher and Christofol heten. uiteraard weten vrouwen noch kinderen van het bestaan van de anderen af tot zoveel jaar later het lot daar anders over beslist en door een toeval de vier zonen bij elkaar worden gebracht en het levensverhaal van hun vader schetsen. Dit plot zou een recept kunnen zijn voor voorspelbare platitudes en weinig originele scenes, maar niets is minder waar. De reconstructie van de vader zijn leven, verteld door de vier zonen, is een aaneenschakeling van boeiende verhaallijnen en vertellingen, sappige anecdotes en herkenbare dagdagelijkse situaties, waardoor het nooit saai wordt. integendeel. De kracht van het boek zit dan ook in de vertelstijl, en in de ontknoping. Een heel klein aantal schoonheidsfoutjes, zoals een bijzonder trage start en het irritante herhalen van sommige uitdrukkingen in vier talen, kosten de auteur een 5e ster, maar ik heb het boek graag gelezen!
January 15, 2019
Christof, Christophe, Christopher, and Cristfol are four brothers sons of the same father and four very different mothers yet none of them knows of the others existence. They live in four different cities: Frankfurt, Paris, London, and Barcelona. Unbeknownst to them, they have one thing in common: Gabriel Delacruz a truck driver who abandoned them when they were little and they never heard from him again.
Then one day, Cristfol is contacted by the police: his father is officially a missing person. This fact leads him to discover that he has three half-brothers, and the four young men come together for the first time. Two decades have passed since their father last saw any of them. They barely remember what he was like, but they decide to look for him to resolve their doubts. Why did he abandon them? Why do all four have the same name? Did he intend for them to meet?
Divided by geography yet united by blood, the Christophers set out on a quest that is at once painful, hilarious, and extraordinary. They discover a man who during thirty years of driving was able to escape the darkness of Franco's Spain and to explore a luminous Europe, a journey that, with the birth of his sons, both opened and broke his heart.
Then one day, Cristfol is contacted by the police: his father is officially a missing person. This fact leads him to discover that he has three half-brothers, and the four young men come together for the first time. Two decades have passed since their father last saw any of them. They barely remember what he was like, but they decide to look for him to resolve their doubts. Why did he abandon them? Why do all four have the same name? Did he intend for them to meet?
Divided by geography yet united by blood, the Christophers set out on a quest that is at once painful, hilarious, and extraordinary. They discover a man who during thirty years of driving was able to escape the darkness of Franco's Spain and to explore a luminous Europe, a journey that, with the birth of his sons, both opened and broke his heart.
June 10, 2023
Hasta hace pocos días la Generalitat ha distribuído en los transportes públicos de Catalunya una publicación gratuita con el extracto de los primeros capítulos de novedades literarias. El objetivo era fomentar la lectura, en mi opinión una campaña muy acertada, de esta forma cayó en mis manos Maletas perdidas, me bastaron las primeras páginas para saber que se trataba de una original historia.
Cuatro mujeres, Sigrun, Sarah, Mireille y Rita, cuatro ciudades Londres, Francfort, Paris y Barcelona, cuatro hombres Christopher, Christophe, Christof y Cristòfol ligados a un solo nombre Gabriel Delacruz.
La historia es narrada por el club de los cristóbales como así se denominan ellos tras reencontrarse para conocer la historia de su desaparecido padre Gabriel.
Gabriel transportista de La Ibérica junto con Bundó y Petroli, realizan mudanzas con su Pegaso por Europa, estas mudanzas serán el hilo conector entre Gabriel y las cuatro familias, de esta manera comienzan las andanzas de estos tres peculiares personajes que a modo de investigación son contadas por los cristóbales.
El humor está presente en toda la novela aunque con pequeñas pinceladas trágicas.
Sin duda una novela cargada de imaginación.
Cuatro mujeres, Sigrun, Sarah, Mireille y Rita, cuatro ciudades Londres, Francfort, Paris y Barcelona, cuatro hombres Christopher, Christophe, Christof y Cristòfol ligados a un solo nombre Gabriel Delacruz.
La historia es narrada por el club de los cristóbales como así se denominan ellos tras reencontrarse para conocer la historia de su desaparecido padre Gabriel.
Gabriel transportista de La Ibérica junto con Bundó y Petroli, realizan mudanzas con su Pegaso por Europa, estas mudanzas serán el hilo conector entre Gabriel y las cuatro familias, de esta manera comienzan las andanzas de estos tres peculiares personajes que a modo de investigación son contadas por los cristóbales.
El humor está presente en toda la novela aunque con pequeñas pinceladas trágicas.
Sin duda una novela cargada de imaginación.
Read
June 17, 2021Lost Luggage by Jordi Puntí, translated from the Catalan by Julie Wark, is an epic family story. Four sons of Gabriel Delacruz, in the UK, Germany, France, and Spain, are all growing up wondering where their father has gone. When he's determined to be missing, the four brothers become aware of one another and decide to begin to meet. Together, they begin to try and piece together the story of their father's life through their distinctive voices and their investigations.
Gabriel's story is one of wandering, friendship, strange coincidences, and long loose threads slowly drifting together. It was long but impossible to put down, full of intrigue and wacky tales. It spoke to the impossibility of piecing together a person, a past, and was a love letter in many ways to intergenerational story-telling. Some of the twists hit me hard. It's emotional and hard to set aside. The friendship between Gabriel and his basically-a-brother Bundó, the mythology of the moving truck and the one box they would steal each trip, the action-packed stories of each mother's life and adventures—all combine to really create a compelling, funny, and touching story of a complicated man and his story.
Gabriel's story is one of wandering, friendship, strange coincidences, and long loose threads slowly drifting together. It was long but impossible to put down, full of intrigue and wacky tales. It spoke to the impossibility of piecing together a person, a past, and was a love letter in many ways to intergenerational story-telling. Some of the twists hit me hard. It's emotional and hard to set aside. The friendship between Gabriel and his basically-a-brother Bundó, the mythology of the moving truck and the one box they would steal each trip, the action-packed stories of each mother's life and adventures—all combine to really create a compelling, funny, and touching story of a complicated man and his story.
March 16, 2022
El llibre de Maletes perdudes tracta sobre quatre germans; en Christof, en Christophe, en Christopher i en Cristòfol. Més ben dit són germanastres, ja que són de mares diferents. Tots quatre viuen amb la seva mare, en Christof viu a Frankfurt, en Christophe a París, en Christopher a Londres i en Cristòfol a Barcelona. El pare d'aquests quatre treballava en un camió, fent mudançes. Un dia va desaparèixer, i els fills decideixen buscar-lo per resoldre dubtes existencials. Al llarg d'aquesta història els fills descobriran moltes coses.
A mi personalment, em va agradar, perquè m'agrada la intriga i el descobriment. Penso que és un llibre per gent que li agrada llegir, ja que és molt llarg, i potser si no llegeixes molt et canses abans.
A mi personalment, em va agradar, perquè m'agrada la intriga i el descobriment. Penso que és un llibre per gent que li agrada llegir, ja que és molt llarg, i potser si no llegeixes molt et canses abans.
August 28, 2024
Ara que es parla tant de famílies alternatives, aquesta novel.la publicada el 2009 ressegueix la història d’una (o en són quatre? potser cinc?) des de la Barcelona de la postguerra fins a principis d’aquest segle. He gaudit moltíssim seguint les aventures dels protagonistes per mitja Europa i llegint passatges memorables sobre la paternitat, la maternitat, els germans, el plor, l’oblit, l’amistat, l’amor, la mort… I per postres he rigut molt, perquè també és una novel.la divertidíssima. Us la recomano!
April 16, 2025
Em va encantar i despertar la curiositat ja d'inici aquesta història original de quatre germans que van créixer en països diferents, tenen el mateix nom en diferents idiomes i ni es coneixen. També em van seduir l'estil d'escriptura de Jordi Puntí i les aventures que viuen els quatre germans mentres tracten de resoldre el misteri de la vida del seu pare i de la seva pròpia existència.
Un llibre optimista i original, molt ben escrit, que a mí em va atrapar des de les primeres pàgines!
Un llibre optimista i original, molt ben escrit, que a mí em va atrapar des de les primeres pàgines!
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