While looking around in a bookshop with used books one day, I came face to face with "Son de Mar". Immediately it came to my mind the name of Manuel Vicent who has been awarded with Alfaguara Prize for this book, a Prize which I 'm following when I have the chance, with very interesting books by Spanish language writers and has not disappointed me yet. So it wasn't difficult at all to pick it up with no further thinking.
The plot of the book is set in a coastal Spanish small city facing the Mediterranean sea with a catchy opening scene were in a very hot august day two dead bodies, a male and a female were found not far away one from the other in two nearby beaches. The female one is very well known, wife of a powerful architecture, while the male one brings memories to everyone as it seams so similar to the same woman's ex husband who has drunk some ten years before. And both of them are dressed like a newly married couple.
In fact the author gives us from the beginning the end of the story but this cannot prevent anyone to enjoy the rest of the book since it makes you curious how the plot will unfold. So on the occasion of this event Manuel Vicent introduces us to the local society and the story of two young people, a professor of literature and a young girl, their meeting in this small city and their relationship over the years, before and after the loss of the man. This is a love story in two parts. In all honesty I was quite disappointed in the first half which was too romantic, melodramatic in some parts. But the second half was really rewarding, much different, very intense, passionate, and powerful story with strong emotions, it totally captivated me. I 'm not sure if it can touch everyone, it is not one of those readings I could easily recommend to people. Personally it touched some personal strings. Behind an apparently simple plot I could distinguish, that the author exalts the huge power of words, speech, stories, on people, how they can affect them and how they can wake passions, desires, and the will for the beauties of life. It may well be pumped a kind of philosophy of living behind its plot, or maybe it's just my idea. Actually more like a 3.5 star book, with a very charming second part.