Dos Letters

by Bernardo Atxaga

Two stories about grandfathers. In the first, Old Martin, a Basque shepherd living in Boise, Idaho, recalls a terrible quarrel between two friends, one given to carnal pleasures, the other quite the opposite. Martin's own life was forever changed by the event. In the second story, Sebastián gets to know his grandfather, a man who talks with the animals.

129 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1984

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

[Antonio Campoy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bernardo Atxaga tiene dos grandes obras (Obabakoak y El Hombre Solo) y el resto de su producción literaria palidece en comparación. Los dos relatos que conforman Dos Letters se quedan cortos y faltos de desarrollo y acaban resultando precipitados en su final, a pesar de algunos momentos brillantes (especialmente el arranque del segundo, "Cuando una serpiente..."). Lectura breve pero algo insatisfactoria.

[Penelope Ausejo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dos historias sobre el final de la vida (y en parte, el principio) que ponen de manifiesto la importancia de la comunicación. Muy bonitas y muy bien escritas.

[Ines Domenech Armisen · Rating 3 out of 5]

cortita divertida y muy tierna