Description
L'ungla i la carn
Book Summary
Isabel Salvat Salvat weaves a mosaic of lives around a village crossed by a road leading to Mascabrers. Between two murders occurring in the same place, one in 1861 and another in the present day, many years and many other existences pass by. This collection of twenty-nine stories explores the encounters and losses of characters rooted in the same territory, where childhood is revealed as an open wound and a scratch on the heart. A work that invites reflection on memory, the passage of time, and the marks that places leave on people.
What is it about?
The setting of these stories is a village. A village crossed by a road leading to Mascabrers, where, in a reed bed, a boy has been found half-buried, missing a testicle and strangled. In 1861, in the same spot, a girl was violated and thrown into a well. Between one murder and the other, many years and many other lives have passed. The collection wanders through all these years and then suddenly stops. The twenty-nine stories in the book, in which these lives meet and are lost, are rooted within the same place, within childhood, an open wound, a scratch on the heart.
Main themes
- The memory of the territory and its impact on human lives.
- Childhood as an open wound and the origin of complex relationships.
- Violence and death as axes that cross generations.
- The encounters and losses that shape the characters' destinies.
- The passage of time and the repetition of patterns in the same space.
Who is it recommended for?
This book is recommended for readers interested in contemporary short fiction in Catalan, especially those who seek stories that explore the psychology of characters and the influence of the landscape on their lives. It is also ideal for those who enjoy stories that intertwine the past and present of a community, with an intimate tone and evocative prose.
What this book offers
- A deep and sensitive look at how places and traumatic events mark people over time.
- A collection of short stories that invite reflection on memory, loss, and identity.
- A literary experience that combines realism with an atmosphere charged with symbolism and emotion.
- The opportunity to discover a narrative voice that explores the scars of childhood and their consequences in adulthood.
Technical specifications
- Author: SALVAT SALVAT, ISABEL
- Publisher: Cossetània Edicions
- Language: cat
- Theme: SHORT STORIES
- Collection: LA GENT DEL LLAMP (VARIA)
- Binding: Paperback
- Number of pages: 120
- Weight: 263 g
Editorial review
L'ungla i la carn is a work that stands out for its ability to build a dense and cohesive narrative universe from short pieces. Isabel Salvat Salvat demonstrates a mastery of the short story as a genre, ensuring that each tale functions independently while also contributing to a larger whole. Her prose, evocative and loaded with nuances, invites the reader to enter a territory where landscape and memory merge to give shape to stories that speak of the human condition. A recommended read for those seeking an intense narrative rooted in the land.