They ask me to return
They ask me to return is a historical novel written by the Spanish editor, translator, poet, essayist and author Andrés Trapiello. The work was published on October 9, 2024 in the Áncora & Delfín collection, by Ediciones Destino. After its release, it has received really positive reviews from critics and readers, obtaining ratings of 4,4 and 4.45 stars on Amazon and Goodreads.
Post-war Spain has always been an interesting subject, and it is not for nothing that so many books have been written about it. However, what makes it special They ask me to return It is the honest way in which he portrays Madrid at that time., including the thoughts and behavior of its people. Here, reality and fiction merge in a deeply literary embrace.
Synopsis of They ask me to return
A tale of two cities
The novel follows Benjamin Smith, An American gentleman who is urged by the American secret services to return to Spain after ten years to carry out a dangerous mission: to get rid of a leader of the regime whom he does not even know. Upon his arrival, he finds an unusual Madrid. The city is in a hive of devastating palace, military and political intrigues.
On one hand, There are those here who are not willing to give up the privileges of their victory, and on the other, those who try to prolong the fight, surviving in defeat. There, where the parties at the Palace, the Balenciaga suits, the apotheotic performances of Manolete and the dances at Pasapoga also reign, Benjamin meets a rich and attractive young woman who changes his life forever.
A reflection of the changes brought about by the post-war period
En They ask me to return, The author immerses himself in a personal and nostalgic exploration that, at the same time, es a painting of history, the transformations and details of the new Spanish society. Trapiello, known for his ability to intertwine autobiographical narrative with social observation, presents a series of reflections on life, memory, and the complexities of “returning.”
At the same time, the title of the work is more than just a name. It refers to the introspective journey undertaken by the writer. The premise is based on an invitation to return to the past, to rediscover places, people and experiences that left a mark on the life of the protagonist and the characters who accompany him, offering a journey into the memories of an entire country.
Known for his detailed and observant style, Trapiello offers not only a look at his memoirs, but also a subtle critique of social changes. and cultural events that have shaped contemporary Spain. Throughout the work, the author revisits those moments that have defined its identity, examining them in a new and contemplative light.
Nostalgia as a narrative axis
The driving force behind this book is, obviously, nostalgia.. In this story, Trapiello skillfully approaches a story that never falls into sentimentality, but is based on a raw honesty that is nuanced with the right amount of introspection. For this reason, each chapter seems imbued with that universal desire to return to an earlier time and, at the same time, with the acceptance that the past is unalterable.
In addition to the quality in terms of the construction of the story, Trapiello's prose is captivating and melancholic, full of nuances that lead us to question our relationship with the past and to recognize that, although memories are powerful, our perception of them will always be colored by the present. In this way, loss and reunion are shown at the same time.
Other topics addressed in the work
Another of the central themes in They ask me to return is identity, both personal and collective. In this sense, The author proposes to ask to what extent an individual is capable of returning to what once was, especially when people, places and circumstances have changed so much. This approach is focused from a political and philosophical perspective.
The work is set in a chameleon-like Spain, in which Trapiello ponders the values and ideals that have been diluted over the decades. In a certain sense, The author reminds us that the places and people we return to are never the same., and that returning to a familiar place does not necessarily imply the possibility of reliving past experiences.
Narrative style of the work
Trapiello's style in this book is enveloping, characterized by fluid prose and a slow pace that allows the reader to delve into his thoughts and reflections. The work does not follow a linear narrative structure, but is built through fragments, memories and moments captured in words, with a close and almost confessional tone.
Trapiello uses clear, unpretentious language, but loaded with meaning and emotion. His account combines sharp analysis with honest and moving introspection., which makes They ask me to return a deep read. By touching on universal themes such as nostalgia, the passage of time and the search for meaning, Trapiello manages to connect with the reader on a personal level.
About the Author
Andrés García Trapiello was born on June 10, 1953, in Manzaneda de Torío, Spain. He grew up in a humanist family, with a great-uncle who introduced him to reading and writing. After several years of wandering around his country as a communist and anarchist, He eventually moved to Madrid and began working as an editor at Guadalimar, an art magazine.
Likewise, He collaborated with the cultural program of TVE Encounters with letters, where he met his wife, with whom he has two children. Despite his left-wing political leanings, he himself was very critical of the movement. In fact, his first novel received harsh criticism from this sector. Throughout his career, Andrés Trapiello has been a faithful researcher of Cervantes, Galdós, Juan Ramón Jiménez and Unamuno.
Quotes from Andrés Trapiello
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"The miracle of literature consists in doubling life";
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"The more necessary things are,
The longer we wait to see them,
even if they are visible." The Fountain of Enchantment: Poems of a Life (2021)
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"Most perfect crimes can never be solved by an unlimited series of coincidences. In some cases, coincidences destroy what was perfect, and in others, chance turns a botched crime into a perfect one." The perfect crime buddies (2003)
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«At the end of the afternoon
the last trails stop
on the lime wall,
accidents, ashes.
In the eyes then the landscapes
They sound like lacquers
and they even look like tears,
"So softly they come." "At the end of the afternoon," By the water (1980)
Other books by Andrés Trapiello
Poetry
- By the water (1980);
- The traditions (1982);
- the easy life (1985);
- The same book (1989);
- The traditions (1991);
- perhaps a truth (1993);
- bare branch, 1993-2001 (2001);
- A dream in another (2004);
- second darkness (2012);
- Y (2018)
Novels and stories
- The nice ink (1988);
- The ghost ship(1992);
- The misfortune (1996);
- Days and nights (2000);
- The night of the four roads. Madrid (2001);
- The perfect crime buddies (2003);
- When Don Quixote died (2004);
- the confines (2009);
- No more yesterday (2012);
- The end of Sancho Panza and other fates (2014)
Diaries
- Cat in the bag, 1987 (1990);
- Unfounded Follies, 1988 (1992);
- The Glass Roof, 1989 (1994);
- The clouds inside, 1990 (1995);
- The Knights of the Fixed Point, 1991 (1996);
- Stranger Things, 1992 (1997);
- A thinking reed, 1993 (1998);
- The Magdeburg Hemispheres, 1994 (1999);
- From where to go, 1995 (2000);
- Inclement weather, 1996 (2001);
- The Hyaline Lantern, 1997 (2002);
- Modern Seven, 1998 (2003);
- The Powder Garden, 1999 (2005);
- The Thing Itself, 2000 (2006);
- The Mania, 2001 (2007);
- Troppo vero, 2002 (2009);
- Barely Sensitive, 2003 (2011);
- Misery and Company, 2004 (2013);
- I will be doubt, 2005 (2015);
- Just the facts, 2006 (2016);
- World is, 2007 (2017);
- Proceedings, 2008 (2019);
- Almost a fantasy, 2009 (2021);
- We were others, 2010 (2023)
Articles
- Thousand of thousands, 1985-1995 (1995);
- Everything is less, 1985-1997 (1997);
- Relative Blue, 1997 (1999);
- The brevity of days, 1998 (2000);
- Tururú… and other disputes, 1999 (2001);
- Yes and no, 2000 (2002);
- Sea without shore, 1997-2001 (2002);
- Against all evidence, 2001 (2004);
- There are two of us now, 2002 (2004);
- Oranges of the sea, 2003 (2007);
- More or less, 2004 (2007);
- Neither Yours Nor Mine, 2005 (2009);
- The bastions, 2006 (2009);
- The Costanilla of the Helpless, 2007 (2017);
- Unfinished Business, 2008 (2017);
- If You Worship Me, 2009 (2022);
- Strange country this, 2010 (2022)
Test
- Gabarrón's plastic experience (1977);
- The lives of Miguel de Cervantes (1993);
- Weapons and letters. Literature and the civil war, 1936-1939 (1994);
- gray suit classics (1997);
- The Grandchildren of El Cid. The New Golden Age, 1898-1914 (1997);
- They were just shadows (1997);
- Travelers and stable (1998);
- The diary writer (1998);
- The ways back (2000);
- The ark of words (2004);
- …and Cervantes (2005);
- Modern printing press (2006);
- Broken silk (2006);
- The Vagabonds (2011);
- The Trail (2018);
- A little company. Barojian impromptu (2019);
- Madrid (2020);
- The Fountain of Enchantment. Poems of a Life, 1980-2021 (2021);
- Madrid 1945. The Night of the Four Roads (2022)