Etengabe errepikatzen den naturaren sasoi-gurpilean txori, katagorri, suge eta antzarek bi anaien -Paulo eta Daniel- istorioa kontatzen digute. Urtea joan urtea etorri, beti bestelako eta aldi berean beti berdin agertuko den Obabako irudimenezko lurraldo hori, baina, gizakien arteko handinahi, irrika eta grinen agertoki krudela da. Paulo eta Daniel anaia atzeratua dira giza-kudelkeria horren biktimak.
Gizakiok errenditzen gaituen naturaren lege zaharrean bildurik, Paulo eta Danielen munduko ibilera itogarriak txori, katagorri suge eta antzaren fabulen munduarekin egiten dute bat, eta irakurlearengan efektu zoragarria lortzen gainera: ihesaren eta kontsolazioaren sentipen askatzailea.
Zail da asmatzen nork jarri duen bere aldetik gehiago, irudimen handiko idazleak ala dohain handiko kontalariak; izan ere, oso gutxitan bezala egokituko baitzaio bata besteari.
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.
Andonik gomendatu zidan eta ezer gutxi jakinda hasi nuen. Argumentu sinplea oinarri hartuz Atxagak istorio unkigarria eraikitzen du. Katagorrien kapitulua bikaina da.
I had to read this book for school. I found the contraposition of the fantastical story and the crude real story amazing. I quite liked the plot and the ending was cool, super open to different ways of interpretation which I always like yk? I did find it kind of offensive though…
Istorio arrunt bezain sentikorra, narrazio trebea ongi txertatzea lortzen du Atxagak. Xehetasun gehiago sar litzazke, baino kontakizun printzipala ezabatzea izanen litzateke, eta erabat asmatu du idazleak modu hortara bi anaien arteko harremana eta besteekin duten harremana isladatzen, beste guzia istorioa leku eta momentu konkretu batean kokatzen lagunduz, besterik gabe.
I think that this book was great and very controversial if you look behind the value of reading it at face value. I believe that he is using the irony of the nature of mankind and how we are naturally cruel to bring to light the aspect of mistreating people. I personally didn't get the feeling that it was specifically directed towards women. I don't think it was offensive at all and was symbolizing the destruction of humankind as a whole by the cruelty of other humans.
It's amazing that a book this short could be this offensive. It's as if Atxaga wondered, should I write a book that invokes hateful tropes about women (evil! jealous! irrational! scheming! destroyers of men!) or developmentally disabled people (bestial! lustful! monstrous!) and thought, damn, I can do both! One of those books that make you think, male writers need to stop.