GOODBYE

BESLAMA

Book Summary

A coming-of-age and travel novel that follows Sebastián, a Spanish photographer self-exiled in London, on his seventh ritual descent into Morocco. On the verge of turning forty, the protagonist follows an itinerary from Ceuta to Marrakech, blurring the present with memories of previous trips. In this journey through a timeless and fascinating Morocco, the reader enters a magical reality where the real and the fantastic blend, while Sebastián senses that an event awaits him that will give meaning to his travel cycle and his life.

What is it about?

Sebastián, a Spanish photographer living in London since he was nineteen, has repeated a trip to Morocco every three years, a ritual of purification and passage that he does not yet fully understand. Upon turning forty, he embarks on his seventh descent, a journey that follows the Ceuta-Chefchaouen-Meknes-Fes-Rabat route, culminating in Marrakech. Throughout the journey, the present merges with memories of his previous visits to the same places, generating a visionary and magical reality. The work is set in a deep and timeless Morocco, a world as close as it is unknown, populated by real and fantastic characters. The physical journey becomes an inner exploration, and Sebastián senses that an unexpected event awaits him in Marrakech that will give meaning to his entire travel cycle and, in particular, to his life.

Key Themes

• Travel as a ritual of purification and self-discovery.
• The fusion of reality and fantasy in a magical and visionary context.
• Memory and recollection as elements that distort and enrich the present experience.
• The search for existential meaning through the cyclical repetition of an itinerary.
• The encounter with a timeless, deep, and fascinating Morocco, far from tourist clichés.

Who is it recommended for?

For readers interested in travel novels with a strong introspective and symbolic component, as well as those who enjoy literature that explores the boundary between the real and the fantastic. It is also suitable for those looking for a literary approach to Morocco from a magical and visionary perspective, and for fans of stories that, like those of European romantics, narrate journeys to a near and unknown Orient.

What this book offers

• An immersion into a magical and timeless Morocco, far from the conventional vision.
• A deep reflection on the meaning of travel as a process of purification and self-knowledge.
• A narrative that combines realism with the fantastic, creating a unique and immersive atmosphere.
• The experience of accompanying a protagonist in his existential quest through a ritual itinerary.
• A work that recovers the tradition of the 19th-century travelogue, with a contemporary and personal approach.

Technical Data

• Author: García, Pedro
• Publisher: Huerga y Fierro Editores
• Language: Spanish
• Subject: Poetry by individual poets, Modern and contemporary fiction
• Collection: Essay
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition Date: March 2021
• Number of pages: 342
• Weight: 534 g

Editorial Review

Beslama presents itself as a singular novel that combines the travel genre with psychological introspection and magical realism. The work stands out for its ability to create an immersive atmosphere, where deep Morocco becomes another character. The reader will find a literary proposal that, far from being a simple account of movements, invites reflection on the meaning of personal rituals and the search for identity. It is a recommended read for those who value a dense, symbolic, and highly evocative narrative that recovers a literary tradition rare in contemporary Spanish literature.