Description
Dying is a color
Book Summary
A moving and deeply human novel that addresses the fragility of mental health from an everyday and relatable perspective. Through the story of Santi, a forty-seven-year-old man who works for Amazon in Huelva, the author immerses us in a narrative stripped of artifice, where friendship and tenderness become an anchor in the face of adversity. Following a psychiatric admission, Santi finds in Carmen an unexpected bond that transforms his view of sadness. A work that speaks of life when it goes awry with extraordinary sensitivity.
What is it about?
The novel follows the life of Santi, a lonely man who lives in a neighborhood in Huelva and works from home for Amazon. One day, plunged into a deep crisis, he collapses on the floor crying for an entire morning, which leads to his admission to the Vázquez Díaz psychiatric hospital. There, he meets Carmen, a woman with whom he establishes a friendship based on a mutual understanding of sadness. The story is woven with stark, street-level, non-rhetorical prose, dosing moments of pain and tenderness with infinite delicacy. Furthermore, the plot is enriched by Santi's peculiar family environment, which includes two brothers: one "normal" and another who is Chinese, the son of the owner of the shop across from his parents' house.
Main themes
- Mental health and psychiatric illness from a realistic and human perspective.
- Friendship as a refuge and healing bond in times of vulnerability.
- Loneliness and uprootedness in contemporary adult life.
- Family diversity and unconventional relationships.
- Tenderness and delicacy as tools for narrating suffering.
Who is it recommended for?
For readers looking for intimate and realistic stories about the human condition, far removed from grand dramas. Especially suitable for those who appreciate a direct, unadorned narrative that addresses complex subjects like mental health with sensitivity and honesty. Also for those who enjoy novels that explore friendship under extreme circumstances and the beauty of small, everyday gestures.
What this book offers
- An authentic and stigma-free view of mental disorders and psychiatric hospitalization.
- A story of profound and transformative friendship between two people who share the same pain.
- Clean and direct prose that manages to move the reader without falling into sentimentality or rhetoric.
- A truthful portrait of life in a Huelva neighborhood and atypical family relationships.
- A reading experience that is moving and leaves a lasting mark due to its infinite tenderness.
Technical Specifications
- Author: MARIN, MARIO
- Publisher: EDICIONES DEL VIENTO, S.L.
- Language: Spanish
- Subject: MODERN AND CONTEMPORARY FICTION
- Collection: VIENTO ABIERTO
- Binding: Paperback
- Publication date: November 2021
- Number of pages: 244
- Weight: 382 g
Editorial Review
A novel that stands out for its ability to address a subject as delicate as mental illness from an everyday and deeply human perspective. Mario Marín's writing, devoid of artifice and loaded with sensitivity, succeeds in making the reader identify with the characters and their circumstances. "Dying is a color" is a work that, without histrionics, offers a lucid and moving look at friendship, loneliness, and resilience, making it a highly recommended read for those seeking authentic and emotional stories.