From article online:
A grandes rasgos, la novela de Cercas explora los complejos hilos que controlan los actos humanos, no como la armonía impuesta por una organización colectiva, sino por la voluntad y las motivaciones, muchas veces contradictorias, de los individuos
Rafael Sánchez Mazas, un hombre cultivado, aristocrático, poeta esteticista, intelectual, ha provocado, posiblemente, junto a sus compañeros fundadores de Falange, la guerra fraticida más “triste” de todas.
(Basically, how could a group of learned people essentially "create" Spanish Fascism?
-el surgimiento de la Guerra Civil se debió en gran medida a una revuelta de corte antisocialista: una alianza de Falange (movimiento minoritario animado por fuerzas monárquicas y de vieja estirpe aristocrática), con militares y agrupaciones políticas más conservadoras.
Rafael Sánchez Mazas= antihéroe, symbolizes los intelectuales y artistas que fascinados por el poder y guiados por una ambición política (extensión equivocada de la imaginación, realización que escapa a la literatura) contribuyeron en algún momento a crear o a justificar la barbarie
Another article:
Javier Cercas decidió que el libro que iba a escribir no sería una novela sino un relato real "cosido a la realidad, amasado con hechos y personajes reales que estaría centrado en el fallido fusilamiento de Sánchez Masas y en las circunstancias que le precedieron y le siguieron".
relata paso a paso el calvario de Sánchez Mazas que se libró de la muerte, gracias a un miliciano que le miró fijamente, cuando apenas escondido en la maleza se negó a darle el tiro de gracia.
Masas as first, most influential Spanish Fascist.
The Book
Part I
Father died, wife left, dropped out of school-heard about R.S.M.'s fusilamiento. Starts to write for newspaper, interviewed Rafael Sánchez Ferlosio (mixture of "aristócrata castellano avergonzado de serlo" and "viejo guerrero oriental") He was cordial, but didn't want to answer interview ?s. Finally, talks about father's fusilamiento at the end of the war, '37, fled MAD, ended up in BCN. It was a mass execution, so republicans probs didn't know they were shooting on of the founders of the Falange. He was shot, but not killed and escaped into the forest. A guy found him, had a chance to kill him, but didn't. Around that time (of the interview), the trendy thing to do was to try to vindicate falangist writers. But, was vindicating a falangist the same as vindicating the falange? No.
Anyhoo, he recalls that Machado and RSM died around the same time- simetría y contraste entre essos hechos terribles. Mentions news article he wrote about their experiences. One guys writes a card to the paper telling of another man who survived the fusilamiento, Aguilar. The card writer works for the ajuntament of the town Banyoles because of an enchufe he has. Says he's independentista. (Nacionalismo es una idealogía/independentismo es sólo una posibilidad." Aguirre says Republicanos probs DID know who they were shooting, mentions fusilamiento could've been ordered from Servicio de Inteligencia Militar. Mentions a specific masía where his father may have gone after shooting. Aguirre wants to know if he's planning to write a novel with this info. "No. I don't write novels. And besides, this isn't a novel; it's a real story." Finds out another guy has written almost the same story, except in one version the militiaman shrugs his shoulders before leaving, in the other, he looks him in the eye. Yet, this story goes against the traditional doctrine of war, e.g. never save the life of an enemy.
Mentions his (mexican? or maybe it's just that he's about to go on vacay to Cancún.) girlfriend (who dresses like a hooker), Conchi. During that Cancún vacay, decides to write the book. Sánchez Mazas, que estuvo siempre al lado de José Antonio y desde ese lugar supo urdir una violenta poesía patriótica que inflamó la imaginación de centanares de miles de jóvenes y acabó mandándolos al matadero, es más responsable de la victoria de las armas franquistas que todas las ineptas maniobras militares. Discusses meeting with Figueras, whose father+father's brother+father's friend became republican deserters and hid in the forest when they knew they were losing the war. They found this half-blind man in the forest, RSM, who said he was the oldest Falangist in Spain. Fig.'s father ended up in jail and family asked him to ask RSM (now a ministro) for help to get out (o sea, que la gente sabía algo de su relación...) Fig. hands over what he thinks to be RSM's diary from the forest and offers to take him to place in forest where they were hiding. Tells him his tío is still alive and he could try to talk to him. Finds out a few things reading the diary- learns there was probably some kind of contract "un modo de formalizar la deuda que RSM tenía con quienes le habían salvado la vida." (One page torn out which seemed to be the page where he thanked them for helping out). Looks for Pere Figueras' name among a list of prisoners-doesn't find it (he's trying to verify all the facts of the story). He's thinking it might not be true, that people have just invented a mostly-unverifiable story to help mythify themselves. BUT then, librarian locates his name (poorly transcribed). Maybe it was all true. Tells Conchi about it, she thinks it's a great idea to write a book. Goes to visit Figueras. Someone tells him, "now I remember. RSM was going to write a book about the event called Soldados de Salamina." Angelat doesn't know if he actually wrote the book or now, but if he did, he wants to see it because he's sure it would talk about him. Cercas is excited-he has a real story for the paper.
Part Two: Soldados de Salamina.
27 abril 1939: Pere Figueras + 8 compis sent to prison in Girona, RSM named "consejero nacional de Falange Española + some other stuff).
RSM: esquinado (prickly), soberbio, despótico. No: mezquino ni vengativo. So his office was full of ppl looking for intercession for their jailed familiares. Asks for Joaquín Figueras, padre de Pere and Joaquin (jr.) Tells him he'll get his son out of jail. RSM's max moment of power was in that role. Father was a military doctor, grandfather was the king's medic. RSM was an excellent writer (like Zorilla, Unamuno, etc), also licenciado en derecho. Had done reporting in war of Morocco. Married Catholic italiana. Then, became a Fascist- "el instrumento idóneo para curar su nostaliga de un catolocismo imperial" y "para recomponer por la fuerza las seguras jerarquías del antiguo régimen" A way to make his poetry REAL, an impossible paradisiacal world. War, in a sense, is the time, par excellence for heroes and poets, so RSM wanted war to break out, wanted a Spanish Mussolini (channeling the panic of countless traditionalists who feared the disappearance of the monarchy). 1st attempt with Primo de Rivera. RSM responsible for rhetoric/propaganda/symbols of the Falange (used yoke and arrows, like los Reyes Católicos). In the early days, intellectuals from the left and right could still meet up at the same bars in Madrid to engage in (relatively) friendly name-calling. Falange grew, then cut off by police in 1936. RSM went to jail, allowed to leave 3 days to see new baby. Someone warns him not to come back to the jail, so he flees to Portugal-or, tries to. Militiamen ask him for ID, which he says he doesn't have because he's on a secret mission. While verifying his story, the chief dude tells him to take refuge in the Chilean Embassy, where he'll stay for 1.5 yrs. In Fall of '37, tries to flee. Gets plugged in with a group called Quinta Columna. Later, jailed on a boat called Uruguay. Manages to avoid the death penalty and two days before Franco's troops arrive in BCN, doesn't know if he'll be freed or executed. In another jail. Food is scarce, conditions are bad. They're told they're going to work in an aviation field in Banyoles, but RSM think it's a cover. Realizes he can escape because he's 5th in line. Can't escape from behind because that's where the bullets will come from, nor the left nor the front, but sí a la derecha, en los pinos. He runs into the woods just a little bit and hides. He stands up and dum dum dummm, a soldier is looking at him. Without compassion or hate or disdain, the soldier doesn't shoot. Then, he goes looking for a more permanent shelter, ends up at masía. María, 26, farmer's daughter, sees him first, offers him food. He finds it more important to not die of food/cold than delación (denunciation). He tells them he's a leader of the Falange. They show him where he can stay, offer to feed him. Republican soldiers (the Figueras brothers + 1 other) come up to him...he tells him, yet again, the truth. A little bit of background about the Figueras (basically, they're tired of war...might be desertors, too). Basically, RSM says, you all help me now and when the nationalists win, I'll make sure you all are alright. One night, Angelats saw Joaquim sleeping, but not Pere or RSM. They were outside smoking. Blah blah. A few days later, nationalists arrive. RSM, thus, is in the clear. he refers to them as his amigos del bosque. María would keep writing to RSM, who always responded, interceding for her friends. RSM never saw Pere, Angelats, Joa again ...but they saw him. Falangist dreams become "aguachirle gazmoños, previsible, y conservador". flagrant discrepancy between vision and reality. RSM becomes leader of RAE. Dismissed because he wouldn't go to Franco's meetings. Imagen de hombre íntegro y reacio a las vanidades del poder. Lo más probable es que sea falsa. Basically, even though things don't pan out he says, "ni me arrepiento, ni me olvido." Rafael Sanchez Ferlosio, his son, wrote El Jarama (WOAH). Also, he was a member of a bourgeois upper class that he wanted to protect. He is rich. y punto. Died in 1966. "la literatura y la plentitud son incompatibles. Hoy poca gente de acuerda de él y quizá lo merece.".
Part 3:
Cita en Stockholm
finished writing Soldados sooner than he expected. Thought the book would take a life of it's own bc "uno no escribe acerca de lo que quiere, sino de lo que puede", also thought RSM would be the nucleo of the book. I read the finished prouduct and it wasn't bad, it was just unfinished. Conchi gives a shallow response (in keeping with her hookeresque character)- "told you not to write about a facha!" Starts a job at the paper in which he interviews many ppl. Interviews Chilean writer who says Cercas isn't such a bad writer. This writer lived through Allende/Pinochet. First, he really hated Allende. Now, he thinks of him as a heroe, aka someone who thinks they're a hero and they're right or someone who understands that a hero is someone that doesn't kill or lets themself be killed. RSM never killed and sometimes he thought of himself as a hero. Bolaño says a decent person is not the same as a hero. There is something blind and irrational in a hero. Bolaño and Cercas meet for lunch the next day, keep talking (B invites him for lunch frequently). They have lots of deep convos about writers and writing and memory, etc. B. is diagnosed with fatal disease, tells Cercas this story about Miralles. Met this guy at a campsite (for "proletariats"). His body is covered in scars (it's 1978), got drunk frequently. Tells him in Fall '36, was in a Republican batallion (though before the war, he was a-political). He was ok with the anarchists at the beginning of the war, but the chaos they were creating wasn't helping the Republican side. So, in the summer of '37, the anarchists were "liquidated". In Feb. '39, M. crossed the border to France, where a concentration camp was awaiting them (WHAT?!?) So, he joined the French legion and went to Africa to fight against the Axis powers in WWII. Ends up joining Montgomery. Goes to Normandy, too. Strictly volunteer division- 7 años sin parar de luchar. Makes it through Austria/Germany. Steps on a mine...yet he didn't die! In the end, he becomes a French citizen with a pension for life. Got married/lived in Dijon. Had a daughter named María, who Bolaño met at the campsite. Miralles started to sleep with a prostitute named Luz, got so drunk/sad when she wasn't around. One night, B. hears soft music playing, gets up and sees Luz and M. dancing a sad paso doble. The summer ended, said their goodbyes and B never saw M again. Cercas wants to write down their story (as long as B. hadn't already, which he hadn't). Then, Cercas has the revalation he should ask Bolaño about RSM. Cercas wonders if Miralles could be the militiaman who saved RSM. Tries to call campsite to ask for his info; no dice. Makes more phone calls. Cercas now wants to talk to this guy even more than he wants to finish the book. Bolaño tells him it's better just to invent a Miralles. But, C is insistant and calls for info on 81 residencias. Finally reaches a man named Miralles. When he starts to question him, Miralles says, "no one ever thanked me for fighting for Spain. A war is a war." (basically, he's upset, maybe feeling accused). Miralles says "those historias aren't interesting" and gives Cercas a message for B to remember "stockton". B. explains the movie to C, "nosotros íbamos a acabar igual, fracasados y solos" like the characters in the movie. C. goes to Dijon. Miralles starts to talk to C. about guarding the [enemy] men, "peces gordos". He knew RSM was there. Says if they would've been able to kill RSM, would'v have "ahorrado la guerra". FINALLY Miralles says that RSM survived thanks to a soldier of Lister. war as full of historias novelescas**(sounds like that other book- reality/fiction) Mir: "there are no heroes in times of peace. real heroes are born in the war and die in the war". Talks about his friends who died and gets sad. Miralles wants C. to come back and visit. Tells him RSM knew the soldier that saved him, yet still says it wasn't him. ends with Cercas on the train, reflecting about writing his book.
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