Discovering a new Barcelona
A young Parisian young people disembarked in Barcelona with renewed illusions and the hope of leaving behind the scars of an exile that has marked him. Andreu Claret’s novel ‘The House of the Three Chimneys’, published this year by Columna Edicions, is a gateway to Barcelona in the 1960’s, narrated through the eyes of Ramon, an eighteen -year -old teenager who faces a reality very different from what he had imagined.
Between dreams and realities
As Ramon explores the city, it is immersed in an environment full of gray and repression. His idealized vision of Barcelona is quickly demoriously demorious in the face of the visible remains of the war and the misery that surrounds him. As a testament to the words of Mercè Rodoreda, the novel reflects the complex mixture between the misery and the well -being that characterized that time.
The fight against nostalgia
Ramon, a resilient character, refuses to fall into nostalgia and actively seeks to contribute to the fight against the Franco regime. Its determination becomes a motor that drives the narrative, bringing a ritorn of optimism to the story. His words resonate strongly: ‘I don’t want Francoism to define my life. My commitment is with freedom. ‘
Town-Dry: A Scenario of Contraditions
The Poble-sec district serves as a backdrop for the experiences of Ramon. The three chimneys, symbols of their new life, are erected as a testament to a past that intertwines with a present full of contradictions. The modernity that the city promises is drowned by the surveillance and repression that dominates the lives of its inhabitants.
Silenced voices and hidden stories
The characters that surround Ramon provide a unique narrative richness, each with their own struggles and hopes. Women, often relegated to the background, become key protagonists of the stories of resistance and solidarity, revealing an essential support network during the darkest years of the Franco regime.
A natural disaster and hidden truths
One of the most decisive moments in history is the flood of September 1962 in Vallès, an event that, like contemporary tragedies, uncovers the wounds of the regime. This catastrophe not only physically affected the city, but also exposed the corrupt government of the government and the injustices that have lasted over time.
Reflections on the past and present
With dynamic prose, Claret invites readers to reflect on the struggles of the past that resonate with those of today. His work is not only a chronicle of twentieth -century Barcelona, but also an invitation to explore the depths of collective memory and not to forget the voices that have fought for freedom.
A journey of personal and historical growth
Claret’s novel thus becomes a double sense trip, not only for Ramon, who adapts and grows in his new city, but also for the reader, which is transported to a recent past full of shared nuances and realities. Through the experiences narrated, a map of a Barcelona is drawn that, despite being distant in time, continues to live in collective memory.
