AUTHOR: Belén Gopegui
PUBLISHER: Literatura Random House
GENRE: Narrative Novel, Fiction
READER’S NAME: Annette Vázquez
DATE: June 2, 2022
Existiríamos el mar by Belén Gopegui is her latest novel finalized in 2021 and published in paperback in 2022. According to World Literature Today, Gopegui was born in 1963 in Madrid, Spain, and studied law. New Spanish Books states that she has other published works for adults and adolescents.
Setting, Characters, and Plot
The setting of Existiríamos el mar is similar to the sitcom Friends, except in this scenario, it’s a group of 40-year-old roommates living together in an apartment in Madrid, Spain. Contrary to other short book reviews, the true essence is more than loyalty and living together as roommates. What makes the depiction of the group unique is that they confront a host of modern-day problems. Each of the characters, Ramiro, Hugo, Camila, Lena, and Jara, are experiencing their own set of demons as a product of the whole:
• Their living arrangement
• Their unique circumstances in work
• Relationships
• The reality of the pandemic
Gopegui craftily reveals their views: challenging work conditions, hopes, regrets, long work hours, low pay, job shortage, unemployment, etc. Everything we are experiencing now that are difficult to dismiss.
In regards to the plot, there are several. For example, the two themes that loom throughout the book are Jara’s unemployed status and mental health. Especially since the story begins with her abrupt disappearance, this fact insinuates she may have done something horrible out of desperation, e.g., commit suicide. Additionally, how everyone is concerned about Jara, her whereabouts, and how to proceed to find her. The story unravels as it should, but in the interim, Gopegui presents an interesting theory about how people identify themselves with their profession or place value on what they do. For instance, to feel worthy, productive, etc. Once a person loses a job, whether a lay-off, termination or resignation, they lose their sense of worth or self, as Gopegui foreshadows as probable in Jara’s situation. Here is an example:
“Que sí, que lo sabe, que el vínculo entre la vida y el mundo no debería ser el trabajo asalariado, como sabe que no lo es para los rentistas, otras gentes, y rechaza que alguien tenga el privilegio de poder darte o no trabajo como quien te da o no permiso para vivir.”
Translation:
“Of course, she knows that the connection between life and society shouldn’t be a wage-earning job. As she also knows that is not the case for landlords and other people. And she rejects that someone may have the privilege to hire you or not as if the person did or didn’t grant you permission to live.”
To a certain degree, one may surmise that Jara feels like a pariah, a failure, or some other label due to her incapacity to find a job and contribute her share of rent. However, anyone may think about these issues when suffering a job loss upon further analysis. In contrast, the solution is to manage the situation by acting to change the status and the outcome.
Quality
Overall, the novel is well written but occasionally goes on a tangent. Yet, the mystery revolving around Jara’s abrupt disappearance is what engages the audience and requires the reader to pay attention to the series of events that ensue. In addition, all the protagonists are appropriately introduced in the beginning so we can become acquainted with who they are. Nonetheless, the predictability factor is not evident immediately. Therefore, you are inclined to read further to draw your conclusions.
Marketability
Existiríamos el mar would undoubtedly do well in the United States. However, it is relatively new on the market, and I am unsure if many have read the original Spanish version. Also, the generic reviews are vague and do not give the novel the credit it deserves.
Worthy of Translation?
Indeed, the book should be translated into English because people can experience the novel for themselves even though it takes place in Spain. All the dilemmas portrayed in the book are real: inflation, unemployment, burnout, the inability to find a suitable job, etc. There are many topics that anyone can relate to with the characters because they may have confronted it recently or another time. So, if you are a native speaker and cannot wait for the English translation, purchase it from your favorite book retailer and read it!
