Reading the 20th Century discussion

We don't seem to have a thread for the Spanish novelist, Javier Marias, often touted for a Nobel before his death in 2022:

He was born in 1951 in Madrid and his father was forbidden to teach for opposing Franco. Marias' books aren't overtly 'about' the politics of oppression under Franco but so many of his themes turn on issues of secrets, guilt, retribution, memory, what has to remain hidden or unsaid, identities under pressure, violence and coercion, that we can trace the influence of these years in his books.

Marias sometimes takes the idea of spy novels and gives them a kind of existentialist spin. An article in The Guardian describes him as someone who 'wrote thrillers like a poet': www.theguardian.com/books/2022/sep/13...

I came to Marias late and would suggest a good place to start might be his 'Thus Bad Begins' (my review: www.goodreads.com/review/show/2715359998).

I'm currently re-reading his 'Berta Isla', part one of a 'spy' duology followed by 'Tomas Nevinson' and am already thinking it could be 5-stars.

I feel I'm just at the start of my Marias journey - any other fans here?

A new name for me


Sounds fab

I have long had him on my unofficial, undocumented "interested" list.

I think I'll add Thus Bad Begins to my January list after Nada, and see where I go from there. Maybe a Buddy Read in the future.

Delighted to have sparked some interest, and yes, would love a buddy some time.

One of my very favorites!

I read a lot of Marias 8 or 9 years ago, but mostly older ones. I'd recommend A Heart So White as a good starting point. Another early one that is very entertaining is All Souls.

Trevor and Paul on The Mookse and the Gripes podcast are big Marias fans and I’ve heard them say, as Hugh just did, that A Heart So White is one of his best.

Berta Isla is the only novel by Marias I have read. I remember enjoying it at the time.

Vesna said: 'I would join for A Heart So White if there is a buddy/group read. I adore Javier Marías, having read two if his other novels (All Souls and Dark Back of Time) and a hilarious collection of vignettes about 20 writers in Written Lives. Just about when I wanted to go on with A Heart So White (usually recommended as a good starting point for him, but these others worked for me perfectly), I heard the news of his passing from Covid. It broke my heart and I couldn't go on. Now, after 5 years, I think I should be ready.'

I know how you felt as I also came late to Marias and he'd been touted for a Nobel before his death.

I can highly recommend his Thus Bad Begins and also Berta Isla.

And yes, if I don't nominate A Heart So White or it doesn't win the poll, I'd love to buddy read it with you.

Wonderful to see the thread devoted to the great Marías. Both recommendations sound great, RC. Let's hope we can have A Heart So White as a group or buddy read this fall, and then Thus Bad Begins would be next for me. I plan to get to Berta Isla at one point, but would likely reserve it for the time when I can right away follow it up with its sequel Tomás Nevinson, alas his last one. What a terrible loss.