Bruno Blog

How many times have you wondered what is waiting after life? It is a subject that no one likes to confront, that one tries to push away from the mind because it distresses us. However, it sometimes happens to me that I stop, even if it is only for five minutes, and I think about the reason of many things. Maybe I should enjoy everything better because I don’t know when it will be the end of this journey; maybe I should prioritize the important things, not the urgent ones, because not everything urgent is important, even if it seems so. But to be able to carry out all of this, you must really believe it, and that is difficult. Knowing how to live life in a relaxed way and always doing what you like is not easy, but it is not impossible either, and one must know how to think about life to arrive where you want to get, no matter what others think, or what we have been told.

Maybe this is the reason why animals have it much easier, or that is what I would like to believe, than us. They accompany us, they know when we are sad, they encourage us, but they live today, without thinking beyond. Alejandro Palomas, following his last novel UN PERRO, which already holds three editions and follows the good path of his two previous novels, UNA MADRE and UN HIJO (recently awarded with the premio Nacional de Literatura Infantil y Juvenil) has given us a small gift by publishing with Ediciones Destino LAS DOS ORILLAS. A book that is a gift, illustrated by Fernando Vicente, where he asks himself where our dogs go when fate separates us from them and how far are they able to get to return us what we lost with their absence. In LAS DOS ORILLAS, past and present come together and, at Amalia’s house, they celebrate Fer’s birthday. Between one dish and another, the family reunion will bring pieces of intimacy, shared stories and nostalgia, but perhaps Fer will have an unexpected gift from Rulfo, his dog and faithful friend, who from his fleeting trip to the world of the two shores, conspires to return the joy to Fer and celebrate the miracle with which life, when we listen to it, may surprise us.

A short but deep book to offer to animal lovers and to all those who want to listen more to our life to surprise us, and be able to enjoy every minute without thinking of anything else and cross to the other shore happy, which is important, and with a smile.

It’s already been two years since I first started writing this blog and it’s only natural to sometimes repeat those things I strongly believe in, so you must have already read that he who has a friend has a treasure, because I really believe so, although it’s complicated to find out who really is a friend and who’s not.  We feel betrayed and frustrated because people we think are essential in our life end up walking by it just for a moment or end up being something other than what we thought. The worst part is not knowing why or not being able to find out. But it’s good to face relationships just as they come in your life and to know that, other than people, you can also count on animals. Many of us have pets, mainly cats and dogs, which we love like members of our family. I like dogs way more than cats. For example, and even though I’ve never had one, I love their loyalty, and I see my friends with their dogs, that special bond they have, and they often tell me themselves, that their dog is better than some people, and it keeps them better company. And that’s how Alejandro Palomas portrays it in his last novel, UN PERRO, already in bookstores around Spain, to steal our heart once again.

After UNA MADRE, a novel that’s already on its 9th edition and hasn’t stopped receiving compliments, and after UN HIJO, which won the Joaquim Ruyra prize in 2014 and sweats magic, we have UN PERRO that shows that fascinating relationship that’s only possible between a man and his dog, that only some may understand and others may respect, but the existence of this relationship is real, and Alejandro, as well as Cesc Gay in TRUMAN, are witnesses.

Like all of the novels by Palomas, this one won’t leave you indifferent, not those who like dogs nor those who don’t, because it’s a novel that talks about life and how complicated it is to keep relationships and to speak with the heart. Palomas excels one more time and uncovers himself, flustering us with the relationships in his family. With R and our Amalia, and I say “our” because I’m sure that many readers already feel like they know her and even love her, without forgetting the unforgettable look in Fer and his two sisters’ faces.

It’s another unique moment in life, as if there was nothing else happening, where the characters, blow up once again, for better or worse. Alejandro knows how to hit where it hurts, and how to bring us to a great smile just with the description of a precise moment, that will once again trigger revelations and the truths. Precisely how it happens in the best families and in the best relationships. Saying things, the truth, in the best way possible without hurting, or without offending is so difficult it’s an art, but anything can be conquered with LOVE, even our greatest fears. With this novel that hits us straight in the heart we are able to suffer, we laugh and in the end we acknowledge how hard it is to write about feelings, and how easy Alejandro makes it seem, leaving us with a novel that I’m sure will leave its paw print.