UGuelbenzu uza kubhala inoveli yomcuphi ngesandla somntu ophambili kuye, uMariana de Marco, ukuba uyaqhubeka ukumbiza ukuba abhale. Uyavuma ukuba akanamdla okhethekileyo kuhlobo olungaphaya kolo lomgwebi ophanda i-Marco. Ngenjongo yokuqala yeenoveli ezilishumi zolu ngcelele, ipapashiwe isibhozo, ukusuka kweyokuqala, Musa ukuMhlukumeza uMbulali ngo-2001 ukuya kowokugqibela, Umbulali oQeqeshayo, ngo-2017. ezandleni zethu kwi2019.
UGuelbenzu sisampulu esebenzayo yobomi obunikezelwe kuncwadi. Kwiminyaka engama-73 ubudala, uJoseph María Guelbenzu uyaqhubeka nokuzinikela kumdla wakhe omkhulu njengoko wayenjalo xa wayeqala kwaye sele ebambe zonke iinkalo zoncwadi kwaye akukho namnye odlulayo: Kwilizwe lokupapasha, njenge umlawuli womhleli I-Taurus iminyaka elishumi elinanye kunye ne-Alfaguara iminyaka emithandathu. Ekugxekeni kuncwadi, ukusukela kwiminyaka yakhe yokuqala yobungcali kwaye eqhubeka nekholamu yakhe eBhabheliya, isongezelelo seNkcubeko yelizwe.
Titshala kwiYunivesithi nakwizifundo ezahlukeneyo kubabhali abatsha ukonwaba kwabo balindele iklasi yabo kunye nezilungiso zabo ngenzondelelo ukushiya kwabo okokugqibela, kuba uyakwazi ukuhambisa ulwazi lwakhe kwaye azibandakanye nalo msebenzi kude lee kunamazwi akhe.
Kwimisebenzi yakhe ephambili, leyo yombhali, uqinisekisile iindlela ezahlukeneyo. Iminyaka emininzi idlulile ukususela kwincwadi yakhe yokuqala, Imibongo, Iincwadana zeHispano-American. Ngethamsanqa kubathandi be Inoveli yomcuphi, engengomnyama, kuba umbhali ngokwakhe akayithandi into yokuba uthotho lwakhe kumantyi ohlolayo uMariana de Marco luhlelwe ngoluhlobo, akazange aqhubeke nomgaqo wesibongo kwaye watsiba waya inoveli. Akukho nto yohlobo olumnyama, kuba yenzelwe ukuba ilinde, iminyaka emininzi isazodlula ukuze uGuelbenzu afike kwilizwe lamayelenqe.
Phakathi kwesihobe kunye nenoveli yomcuphi, iinoveli ezigqwesileyo ezahlukileyo omnye komnye, enekhonkco lokudibanisa lokuba kukuzibonakalisa okunzulu kwemixholo ehambelana nomntu. Ngenoveli yakhe yokuqala u-El Mercurio, eyapapashwa ngo-1968, wafumana imbasa yokuqala, eyokugqibela kwi-Short Library Award, eya kuthi iqale uluhlu olude, apho sinokufumana khona kwiBhaso labaGxeki le-Castilian Narrative ukuya kwi-Torrente Ballester Ibhaso laMazwe ngaMazwe lika-Novela Plaza noJanés kwaye baqhubeka nokuvuna amabhaso kunyaka ophelileyo we-2017. Inye kuphela kubo, uTorrente Ballester, kwenye yeenoveli zothotho olumnyama: Ubhuti omncinci.
Kwinoveli yakhe yokuqala uGuelbenzu uchaza ukuba yintoni eyakuba ngumtya ophindayo kuwo wonke umsebenzi wakhe. Kuyo uhlalutya uluntu lwaseMadrid lwalo mzuzu usebenzisa njengesithuthi iqela lezilumko ezisencinci zomzuzu, Un peso en el Mundo, ukusukela kunyaka wama-99 apho athetha khona ngesidingo sokudlula, ukufumana ubunzima bakhe emhlabeni Umfazi kwisiqingatha sobomi bakhe othelekiswa nalowo utitshala wakhe mdala okwinqanaba eliphambili lobomi sele ebuyile kolo xinzelelo.
Ukusukela ngalo mzuzu ukuya phambili, uGuelbenzu uyajika, kuya konwaba abathandi bohlobo olo, kwinoveli yolwaphulo-mthetho, kunye nokupapashwa Musa ukumhlukumeza umbulali Ngo-2001, nangona engawushiyanga umgca wakhe wangaphambili, wawushiya kuphela, epapasha ezinye iinoveli ezintlanu ezithi zenze ixilongo likaMariana de Marco: Intloko yalowo uleleyo (2003) Olu donga lomkhenkce (2005) Uthando lokwenene (2010) Bamkele ubuxoki (2013) Abanamandla bafuna konke (2016) apho, kulandela umgca ovulekileyo kunye ne-Un peso en el mundo, Ijongana nenkohliso yoluntu olukhukhumeleyo njengaleyo yangoku ukuya ekuthini ngokomoya, kokungaphezulu esichitha ixesha lethu emhlabeni uthando lwabantu ababini kubomi bonke kunye kwaye, ekugqibeleni, intsingiselo yobukho bethu, uhlala usuka kwimbono yokophula umthetho, emnandi kunye neklasikhi, apho bavela khona kubalinganiswa abathengisa imiphefumlo yabo kumtyholi ukuba babaleke ekufeni baye Ubomi bomphefumlo womntu ofileyo oncediswa ngumhambi ngenqanawa ukuya kuBukumkani bokufa.
Ngelixa konke oku kwakusenzeka kwimigca yeGuelbenzu, uMariana de Marco wasombulula amanye amatyala asixhenxe ezandleni zombhali wawo, adibanisa ukuya kuthi ga kwisibhozo kwasekuqaleni. UGuelbenzu uyakwazi ukubhala unyaka omnye ukugxeka okunzulu kunye nokucingayo malunga nesizukulwana sakhe kunye nokusilela kweenjongo kunye nobunzulu boluntu abalakheleyo kwaye kunyaka olandelayo usihlangula kwityala elitsha nelinencasa esandleni sejaji yakhe ayithandayo. Yimalini yenoveli enzulu yentlalo kaGuelbenzu ekhoyo kuthotho lweMariana de Marco? Ubonisa ntoni umnqweno wejaji ephandayo yokufuna inyaniso ubonakalisa kunye nokutsala umngcipheko nasebantwini, ngakumbi amadoda, kwicala elingaphaya kokumnyama? Mhlawumbi imigca yakhe yokubhala ingaphantsi kunokuba ibonakala ekuqaleni kwaye ziziindlela ezahlukeneyo, eziphanda ngemicimbi echaphazela umbhali, kodwa benze njalo kumanqanaba ohlukeneyo obunzulu.