Strange Language
WORDS: Sam Easterbrook (Youth Editorial Group)
Strange Language is a collection of short stories from the Basque Country, a region of northern Spain, although historically and culturally it also encompasses parts of southern France. The Basque Country appears, at least on the surface, to share common traits with Wales; hence it being published by Parthian.
The Basque country is a Celtic region with a population similar to Wales’ and has had an uneasy relationship to a dominant neighbour. But it’s in a struggle to find a voice within their own language that the two countries share their strongest bond. For many years Basque, an ancient Gaelic language, had been repressed by authorities in Madrid and it was only in the 1970’s with General Franco’s passing that a Basque cultural movement gained support alongside greater autonomy for the region.
Roughly sixty books have been translated from Basque into other languages, which begs the question, why? Is this a self-imposed restriction, similar to the Welsh cultural mafia? Is there a lack of finance for such an endeavour? Is the writing simply not strong enough? Whatever the answer, Strange Language is an attempt to branch out, with the authors providing introductions to their work and information for further reading.
The stories themselves, as it to be expected from a collection that is based on the rough criteria of geography, vary widely in subject, tone, style and quality. From nuns giving birth to wolf boys to masturbating over some coal, purgatory on a train to the search for a missing father, a wistful ode to a mountain pass traffic jam to the black curse of a vengeful sea, crazed museum attendants and thieving children, love, lust, pain and death.
Most of the stories revolve around a lonesome protagonist. Although Karlos Linazasoro remarks in his introduction that the short story is particularly suited to tales of alienation and solitude, I believe that these tales of isolation offer insight into the Basque psyche, and are reflective of the Basque Country’s isolation from Europe; from the larger international community, and are a way of expurgating and releasing these feelings.
Some of the works I’d like to draw attention to are Lourdes Onederra’s wonderfully flowing and rhythmic Mrs Anderson’s Longing and Karlos Linazasoro’s Kafka-esque The Derailment. Skip the first story, Bernardo Atxaga’s Teresa, Poverina Mia, unless you enjoy turgid, soppy and laboured romantic fiction. Although it does contain the fabulous exchange, "'Why do you want to be my boyfriend, may I ask?' I said. 'Because you have the golden eyes of a goat,' Andre replied".
Strange Language serves as a welcome introduction into the literature being produced in this revived Celtic nation. As with all anthologies you have to sort the wheat from the chaff, but that’s part of the pleasure now and again.
Strange Languages compiled by Mari Jose Olaziregi. Parthian. £9.99. Paperback.
www.parthianbooks.co.uk
1 Comment – Post a comment
cid
Commented 42 months ago - 13th November 2008 - 23:09pm
The Basque( Euskadi) country in not Celtic.
The Basque are uniquely Basque. The Basque language (Euskera) is again uniquely Basque. Very different from both Celtic and the Latin languages. Although there are many theories linking to many different languages, no one really knows - it's such an old language.