Homeland of Fernando Aramburu

Homeland It is considered the consecrating work of the Spanish author Fernando Aramburu, thanks to which, received with full merit the National Narrative Award 2017. It is a very crude story about Basque society in the midst of the complicated political situation that convulsed the Basque region from the second half of the XNUMXth century until the beginning of the new millennium.

The division that the independence process generated in the Basque Country has caused appreciable consequences even today, As demonstrated by the recent demonstrations in favor of the release of people linked to the actions of the separatist group ETA or in the football matches between Athletic Club de Bilbao and Real Sociedad de San Sebastián, whose hobbies have been shouting reproaches with political overtones and on more than one occasion have even gone as far as physical confrontation.

About the Author

Fernando Aramburu was born in San Sebastián, Spain, in 1959. He grew up in a low-income family and graduated in 1982 with a BA in Hispanic Philosophy from the University of Zaragoza. He was part of the founding of Grupo CLOC de Arte y Desarte, focused mainly on surrealism and counterculture. From 1985 he moved to Hannover, Germany.

The Germanic country would become his place of residence, there he married, had his two children and served as a Spanish language teacher to descendants of emigrants in the Rhineland, a job he carried out until 2009, the year in which he decided to dedicate himself exclusively to literature. At that point, Aramburu had already been 14 years since the publication of his first novel, Fires with lemon (1996)

His first important recognition came from the hand of Slow years, his sixth published book, winner of the Tusquets Novel Prize in 2011. The launch of Homeland dates from 2016, his narration of more than 600 pages on the violence lived in his native land was a success among the editorial critics and the public, evidenced by his multiple awards obtained, among which are the Critics' Prize of 2017 and the Francisco Umbral Award for the Book of the Year. Not for nothing has the book become one of the most read in Spain, Mexico, Argentina and Colombia.

Another of Fernando Aramburu's important publications is The trumpeter of Utopia (2003) Taken to the cinema with the name of Under the stars (2007). This feature film would be the winner of two prestigious Goya awards. The Basque writer has also stood out in his career as a translator, poet and storyteller of children's stories; In recent years he has ventured into the aphorism genre through various publications (mainly in the newspaper El País).

Universality of the Patria argument

While the argument of Homeland is specifically focused on the Basque region, the description of the processes that lead to political radicalism is a motive that transcends borders, with common characteristics in the different places where it happens. Despite the fact that each country has its own peculiarities, territorial disputes and the split of a State almost always lead to confrontations and deaths, are they inevitable?

Issues such as the vindication of human rights, terrorism, cultural identity and the divisions of the family and society as a consequence of ideological fundamentalism are reflected in the recent history of many nations. The protagonists' stories about the deterioration of interpersonal connections are particularly moving in his closest human circle.

For this reason, Homeland It is a highly recommended reading to understand the mechanisms of International Relations in the world today. Additionally, Fernando Aramburu manages to keep the reader hooked from beginning to end in this novel due to its narrative style and the inclusion of real events.

Story development

Political conflict between Eta and the Basque Country

Aramburu has created a work that talks about one of the worst (if not the worst) events that have occurred in the recent history of Spain. It shows the political conflict between ETA and the Basque Country in all its rawness. One of its greatest qualities is the exposition of different points of view, providing this story with a relevant point of objectivity by giving space to all the voices involved.

Fairness of the narrative

So the first impression the reader gets is a sense of fairness. This is quite difficult to achieve when you consider how painful it can be for the families of the victims. In consecuense, are fully compatible within the same narrative the terms of "terrorist" together with that of gudari (soldier). Both concepts refer to an ETA man sentenced to prison.

The novel focuses on life in the Basque Country after ETA renounces the armed struggle. The pain of the families, both those killed and those in prison, must be overcome in order to heal the wounds in order to build a society where everyone can tolerate each other to live together in peace. More than 600 pages on such a sensitive subject could be tedious.

An immersive narrative

However, the construction of the characters carried out by Fernando Aramburu quickly envelops the reader. The author creates a narrative fluidity that is perfectly contrasted with the tense and thick atmosphere where the events take place. The unknowns that surround some of the protagonists are not resolved until the last pages of the novel. The foregoing was key on the part of the writer to maintain the interest of the reader.

In addition, the author describes in a masterful way the Basque people. Aramburu highlighted the noble character, direct, honest of the settlers and how the political dispute isolated the people. The writer also presented fear as a determining factor for the disintegration of society, beyond the conviction of some characters.

The "no sense of evil" as the center of the plot

Patria is a novel that inevitably leads to deep reflection by Spaniards on the separatist processes in Euskadi and, more recently, in Catalonia. Although he does not make direct reference to whether or not there was torture by the Spanish government, Aramburu made it clear that the legal sphere must be respected at all times.

Finally, It can be said that the most forceful message that the author leaves with his work is to point out the senselessness of evil. No matter where it comes from, there is no reason. They are not facts that accept half measures or intermediate positions, evil cannot be justified under any circumstances, however extreme. Point.