Blind Sunflowers is a book of stories by the Madrid writer Alberto Méndez. It was published in January 2004 by Editorial Anagrama. The work has four short pieces intertwined with each other —the last one is the one that gives its name to the title— and which take place in the years after the Spanish Civil War. In 2008 the homonymous film was released in the cinema, it was directed by José Luis Cuerda, with a four-handed script by the author together with Rafael Azcona.
Since its launch, the book has become a publishing success.. Till the date, registers more than 350 thousand copies sold. Unfortunately, the writer was unable to enjoy recognition for his work, as he died shortly after publication. Among the awards given to the book, the following stand out: the 2004 Castilian Narrative Criticism Award and the 2005 National Narrative Award.
Summary of Blind Sunflowers
First defeat (1939): "If the heart thought it would stop beating"
Franco's captain Carlos Alegría decided —After years of service— withdraw from the armed conflict in which a lot of blood was shed. After resigning, he was arrested and charged with treason. While it was held, the Republicans surrendered and left the battlefield.
Hardly the nationals took control, Alegría was sentenced to the death penalty for the acts he committed during the war. When the time had come to be shot, he was placed on the wall along with other companions. After receiving the coup de grace to the head, they were buried in a mass grave.
Surprisingly, Carlos woke up and noticed immediately that the bullet only grazed him and did not pierce his skull. As he could, he managed to get out of the hole and walked agonizingly until he reached a town where he was rescued by a woman. After several days, Alegría decided to return to his town ready to surrender to justice again, since the feeling of guilt did not allow him to live in peace.
Second defeat (1940): "Manuscript found in oblivion"
Two teenagers -Eulalio and Elena- they undertook a trip to France through the mountains of Asturias, they fled the regime that had been imposed. She was eight months pregnant and the labor pains came forward, forcing them to stop. After hours of pain, the young girl gave birth to a boy whom they called Rafael. Sadly Elena died y Eulalio was left alone with the creature.
The poet, still shocked by the death of his girlfriend, was invaded by a great feeling of guilt. He was also frustrated by not knowing what to do with Rafael, who did not stop crying for hours. However, gradually, the young man began to take care of his son and considered taking care of him as his only mission in life. Soon after, Eulalio found an abandoned cabin and decided to take it as a refuge.
Whenever he could, the boy went out to look for food. One day he managed to steal two cows, which he fed for a time. But, After winter arrived, everything began to get complicated and the death of both was imminent. This story is told in the first person, and was extracted from a diary found by a shepherd along with two human corpses and a dead cow in the spring of 1940.
Third defeat (1941): "The language of the dead"
The third story tells the story of Juan Senra, republican official that he was imprisoned in a Francoist prison. The man managed to stay alive because he knew about Colonel Eymar's son —President of the court. Senra obtained this information first-hand, having fought alongside Miguel Eymar. To lengthen his end, the subject lied daily, claiming that the young man was a hero, when, really, he was a simple loser.
During his stay in jail, Juan made friends with a boy named Eugenio, and he also coincided with Carlos Alegría. For Senra, it became more and more difficult to continue with the lies. Likewise, I knew that I would die, because his body was not in the best condition.
When everything couldn't seem to get worse, two events occurred that tore Senra apart and determined her fate: Captain Joy decided to commit suicide, and, a couple of days later, Eugenio was sentenced to death. Quite affected, Juan chose to confess the truth about Miguel, what it entailed al ordering your shooting days after.
Fourth defeat (1942): "The blind sunflowers"
This last text tells the story of Ricardo: a republican, married to Elena and father of two children — Elena and Lorenzo. Everybody in the village they thought he was dead, so the man, taking advantage of the circumstances, decided to stay hidden in his own home with his wife and little son. They knew nothing about their daughter, except that she fled with her boyfriend in search of something better, because she had become pregnant.
The family created a strict routine so that no one would notice that Ricardo was still alive. Salvador —the deacon of the town and Lorenzo's teacher— fell obsessively in love with Elena, to the point of harassing her every time he saw her. How everything could get complicated Ricardo made a decision: flee to Morocco. From there, they began to sell some furniture.
When everything was almost ready Salvador broke into the house with the excuse of needing to talk to the boy. After an oversight from Lorenzo, the deacon pounced on Elena, which caused Ricardo to come out to defend his wife. When exposed, the teacher spread the word that the man's death had been a vile and cowardly lie, causing the father of the family to go mad and commit suicide.
Basic data of the work
Blind Sunflowers a book short stories set in the Spanish Civil War. The text consists of 160 pages divided into four chapters. Each part tells a different story, but they are related to each other; particular events that occurred in a four-year period (between 1939 and 1942). The author wanted to reflect part of the consequences suffered by the inhabitants during and after the conflict.
About the author, Alberto Méndez
Alberto Méndez Borra was born in Madrid on Wednesday August 27, 1941. He completed secondary studies in Rome. He returned to his hometown to study Philosophy and Letters at the Complutense University of Madrid. This bachelor's degree was taken from him for being a student leader and participating in the 1964 demonstrations.
He worked as a writer in important companies, such as The Punches y Montera. In addition, in the 70s, he was co-founder of the publishing house Ciencia Nueva. At 63 he published his first and only book: Blind Sunflowers (2004), a work that received the award that same year Setenil for the best storybook.
During the presentation of The Blind Sunflowers (2004) at the Circulo de Bellas Artes, Jorge Herralde —editor of Anagram- argued the following about the work: «It's a reckoning with memory, a book against postwar silence, against oblivion, in favor of restored historical truth and at the same time, very important and decisive, an encounter with literary truth«.