Martutene

A major work, considered the fundamental novel of modern Basque literature. " Martutene could well be considered the highest summit of Basque-language novels. . . . This superb novel recalls the greatness of Tolstoy and the obsessive stylistic accuracy of Flaubert." —Ángel Basanta, El Cultural Set in the current Basque Country, Martutene is an ambitious and truly grand novel with a splendid array of characters: two bourgeois couples worn down by years of marriage, their group of friends, and the newcomer Lynn, a young American sociologist. An insightful portrait of the post-ETA Basque country and an exploration of those thoughts and feelings that expose our miseries and our deepest fears as human beings. Abaitua and Pilar, a gynecologist and a neurosurgeon, and Martin and Julia, a writer and a translator, are two couples worn down by years of marriage who have slid off into a kind of bored decadence. Their group of friends and family complete an insightful portrait of post-independence movement Basque life in which the arrival of Lynn, a refreshing young American sociologist, will trigger unexpected events.