The desert of the tartars
The desert of the tartars —The Tartar desert, by its original title in Italian, is an existentialist and symbolist historical novel written by Bellunesi journalist and author Dino Buzzati. The work was first published in 1940 by the RCS MediaGroup publishing house. Much later, in 1990, the text was edited by the Alianza publishing house, and received a translation into Spanish by Carlos Manzano and Esther Benítez.
This novel is considered as Dino Buzzati's masterpiece, and was added to the list of The 100 Books of the Century according to Le Monde. Likewise, The desert of the tartars It was adapted to film in 1976 by Italian director Valerio Zurlini. Over the years, after several revisions of the author's work, and reflecting on the quality of his narrative, it is this book that establishes him as a full-fledged writer.
Synopsis of The desert of the tartars
The expectations of glory that are summarized in routines
The plot begins when Giovanni Drogo, a recent graduate of the military academy, He is sent to the Bastiani fortress. This transfer opposes the wishes of the protagonist, an ambitious boy who wants to leave his mark on the world, fulfill his country and become a hero. He believes that he has many more opportunities in the city, but he has no choice but to obey orders.
Bastiani Fortress used to be a strategic place, where the soldiers, firm and brave, waited for the attacks and incursions of the enemies. However, there has been no sign of invasion or battle for many years. Even so, the regiment remains expectant in this fictional land known as The Desert of the Tartars., which is just a lonely building constantly waiting for a purpose greater than its current task.
The dangers of futility
Arriving, Drogo feels disappointed, and try to request a transfer. However, Major Matti advises him to wait four months until the next medical examination is submitted, after which he may be transferred for health reasons. However, the protagonist begins to grow fond of the spaces and rules of the Bastiani fortress. The building and the desert roads seem to have some effect on the military.
The walls and passages that open to the north impose an intoxicating spell that alludes to loneliness of soldiers with promises of battles, victory and glory. In the end, that hope prevents Drogo from giving up on Bastiani, and, Although he has the opportunity to be transferred to the city, he refuses on all occasions, because he has found an incentive that motivates him enough to stay in The Desert of the Tartars: the illusion of seeing the enemy appear on the front.
The final renunciation of a life in the city
When the time comes to take the medical examination that is supposed to indicate his inability to serve in the Bastiani fortress, Drogo begins to think about the possibilities, in the beauty of the desert landscape and the wonderful event to become a symbol of heroism. So he rejects the move and allows the building's repetitive habits to settle into his heart, always with an eye toward the future struggle.
This is a wish that the main character shares with all his companions. Some time later, the soldiers warn of danger. One day, Men see the ranks of troops, and all their hopes for battle bubble within them. But those who believed they were Tatars were only armies from the north, who were approaching to define a territorial line.
The passage of time
Four months pass, and quickly become four years. During this time, Drogo had several permits to visit what was his former home in the city. It is there where discovers that he no longer belongs to that lifestyle. His vision of the future has been consumed by the walls of Bastiani's fortress, and there is no turning back; he cannot turn back and become the man he once dreamed of being a great soldier.
waiting for the great battle consumes the lives of all the soldiers in the fortress. The site itself becomes a ghost zone of which many are unaware of the existence. The years pass little by little, between routines and small shocks similar to a fight in which, in the end, nothing happens. Thirty years later, Drogo is appointed major and deputy commander of the fortress, but a liver disease forces him to withdraw from his duties.
A silent path to death
The irony becomes visible after Drogo's illness: the northern kingdom heads with its troops to the Bastiani fortress, and men must go out to fight them. By that time the protagonist is in very poor health, and he is taken to a lonely inn to spend his last days. There, in that abandoned place, without company, Giovanni Drogo finds the true reason for his existence: to take death with tranquility and courage, like a good soldier.
About the author, Dino Buzzati Traverso
Dino Buzzati
Dino Buzzati Traverso was born on October 16, 1906, in Belluno, Veneto, former Kingdom of Italy. During his childhood and youth he perfected those hobbies that were to become his great passions: writing, drawing, the piano, and the violin. He was also a regular visitor to a mountain to which, years later, he dedicated a novel. Under the influence of his father he studied law, but before graduating he began to work in the Corriere della Sera.
This newspaper was his second home for the rest of his life. It was there where he became a journalist. Subsequently, He worked as a correspondent and war reporter during 1940. That experience inspired him to write what, to this day, is considered his crowning work, which made him the recipient of several awards, in addition to international recognition: The desert of the tartars.
Other books by Dino Buzzati
- Bàrnabo delle montagne — mountain barnacle (1933);
- The secret of the Old Forest (1935);
- I sette messaggeri — The seven messengers and other stories (1942)
- The famous bear invasion of Sicily (1945);
- Sixty stories — sixty stories (1958);
- The great portrait (1960);
- One Love (1963);
- Poem in vignettes (1969)