San Camilo, 1936: The Eve, Feast, and Octave of St. Camillus of the Year 1936 in Madrid [Paperback]

Camilo José Cela (Author), John Polt (Translator)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 4, 1991

Widely regarded as one of the best works by the winner of the 1989 Nobel Prize for Literature, San Camilo, 1936 appears here for the first time in English translation. One of Spain’s most popular writers, Camilo José Cela is recognized for his experiments with language and with difficult subject matter. In San Camilo, 1936, first published in 1969, these concerns converge in a fascinating narrative that is as challenging as it is rewarding, as troubling as it is compelling.
A story of history as it happens, by turns confusing and startingly clear, echoing with news and rumors, defined by grand gestures and intimate pauses, the novel leads the reader into the ordinary life of extraordinary times. Beginning on the eve of the Spanish Civil War, San Camilo, 1936 follows a twenty-year-old student’s attempts to sort out his private affairs (sex, money, career) in the midst of the turmoil overtaking his country. In vivid and richly textured prose that distinguishes Cela’s work, the emotional reality of civil war takes on a vibrant immediacy that is humorous, tender, and ultimately transforming as a young man tries to come to terms with the historical moment he inhabits—and hopes to survive.
Readers new to Cela will find in this novel ample reason for the author’s growing reputation among audiences worldwide.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

By general agreement, San Camilo, 1936 is the best novel of this Nobel laureate's later career; it's also his most daunting. Densely written and unparagraphed, it records the baser aspects of Madrilenian life on the eve of civil war, as filtered through the consciousness of a cynical young student. Public events intrude, but for the most part the focus is on the private and sordid, the tone one of disgust and self-inquisition. Recommended for academic collections and for public libraries with strong literary collections.
- Grove Koger, Boise P.L., Id.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Kirkus Reviews

A 20-year-old, skein-like novel by the 1989 Nobel winner--a tour-de-force that proceeds in chapter-length sentences, on-rushing with asides and tiny glimpses into the life of a neighborhood and its people during the first few weeks of the Spanish Civil War. So full of characters is the book, and so unconcerned to identify them by anything but repetition, that translator Polt has appended a helpful list of characters and references at the end. But it isn't strictly necessary. Cela's constitutional pessimism (an amalgam of venery, political cynicism, and astonishing mood- changes) sweeps everyone into the same tossed-about boat; and the effect achieved is probably the one that was wanted: we see people very large in their private lives turned utterly small and interchangeable by public life, revolt, and death. At times every woman in this novel is a whore--there is a grungy stylization of desire as antidote to ideas--every man a pig, every person a liar and poseur. Yet when Franco and his generals revolt and the militias form in response and everyone must produce identities to anyone with a gun who asks for them, suddenly the book becomes very moving and shocking: the scatter of characters begins to diminish by murder, and names we were tripping over stop showing up altogether. Far from an easy or enjoyable read, but this may be Cela's bitterly flowing masterpiece. -- Copyright ©1991, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 327 pages
• Publisher: Duke University Press Books (October 4, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0822311968
• ISBN-13: 978-0822311966
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 5.8 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,079,849 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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5.0 out of 5 stars Cange of Attitude, April 28, 2008

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This review is from: San Camilo, 1936: The Eve, Feast, and Octave of St. Camillus of the Year 1936 in Madrid (Paperback)

If this isn't too personal, when I gave up beer for fatherhood, I rediscovered my joy of literature. However, of my three favorite authors at the time, Twain, Traven, and McMurtry (early Mcmurtry was pretty darn good), I had read just about all there was. Where to turn to next? While pondering that question in 1989, I overheard on the news that Camilo Jose Cela had won the Nobel Prize for Literature. From that time on I have been an avid reader of most Nobel-Prize winning novelists and it all started with Cela. I remember all of my Spanish Lit professors had "La Familia de Pascual Duarte" on their shelves along with Cervantes and the usual suspects. I read that book and wanted more. However, Cela can be challenging.

When I got a copy of "San Camilo, 1936" I was shocked to find that sentences were pages long and all the normal-lengthed chapters were one extended paragraph. Not the book to pick up with just a few minutes to spare. Reading Saramago helped cure me of the fear on endless sentences and paragraphs so I took "San Camilo, 1936" on a cruise recently. I read it and I'm glad I did. It was hard to stop in the middle of a page but I had plenty of lengthy times for reading. The book struck me as the caffein-induced thoughts of a young man. In the first chapter, his thoughts focussed on the local houses of ill-repute. In the second chapter, the focus was on the deaths of several women and one in particular. By the third chapter, I was starting to see a true focus developing. I came to appreciate "San Camilo, 1936" as a unique literary form where history and perspective emerges in the thoughts of this young man. All sex at first but then disturbing events begin to consume more of his thoughts. As the Nationaist rebellion begins, we understand how the Spanish mind began to absorb the increasing events in their lives. Our narrator shows through his thoughts how the rebellion gradually comes to the forefront of his focus. We see the characters, who were once just fellow citizens, break into factions and how the cause becomes greater than love and respect. It really worked well and I presume that this was what Cela wanted the reader to understand.

The closing chapter is a brief one (but still one long paragraph) in which the author analyzes the Spanish mind and concludes with a plea for love. Cela is a bit more earthly with his concept of love but, then, he's been that way throughout the book. I found myself underlining a number of passages where, amidst the repetion, brilliant observations would emerge.

I'm glad I've finally read "San Camilo, 1936". I'd read the brief dedication dozens of times over the years. If it's not against the rules, it's worth sharing;
"To the conscripts of 1937, all of whom lost something; their life, their freedom, their dreams, their hope, their decency. And not to the adventurers from abroad , Fascists and Marxists, who had their fill of killing Spaniards like rabbits and whom no one had invited to take part in our funeral."
After reading and re-reading that dedication, I knew that this had to be a brilliant novel. I'm glad that I finally found the time to discover that it truly is.