The Etruscan smile
The Etruscan smile is a novel written by the economist, humanist and late Barcelona author José Luis Sampedro. The work was published for the first time in 1985 by the Alfaguara publishing house. Over time, the book achieved such success among critics and readers that, in 2001, The world He included it in his list of the 100 best novels in Spanish of the 2011th century. Much later, in XNUMX, a play based on Sampedro's narrative was carried out.
Subsequently, directors Oded Binnun and Mihail Brezis obtained the rights to film a film based on The Etruscan smile, which was released in 2018. Unlike the original material by José Luis Sampedro, the plot of this production is set in the United States, and stars Rosanna Arquette, Brian Cox, JJ Feild and Thora Birch.
Synopsis of The Etruscan smile
From Calabria to Milan
Salvatore Roncone has lived in Calabria his entire existence. The rugged and wild landscape of this land in southern Italy not only represents his life, but also himself.
His stubborn character is almost the same as the region he loves so much, the one that has seen entire empires rise and fall, harvesting powerful warriors and gentle women, where change comes in very tiny proportions. Although she wanted to continue inhabiting this territory, Roncone is forced to leave due to terminal cancer.
Although he takes his illness with fortitude and makes peace with his upcoming death, His real tragedy consists of having to move to Milan with his son Renato., her daughter-in-law and his little grandson, Bruno. The big city, full of skyscrapers, opulence and people coming and going, alters his already moody personality.
However, his meeting with Bruno, a child barely thirteen months old, renews it, increasing his desire to enjoy his last days.
A connection like no other
Salvatore is delighted with Bruno once he knows his name, since this is the same one that he used to use in the underground of the Italian Resistance during the armed struggles against fascism, which took place in the WWII.
That is how A relationship of unconditional affection is born. Salvatore pours all the tenderness that remains in his soul onto his little one, in addition to teaching him about life and his desire to live it.
As cancer takes over more and more parts of your body, Salvatore Roncone hilariously kicks against the canons imposed in modernity of Milan: the freedom of women, the fragility of some men, the “weak” ways of raising children…
The old man He is torn between the sexist ideologies of his time and everything that, little by little, learn from your new environment. All of these experiences increase your stamina, although not your longevity.
Grandpa's stories
However, this epiphany does not come quickly. In fact, Salvatore must go through many lessons before learning that the ideology of his time has changed.. Before that, the protagonist feels responsible for educating his little grandson based on his beliefs, because he thinks that only that will make Bruno a good man. Consequently, Grandpa escapes to the boy's room every night. There he tells her stories about his experiences and gives her advice.
As Don Salvatore cares for Bruno, his perspective begins to waver. The old man questions whether his perception about raising his children is correct.
Later meet Hortensia, a woman with whom he establishes a friendship that, over time, it becomes love. This new link invites Salvatore to mentally recreate his past relationships and analyze how he approached them at the time. All this introspection results in a transformation at the end of the protagonist's existence.
A sure destiny towards death, but also towards love
It is in the bulging hustle and bustle of Milan, on the brink of death, where Salvatore proves that he is still useful, as well as qualified to perform any activity that comes his way.. It is touching to read his enlightened debates with his patient and sensitive daughter-in-law, and to understand that, at the same time, this old fighter's ideas have their roots in a different period, a season blinded by his own misfortunes.
At the same time that he misses the wildness of his hometown, with its flavors, smells, natural noises and small mountains, Salvatore begins to enjoy his welcome.
One of the main reasons for this change is related, How could it be otherwise, with a woman: Hydrangea. She is a lady who revitalizes him, excites his heart and provides him with all the calm and kindness she needs to enjoy her swan song as the happiest of youngsters.
About the author, José Luis Sampedro
Jose Luis Sampedro
José Luis Sampedro Sáez was born in 1917, in Barcelona, Spain. His love for reading began in Tangier, a city in northern Morocco. which, in the author's time, was part of the protectorate of Spain. When he was twelve years old he moved to Cihuela, Soria, where he lived with an aunt until she sent him to study at a Jesuit boarding school in Zaragoza. Later, he moved to Aranjuez, where he resided until he came of age.
From then on, the writer got a job as a customs official, thanks to which he was sent to Santander. In 1936 he was part of the Republican army in the Spanish Civil Wara, fighting for the anarchist faction. In addition to fighting, during that period he read news and books to the illiterate. After Santander was conquered, the author surrendered and fought alongside the national army.
Already in times of peace, José Luis Sampedro worked as an economist for several years, in institutions such as the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development. Likewise, he divided his time between this work and the creation of books on economic management and novels.
The author He received some recognitions throughout his literary career.. One of the most notable is his appointment as an honorary member of the Royal Spanish Academy in 1990.
Other books by José Luis Sampedro
Economics
- Practical principles of industrial location (1957);
- Economic reality and structural analysis (1959);
- The economic forces of our time (1967);
- Awareness of underdevelopment (1973);
- Inflation: a full version (1976);
- The market and us (1986);
- The market and globalization (2002);
- The Mongols in Baghdad (2003);
- About politics, market and coexistence (2006);
- Humanistic economy. More than just numbers (2009)
Novela
- The statue of Adolfo Espejo (1939/1994);
- The shadow of the days (1947/1994);
- Congress in Stockholm (1952);
- The river that takes us (1961);
- the naked horse (1970);
- October, october (1981);
- The old mermaid (1990);
- Royal Site (1993);
- The lesbian lover (2000);
- The path of the dragon (2006);
- Quartet for a soloist (2011)
Story
- Sea in the background (1992);
- As the earth turns (1993)
Theater
- The cardboard dove (1948/2007);
- A place to live (1955/2007);
- The knot (1982)
Poetry
- Blank days (2020)