No Word from Gurb
Encyclopedia
No Word from Gurb was written by Spanish
writer Eduardo Mendoza
and published as a novel in 1990. However, it originally appeared in the Spanish national newspaper El País in regular installments.
The story is about an alien who is lost in Barcelona
whilst in search of his friend Gurb. Through taking on the appearances of various people, including the famous Spanish singer Marta Sánchez
, he explores the city observing human life. The book is in the style of a diary, so the reader is taken day by day along the same journey with the alien, as he discovers more and more about the human race.
The story begins with the narrator talking about his ideas and aims of travelling to Earth and adapting to the lifestyle there. Through writing this book, Mendoza captures an image of Barcelona as it is preparing for the Olympics in 1992
. The atmospehere at that time, along with the chaos and absurdities of modern human life, are among the subjects that are focused on in this satirical
novel. As a parody
, ´No Word from Gurb´ depicts the day to day life of the city from the perspective of an alien. The author focuses in particular on portraying the urban lifestyle of humans; using Barcelona as a great example of a big city. Parody is a feature that is present throughout the book, an example of which is when the alien describes the composition of water as ´hydrogen, oxygen and poo´.
Throughout his search for his friend Gurb, the alien criticises the behaviour of human beings and realises that there are many differences between his culture and that of humans. For example, although he doesn't understand why, he notes that there are class divisions on Earth: there are rich and poor areas of Barcelona, like San Cosme and Pedralbes. Furthermore, he criticises the chaos regarding the upcoming Olympic Games at the time. In reality, there was a lot of public criticism due to the reported lack of organisation when planning and preparing for the international event. Mendoza again describes the disorganisation of the city as a parody.
Translations of the novel are available in English, French, German, Italian, Danish, Romanian, Polish and Bulgarian.
Spanish people
The Spanish are citizens of the Kingdom of Spain. Within Spain, there are also a number of vigorous nationalisms and regionalisms, reflecting the country's complex history....
writer Eduardo Mendoza
Eduardo Mendoza Ceballos
Eduardo Mendoza Garriga is a Spanish novelist.Born in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, he studied law in the first half of the 1960s and lived in New York between 1973 and 1982, working as interpreter for the United Nations....
and published as a novel in 1990. However, it originally appeared in the Spanish national newspaper El País in regular installments.
The story is about an alien who is lost in Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
whilst in search of his friend Gurb. Through taking on the appearances of various people, including the famous Spanish singer Marta Sánchez
Marta Sánchez
Marta Sánchez López is a Spanish female vocalist. She was born on 8 May 1966 in Madrid. Her father, Antonio Sánchez Camporro, was a Galician opera singer.- Biography :...
, he explores the city observing human life. The book is in the style of a diary, so the reader is taken day by day along the same journey with the alien, as he discovers more and more about the human race.
The story begins with the narrator talking about his ideas and aims of travelling to Earth and adapting to the lifestyle there. Through writing this book, Mendoza captures an image of Barcelona as it is preparing for the Olympics in 1992
1992 Summer Olympics
The 1992 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event celebrated in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, in 1992. The International Olympic Committee voted in 1986 to separate the Summer and Winter Games, which had been held in the same...
. The atmospehere at that time, along with the chaos and absurdities of modern human life, are among the subjects that are focused on in this satirical
Satire
Satire is primarily a literary genre or form, although in practice it can also be found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement...
novel. As a parody
Parody
A parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
, ´No Word from Gurb´ depicts the day to day life of the city from the perspective of an alien. The author focuses in particular on portraying the urban lifestyle of humans; using Barcelona as a great example of a big city. Parody is a feature that is present throughout the book, an example of which is when the alien describes the composition of water as ´hydrogen, oxygen and poo´.
Throughout his search for his friend Gurb, the alien criticises the behaviour of human beings and realises that there are many differences between his culture and that of humans. For example, although he doesn't understand why, he notes that there are class divisions on Earth: there are rich and poor areas of Barcelona, like San Cosme and Pedralbes. Furthermore, he criticises the chaos regarding the upcoming Olympic Games at the time. In reality, there was a lot of public criticism due to the reported lack of organisation when planning and preparing for the international event. Mendoza again describes the disorganisation of the city as a parody.
Translations of the novel are available in English, French, German, Italian, Danish, Romanian, Polish and Bulgarian.
Character Descriptions
- The narrator: is shy and doesn't like to attract attention, something which causes him difficulties when he transforms into famous people in an effort to fit in to society on Earth.
- Gurb: is very different to his friend, the narrator. He is decisive, independent and is shown to have no concern for the narrator.
- The neighbour: is a young single mother. The main character is in love with her, although for the moment, she is not interested in him.
- Mr Joaquin and Mrs Mercedes: are the owners of the bar where the narrator often goes. They are a friendly and hard-working, elderly couple who are suffering from health problems.
External links
- The official page of Eduardo Mendoza in Spanish http://www.clubcultura.com/clubliteratura/clubescritores/mendoza/gurb/gurb1.htm