Description
A PASSES COMPTADES
Book summary
At the end of the 19th century, a devastating fire at the brandy distillery in Prat de Comte claimed two lives and shrouded the event in a silence of mysteries. Twenty years later, the door of the establishment is accidentally opened, releasing into the ruins and the copper belly of the great still all the village's secrets, the legend of the hundred-year-old man, a relic from the Fontcalda sanctuary, and Homer's own odyssey. This work is a quintessence of reality and adventure, life and death, emotions and mythology, narrated through twenty-four epic cantos that span a century "a passes comptades" (with measured steps).
What is it about?
The novel delves into a tragic historical event that occurred at the distillery in Prat de Comte, in the Terra Alta region. The fire and the two deaths it caused were silenced by the town, wrapped in a halo of mystery. Two decades later, the fortuitous discovery of the entrance to the distillery allows long-kept secrets to emerge. The plot intertwines local history with classical mythology, using the figure of Joan the postman and a mysterious relic from the Fontcalda sanctuary as a common thread. The work is structured into twenty-four epic cantos, a nod to Homer's Odyssey, to narrate a century of life and events in Terra Alta.
Main themes
- The mystery and secrets of a rural community.
- Historical memory and the weight of a silenced past.
- Classical mythology as a mirror of contemporary reality.
- Terra Alta as a geographical and symbolic setting.
- Life, death, and human emotions in an epic context.
Who is it recommended for?
This novel is recommended for readers interested in contemporary fiction with deep roots in local history and the rural landscape. It is especially attractive for those who enjoy plots that combine mystery, tragedy, and classical mythology, as well as for those who appreciate a narrative structured in the form of epic cantos. It is also an ideal read for learning about the Terra Alta region and its legends.
What this book offers
- An immersion into a historical mystery solved decades later, with an engaging plot.
- An original fusion between rural reality and Homeric epic, offering a reading rich in symbolism.
- An exploration of family and community secrets, and how the past conditions the present.
- A literary vision of Terra Alta, its landscapes, and its cultural heritage.
Technical specifications
- Author: GISBERT, VALER
- Publisher: Cossetània Edicions
- Language: cat
- Topic: MODERN AND CONTEMPORARY FICTION
- Collection: NOTES DE COLOR
- Binding: Paperback
- Publication date: September 2018
- Number of pages: 176
- Weight: 385 g
Editorial review
"A passes comptades" is a work that manages to connect the local history of Terra Alta with universal epic tradition, offering a read that goes beyond the simple telling of a mystery. The structure of twenty-four cantos, inspired by Homer, gives it a notable literary ambition. For readers looking for a novel with depth, geographical roots, and a plot that combines reality and myth, this work represents a solid and original proposal within contemporary fiction in Catalan.