Description
THE TURNS OF THE WORLD
Book Summary
A novel that portrays with raw humanity the downfall of an advertising creative in post-Olympic Barcelona. Àlex Izquierdo, a survivor of the eighties bubble and the 2008 crisis, tries to rebuild his life while descending the professional ladder. At fifty years old and with one foot in the abyss, his love for a former high school classmate will push him to hit rock bottom in order to, from there, seek an unlikely redemption. A story about loss of status, dignity, and the price of starting over.
What is it about?
Àlex Izquierdo, a Barcelona advertising creative who lived through the golden age of agencies in the eighties, is barely surviving after the 2008 crisis. Having just turned fifty, he scrapes by on employment schemes, his only asset being a property in the center of Gràcia. His social circle has shrunk, save for Javi, his high school friend and professional disc jockey, who acts as a mirror to an uncertain fate.
The arrival of Mònica, also a former high school classmate, seems to offer him a chance for change. Àlex wishes to rebuild his life and form the family he rejected when he was successful. However, the job solutions for a fifty-year-old man are mere stopgaps. Out of love for Mònica, he descends the professional hierarchy as if traveling through Dante's inferno, experiencing all kinds of physical and moral pain until hitting rock bottom. It is then, when he can fall no lower, that he begins to lift his head, knowing that any help, even from a powerful prince, comes at a price: your money or your life. Or a laundry business.
Main themes
- The midlife crisis and loss of professional identity in a hostile work environment.
- The decline of the creative class in post-Olympic Barcelona, marked by political and economic power.
- Love as a driver for change and redemption in the face of adversity and precariousness.
- Dignity and resilience in the face of social and economic decline.
- The price of outside help and second chances in a context of survival.
Who is it recommended for?
For readers interested in contemporary novels of urban realism, with a critical look at the social and economic evolution of Barcelona. Especially recommended for those looking for stories about mature characters facing a midlife crisis, job instability, and the search for a new meaning in life. Also for those who enjoy plots where love and friendship act as a counterpoint to the harshness of reality.
What this book offers
- A lucid and uncompromising vision of job precariousness and the loss of status in midlife.
- A social portrait of post-Olympic Barcelona, far from tourist clichés.
- A profound reflection on dignity, resilience, and the price of second chances.
- A love story that does not idealize, but rather becomes a realistic catalyst for change.
- Direct and immersive prose that plunges the reader into the protagonist's descent and potential redemption.
Technical specifications
- Author: MARQUEZ, TULI
- Publisher: ED.ALREVES,S.L
- Language: cat
- Topic: BIOGRAPHY: GENERAL, MODERN AND CONTEMPORARY FICTION
- Collection: CATALAN
- Publication date: September 2023
- Number of pages: 240
- Weight: 448 g
Editorial Review
A novel that succeeds in combining a generational portrait with an intimate and social plot. Tuli Márquez builds a character, Àlex Izquierdo, whose professional and personal downfall is both credible and moving. The work is engaging for its ability to reflect the fragility of success and the harshness of an urban context that offers no second chances without a price. Its direct style and the protagonist's evolution make it a recommended read for those looking for contemporary fiction with a social and emotional background.