Jantipa o del morir

«Ernesto Castro is really impressive in his debut novel» Juan Manuel de Prada, XL Semanal

«Castro has shaken up the still waters of Spanish thought» Núria Azancot, El Cultural

The narrative debut of the most brilliant thinker of his generation.

A philosophical novel about life, death, and hope on the longest night in Auschwitz.

Can philosophy exist at the doors to the gas chamber? Can people with diametrically opposed beliefs engage in friendly dialogue about the meaning of life and hope beyond death?

This first novel by Ernesto Castro is a breath of fresh air in a world of pamphleteering. Five women meet on what might be their last night: hidden in a barracks in Auschwitz, they confront their beliefs about why it’s worth living and why it’s worth killing. It might seem like another debate about theory, but in the concentration camp, life and death aren’t just concepts.

Jantipa, or On Dying is a novel in dialogue, a recuperation of dialogue as a path for philosophy, and a novel of ideas about the human condition. It is also the first book of the Platonic Trilogy, the narrative debut of the most brilliant thinker of his generation.