This book is, in some way, chronicle of current Spanish history, but it is also a chronology of some unfortunate events. Written by a foreign figure, “The Guardian” journalist Giles Tremlett, gives opportunity to tourists to identify with the writer and make Spanish mentality familiar. On the other hand for Spaniards, to realise how they look like in the eyes of strangers. Between interesting facts, and divulgation of some dark secrets from Iberian Peninsula, after reading you feel that you have to come and visit this country.
Who caused the Civil War? Why do Basque terrorists kill? Why do Catalans hate Madrid? Did the Islamic bombers who killed 190 people in 2004 dream of a return to Spain’s Moorish past? These are very serious questions, and answers given by a stranger could be very painful for some Spanish citizens. Real impartiality usually comes out of a stranger’s mouth, and in that fact maybe lies the essentiality of this book.
The appearance of mass graves containing victims of Franco’s death squads seventy years after war ended, finally has broken what Spaniards call ‘the pact of forgetting’. At this charged moment, Giles Tremlett embarked on a journey around Spain - and through Spanish history. Spaniards he found had tried to wipe both the Civil War and Franco from their memory. The graves were secretos a voces - whispered secrets everyone knew about but did not discuss. It stays unknown after so many years, still exists an imaginary ghost of separation between aggressors and victims. Or, more precisely, between ideas who was aggressor and who were the victims. History was a tinder-box of disagreements for Spaniards. The ghosts of the past were everywhere.
Besides serious topics, this book shows Spanish nature in an amusing way. Why do they dislike authority figures, but are cowed by a doctor’s white coat? How had women embraced feminism without men noticing? What binds gypsies, jails and flamenco? Why do Spaniards go to plastic surgeons, donate their organs, visit brothels or take cocaine more than other Europeans?
Giving answers about Spanish people is not the most important thing from the Tremlett’s pen. He speaks also about influence of mass tourism, mostly from Germans, Britains and the Dutchmens on the Spanish environment, structure of cities like Benidorm and Marbella, and changes on the island of Majorca. Writer mentions anthropologist Nadja Monnet and her research about “guiris” and their behavior. Nadja explains “el arquetipo del "guiri" es el playero, el visitante alto, rubio en búsqueda de sol”. About them, Spaniards don’t have so much good words to say about. Here starts the confrontation of Nadja and Giles. He says that “guiris” have bad influence to the domestic values, and Nadja says that statement like this "Yo nunca veré a un sudamericano como "guiri", nunca... No se me ocurre. Es sudaca, coño. Y el árabe, no es guiri es moro y el francés gabacho. Y el "guiri", ¿quién es? Pues, el resto, o sea, los, los..." from her research are unacceptable. Two different attitudes, and two more reasons to read this book.
Many books we have chosen to read. But how many books have found us? There are some important things we never talk about. There are some irrelevant things we often speak about. For exemple forgiveness. There wont be such things like dark secrets from the past, but only bright future. For everyone.
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