Description
LA QUEROSENCA
Book summary
In La Querosenca, Marc Capdevila narrates the downward spiral of Barnils, a real estate developer from Barcelona who, dragged down by the economic crisis, loses everything: his business, his family, and his friends. Forced to seek refuge in the Guilleries, a rural setting completely alien to him, the protagonist confronts his own mistakes while discovering an unknown world. There, the unique locals open the doors of their community to him through a workers' cooperative, the Querosenca, which hides a dark secret from the past. A novel about displacement, memory, and the possibility of redemption.
What is it about?
The novel follows Barnils, a businessman who embodied success during the real estate bubble. When the crisis sweeps away his company, his life falls apart: his family disintegrates, his friends turn their backs on him, and his partner, Artís, commits suicide. Harassed by creditors and chance, Barnils is forced to take refuge in the Guilleries, a natural and rural area that proves to be as hostile as it is unfamiliar.
From this new and strange setting, the protagonist reflects on the follies he committed in the past. At the same time, he comes into contact with the peculiar locals, who open the doors of their world to him through the Querosenca, a workers' cooperative. Behind this apparently simple community hide dark events that will shape the course of the story.
Main themes
- The economic crisis and its personal and social consequences.
- The collapse of the real estate dream and the speculative bubble in Barcelona.
- Displacement and the clash between urban life and the rural world.
- Memory, regret, and the search for redemption.
- Cooperativism as an alternative model of organization and community.
- Secrets of the past and their influence on the present.
Who is it recommended for?
This novel is recommended for readers interested in contemporary fiction that addresses the impact of the economic crisis on people's lives. It is also suitable for those who enjoy stories of redemption with a strong component of introspection, set in rural environments within Catalonia. It will especially appeal to those who value plots with a social background and complex characters in the process of transformation.
What this book offers
- A critical and lucid look at the excesses of real estate speculation and its human consequences.
- A vivid and authentic portrait of the rural world and community cooperation dynamics.
- A deep reflection on memory, error, and the possibility of starting over.
- A plot that combines personal drama with a mystery from the past that maintains interest.
Technical data
- Author: Marc Capdevila
- Publisher: Eumo Editorial SAU
- Language: Catalan
- Subject: Modern and contemporary fiction
- Collection: Notes de color
- Binding: Paperback
- Publication date: November 2011
- Number of pages: 184
- Weight: 403 g
Editorial review
La Querosenca is a novel that accurately captures the climate of disillusionment and crisis of the first decade of the 21st century. Marc Capdevila constructs a narrative that goes beyond social criticism, delving into the psychology of a disgraced character who must rebuild from scratch. The contrast between the lost urban hustle and the apparent calm of the Guilleries, as well as the mystery surrounding the cooperative, give the work a narrative tension that engages the reader. A recommended read for those looking for fiction engaged with its time, with a human backdrop and a very well-achieved setting.