Life Embitters

Hello Gentle Reader

There is always trepidation of realizing the gargantuan size of a book upon receiving it. Short stories always bring a much lighter sense of weight to it – in the physical sense. Yet upon receiving “Life Embitters,” in the mail, I was not expecting a six hundred page tome. And to think this is just still a selection of Josep Pla’s work. “The Grey notebook,” which was released by “New York Review of Books,” which is of equal size! Pushing aside these physical uncertainties and of course superficial judgements, one had to give the book a try. After all Josep Play, is known as one of the greatest literary practitioners of the Catalan language! However, just after reading “Blinding,” by Mircea Cărtărescu, which left me exhausted; reading “Life Embitters,” became far less enjoyable, then previous expectations had suggested.  Though I can say the shelf, which is reserved for Archipelago Books, has once again grown. At this point rivaling other shelves for space, and will perhaps be expanding itself onto other shelves; as my love for Archipelago Books seems to grow and grow?

As already mentioned Josep Pla was a popular and well respected Catalan language writer. Pla however was also a journalist, and his keen eye for detail, characters and their subsequent characteristics often make his work rich and lively. This being said, Pla’s writing style and characteristics and are not poetic or lush in lyrical tendencies. His language is matter of fact and plain, working on the principals of simplicity and clarity. Despite this though his work was often humorous and filled with biting irony; often giving his short stories a more grounded realistic sense of life, in its own comedic fashion. He preferred a laconic use of words, which often resulted in a dry language which could be reserved more towards journalists. Though he was not a literary writer (often seeing literary writing styles as artificial and unable to grasp the realities of the world), Pla can be a compelling writer. His particular use of language, attention to detail in depicting the realities (of now that time) in a journalistic matter of fact way of dealing with events, often plays well to his favour. However, this makes Pla a chronicler, and more akin to a journalist. This makes Pla a writer who is not literary in his fashioning’s, but rather a man who documented the time in which he observed. Yet his work often showcases his delight in pointing out unsung pleasures of life. Those everyday events, in which make it more bearable. Yet one should not be fooled to think that Pla did not place gret emphasis on his writing style. Maintaining a concise and precise writing style and narrative was always the objective; it would seem by opinion of some and many, to be truer to life and its realities to discuss it with open honesty and a plain language, then hide it behind literary verbosity and lyrical musings.

Josep Pla however, wrote a great deal of his journalistic articles, and his own personal work under censorship. First Pla wrote and lived under the censorship and approved ideas of the inept dictator Primo de Rivera, who dictated Spain from nineteen-twenty three until nineteen-thirty – often known Spain’s Restoration Era. Censorship followed Pla to Italy and Germany where he worked as a correspondent, while the rise of Falange and Francisco Franco were on rise, and would eventually take over the country. In the beginning Pla was supportive of Franco and his new regime. However this honeymoon lasted only a few months, before Pla began to show skepticisim for Franco and commented that the censorship that Franco utilized was worst then he had ever seen prior; and was perpetrated by ‘servants of fanaticism.’ However Josep Pla’s work showed moderate political stances, and very rarely deviated from that path. Franco’s open disdain for the Catalan language and its culture, further pushed Josep Play away from supporting Franco any further. This perhaps would later, help him form, his opinion about life, and political system as a whole. For Pla life was chaotic, irrational and often unjust. On the contrary though; those who dream of ideals of equality and fraternity are in themselves delusional, and will cause more damage than rectify any of the wrongs they wish to.  And it were to seem that Pla was right in this assessment.

“Life Embitters,” is a long collection of narratives. The narratives themselves are quite long.  When I first began reading the collection, I decided to start with the first short story, and keep moving forward. After reading the first three short stories, I put the book down and let it set for about a week or two, before picking it up again. At which time I decided to read, the short stories by selecting them via title, which struck me as interesting. Again I found the stories hit and miss. Pla is a gifted observer, there is no doubt about that at all. However his plain style matter of fact way of writing often becomes too dry; and considering how long many of the short stories are, they can feel endless. Though Pla is a great sketcher of one’s character – such as when he discusses how each resident of the boarding house, equally accused one another of stealing coal from each other, and their own routines and habits; it quickly once again becomes a dry testament on the different personalities that accumulate in such lodgings. Personally the entire story could have done better it seems if it had a bit more literary flare, or a bit more lyricism to give it a slight bit more character. Yet there was redemption with: “A Friend: Albert Santaniol.” It was a story that took the focus away from first person experinces and put them towards remembering another individual and their character: Albert Santaniol. The lens in which Albert Santaniol is depicted is not always flattering; but he becomes a character flaw to the grander society in which he is compared. This story is infused with pessimism and bitter irony; but the combination along with the authorial voice of Pla thrived. In this short story, Pla was able to bitterly dissect the society in which he observed; but it’s the discussions and thoughts that the character Albert Santaniol leaves behind that often left the greatest impression on the entire story; though its painfully pessimistic, its insights often leave room for thought and mulling over the observations, like one does fine win or mouth wash.

In all honesty Gentle Reader, I did not read “Life Embitters,” completely. I jumped into the short stories, as one would jump into a puddle. Some had proven to be deeper, and threatened to consume me; while others were enjoyable for the splash and its burst of water. The book is rather large, and the short stories, at many glances have the feeling of becoming equally as large. It was perhaps not the best idea to attempt to read, “Life Embitters,” after just getting through “Blinding.” Still Josep Pla is an interesting chronicler of the time in which he wrote those short stories. Though I have yet to red them all, and would prefer them to be a bit shorter, and I found at times his language dry; he has interesting points to be made, and often shows an interest in the characters and people he has met, who have left some impression on him, to create these fictional portraits and sketches of them. Both pessimistic and ironic, Josep Pla can be a difficult pill to swallow at times; and I presume an especially difficult one, in a large dose. Though I will have to give the Catalan master another go, again in the future.

Thank-you For Reading Gentle Reader

Take Care

And As Always

Stay Well Read

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M. Mary