when it was fun
when it was fun is the latest novel by the successful Spanish author Eloy Moreno, known internationally for titles such as invisible (2018). His most recent work was published by Ediciones B on December 15, 2022, reaching more than 50.000 copies sold in the first four weeks. It is not only Moreno's best-selling novel, but also the one with one of the deepest themes in which he has ventured.
Eloy Moreno himself has commented that when it was fun It is not intended to be a book for all readers or for all ages. The writer returns to his beginnings, and focuses on a narrative that invites the reflection of those people who are going through a situation similar to that of his characters, a delicate moment of life as a couple where it is necessary to sit down and make decisions keys that will define the future.
Synopsis of when it was fun
A story that is not for everyone, but that everyone can enjoy
when it was fun creates a space for those uncomfortable questions that people who are in a relationship do not usually ask themselves out of fear. Questions such as: am I really happy in this relationship? Do I really want to be in it? Would it be better for me to get out of the routine and be somewhere else?... None of these questions is easy to answer, especially when there are something beyond the love involved, such as the house, children or work.
It could be said that when it was fun It is aimed at a very specific audience: people with monotonous relationships. They are the ones who may be able to fully identify with the characters and their relationships—the book is designed that way on purpose. However, many readers have been able to enjoy it despite not being able to find themselves in its pages, as those who read Moreno are used to.
What is When It Was Fun about?
Eloy Moreno usually asks the readers of this story to enter it without knowing many details about its context.. This, because the author feels that the experience of reading it can be much more enriching that way. However, there are some elements that can be revealed without harming the author's requests. Among them, the situation of his main characters and how they affect their lives at various points.
Alejandra and Alejandro are a couple with a son. For years, they have lived in a monotonous way: their activities consist of getting up, eating, going to work, coming back, chatting about trivia and some others. It is evident that they are supported only by habit, their house, their son and the years they have shared together. It is not that they do not love each other, but that their desire for each other went to populate distant and unknown lands a long time ago.
ale and ale
when it was fun It is not a self-help book. It is a narrative that tells the daily life of two people who have lost the desire to be together.even if they don't realize it yet. A very curious contribution of this title by Moreno is that both protagonists are called by the same name and diminutive: Alejandro and Alejandra —Ale y Ale—. Like most things in this book, this is not a random occurrence. Seeks to reflect a break in the couple, not in individuals.
In the end, it does not matter which of the two thinks or feels this or that thing, or who does what, because both, although different, feel the same way, and no one can continue to build a house on barren ground.
The lesson is hard to learn, it can even be sad, but the heartbreak is just the tip of the iceberg. What is really worth it is the trunk full of memories, the learning shared until then. That is what should remain at the end of the reading, as well as how both characters evolve into better versions of themselves.
The act of valuing what we have
According to Eloy Moreno, after reading this book it is possible to have two reactions: one of them is the simple enjoyment of the work without reaching the projection of the reader in the characters posed by the author. The other is introspection and reflection on life as a couple, on dreams, desires and visions of the future.
when it was fun presents an interesting dichotomy. On the one hand, many will be able to find in it the very ghosts that torment them and that they have not wanted to see until now. On the other hand, they are even more likely to find it much easier to appreciate what they have. All the readings have been different, but no less valid for that.
About the author, Eloy Moreno
Eloy Moreno
Eloy Moreno Olaria was born in 1976, in the city of Castellón de la Plana, Spain. The writer graduated in Basic General Education from the Virgen del Lidón Public School. In addition, studied Technical Engineering in Computer Management at the Francisco Ribalta Institute in Castellón de la Plana. After obtaining his university degrees, he went on to work in computer science areas until he was appointed to the position of head of the computer department in the Castellón de la Plana City Council.
Eloy Moreno's first formal work as an author was The green gel pen. The work —edited and published on behalf of the writer himself— managed to sell around 3.000 copies, which caught the attention of the Espasa publishing house, who made a reissue that was later launched on January 30, 2023. Later, the book arrived at 200.000 copies sold. Currently, its rights were acquired by Penguin Random House editions.
Other books by Eloy Moreno
- What i found under the sofa (2013);
- Stories to understand the world (2013);
- The gift (2015);
- Stories to understand the world II (2016);
- Stories to understand the world III (2018);
- Earth (2019);
- Together – collection Stories to count between two (2021);
- Different (2021);
- I want it all – collection Stories to count between two (2021)