
Extraña forma de vida
Anagrama, 1997; PRH/DeBolsillo, 2013
Translations
(France, Bourgois, 2000 / Pocket, Titres, 2009); (Germany, Nagel & Kimche, 2002); (Portugal, Assirio & Alvim, 1995); (Russia, Inostranka, 2005)
Synopsis
(Strange Way of Life) Being a spy is the loneliest profession, but it is also the most exciting in the world. The person who takes on this job has to be prepared to – strange way of life – shake off those who are chasing him using the well-known zigzag method, jump from moving taxis in front of the underground entrance, work to find an unknown goal, carry the disappointment of failure in their job, know how to run but also how to be still, stay for hours watching a window. The person who becomes a spy has to be prepared to – strange way of life – pursue certain truths that are hidden among things and are difficult to reach.
In the same way as spies, writers also pursue hidden goals and have to reach beyond appearances. There is something of the voyeur in them, since almost all of them spy a little bit on life through the keyhole. So the way of life of Cyrano, the writer in this novel who has spent years spying on everyone, is also strange. He spies for example on his father, who talked to rats and to the voices of the subsoil; on his grandfather, who at the end of his days was also an unmitigated voyeur; on his unpleasant neighbours; but also on artists like Graham Greene and Salvador Dalí. Actually, he spied on anything that moved, which only goes to confirm how endogamic the relationship between espionage and literature has always been.
Extraña forma de vida is also the title of a ‘fado’ by Amalia Rodrigues – a song that brings back memories to the writer of this novel (who is a tenacious follower of other people’s lives; a kind of hobby detective, a total spy, a storyteller) of the most important day of his life, when he had to choose between eternal and passing love. He writes obsessively about that day, and our man now only lives to – strange way of life – endlessly remember that day, which was so decisive for him.
(Spain, Anagrama, 1997 / Pocket, Quinteto, 2008)
- Cabinet d’amateur, an oblique novel
- Esta bruma insensata
- Impón tu suerte
- Doctor Pasavento + Bastian Schneider
- Mac y su contratiempo
- Marienbad eléctrico
- Bartleby y compañía
- Dietario Voluble
- Suicidios ejemplares
- Historia abreviada de la literatura portátil
- Kassel no invita a la lógica
- París no se acaba nunca
- Niña
- Fuera de aquí
- El mal de Montano
- Aire de Dylan
- Hijos sin hijos
- Una vida absolutamente maravillosa. Ensayos selectos
- El viajero más lento. El arte de no terminar nada
- Chet Baker piensa en su arte. Relatos selectos
- En un lugar solitario. Narrativa 1973-1984
- Lejos de Veracruz
- Dublinesca
- Perder teorías
- Ella era Hemingway / No soy Auster
- El viento ligero en Parma
- Exploradores del abismo
- Desde la ciudad nerviosa
- El viaje vertical
- Para acabar con los números redondos
- Recuerdos inventados
- Una casa para siempre
- Impostura
- La asesina ilustrada
MB Authors
- Pepa AGUAR
- Pablo ARANDA
- Juan Luis ARSUAGA
- Manuel ASTUR
- Flavita BANANA
- Joan BARRIL
- Nuria BARRIOS
- María BASTARÓS
- Felipe BENÍTEZ REYES
- Joan-Daniel BEZSONOFF
- BLACKIE BOOKS
- Joana BONET
- Juan BONILLA
- Emilio BUESO
- Bibiana CANDIA
- Leonardo CANO
- Pablo CARBONELL
- Martín CASARIEGO
- Nicolás CASARIEGO
- Paula CIFUENTES
- Juan CUADRA
- Mario CUENCA SANDOVAL
- Malén DENÍS
- Elizabeth DUVAL
- Maria ESCALAS
- Cristina FALLARÁS
- Eneko FERNÁNDEZ
- Laura FERRERO
- Josep Maria FONALLERAS
- Albert FORNS CANAL
- Miguel GALLARDO
- Olivia GALLO
- Xenia GARCÍA
- Ignacio GARCÍA-VALIÑO
- José A. GARRIGA VELA
- David B. GIL
- Santi GIMÉNEZ
- Marcos GIRALT TORRENTE
- Enric GONZÁLEZ
- Ismael GRASA
- Javier GUTIÉRREZ
- Luci GUTIÉRREZ
- Najat El HACHMI
- Alicia KOPF
- Use LAHOZ
- Lucía LIJTMAER
- Shaina Joy MACHLUS
- Adrià MARQUÈS
- Ignacio MARTÍNEZ DE PISóN
- Ramon MAS
- Ana MERINO
- Luna MIGUEL
- Amarna MILLER
- Miquel OBIOLS
- Bruno ORO
- Miqui OTERO
- Anna PACHECO
- Vicenç PAGÈS JORDÀ
- Enric PARDO
- Concepción PEREA
- Juan Manuel DE PRADA
- Jordi PUNTÍ
- Llucia RAMIS
- Antonio J. RODRÍGUEZ
- Félix ROMEO
- Carmen ROMERO
- Xavier RUBERT DE VENTÓS
- Gemma RUIZ
- Juanjo SÁEZ
- Gabriel SALVADÓ
- Màrius SERRA
- Rubén SERRANO
- Ramon SOLSONA
- José Miguel TOMASENA
- David TRUEBA
- Juan VICO
- Enrique VILA-MATAS
- Rosario VILLAJOS
- Rolando VILLAZÓN
- Pedro ZARRALUKI