The author publishes ‘Matar, amar’, a novel with the halo of the classics that explores guilt and redemption in the years of terrorism
‘Matar, amar’ is the first novel by Emilio Alfaro, a reference in journalism in the Basque Country, which examines the story of universal moral conflicts, set against the background of terrorism. Alfaro, veteran of the editorial rooms of ‘El Correo’ and ‘El País’, in addition to his time as head of communications for the presidency of the Basque government -both with José Antonio Ardanza and Patxi López- took advantage of his retirement to take up the challenge of literature in the long term.
His landing in the world of fiction comes with a work that delves into the drama of a repentant terrorist who falls in love with the widow of a man he murdered and faces difficulties such as redemption, confession or adjustment of accounts with the past.
Your work has the halo of the great classical dramas.
It’s a novel about characters and moral conflict. In a way, it is a kind of Greek tragedy that has been inserted into the domestic tragedy that we went through in Euskadi. For a long time I was accompanied by a spark, an intuition, about what would happen if a terrorist who regrets his past falls in love with his victim’s widow. From there I compiled the novel.
-‘Matar, amar’ is a demonstration of how local conflicts enclose the great dramas of humanity.
– That was my intention. That’s why I don’t use the word ETA and talk about the organization, for example. I wanted the topographical aspects not to distract from the central theme: the moral conflict. This story is set here, in the Basque Country, but it is understandable for someone who is coming to a subject like ETA terrorism for the first time. After all, it is a conspiracy that takes place in places where violence has become a curse.
-But it is also very precise with the details of what terrorism has meant in Euskadi.
-I wanted the plot to be believable. I have used material from what happened in the Basque Country, from my work as a journalist, but also from books such as Florencio Domínguez’s. But I didn’t explicitly document myself because I didn’t want it to affect me either. In fact, I have yet to see the movie ‘Maixabel’. An important moment in ‘Matar, amar’ is the relationship between the victim and the executioner and I didn’t want Icíar Bollaín’s work to touch me.
-He has the courage to take on the challenge of putting himself in the shoes of a repentant terrorist.
The novel had two major challenges. First of all, I wanted to develop that idea that had been with me for a long time, but also to see if I was able to put together a story that drew two characters: Luke and Marisol. The first is the terrorist who enters the organization under pressure from the environment, to be recognized in the gang, to assert himself. For me it was a challenge to give it credibility and especially meat. Marisol’s character was harder for me though. I had to put myself in the mindset of a woman and also a female victim.
-One of the findings of the novel is that relationship between the protagonists, marked by certain events that are somewhat secret, but of which the reader is fully aware.
Luke’s problem is that, once he has truly repented, he must find the courage to move on and take the step of confession. That is the dilemma you face. He has to make amends for something he’s done, but talking about it could land him back in jail. Then the coincidence occurs, he falls in love with his victim’s widow and comes to share life with her and her son. In a way, he is imitating the person he killed. He believes that love can bring him salvation, but he knows that it is very difficult if he does not count everything that happened in the past.
make your point
-Currently there is a debate about the more than 300 unsolved attacks perpetrated by ETA. His novel does reflect on the silence of those who refuse to cooperate in solving these crimes.
It takes a lot of courage to admit that you were wrong and also to believe that what you have done has a price. That you have destroyed your life and that you have destroyed it to others. Sometimes that forgetfulness is the problem of the end of these violent periods. For the victims it is very painful not to receive compensation, but for the executioners… it is difficult to know what is going through their conscience.
-But in your novel you dare to explore that field.
-I’ve tried to individualize what it means to kill, take a family, a life project… you have to have a lot of empathy. I’ve always loved getting into trouble and in the 90’s I went to a number of meetings organized by Elkarri. One of these was a debate with relatives of ETA prisoners. And in the end I am disappointed. They explained to you their hardships and I understood what they had to live with. But despite such a sensitive sensitivity to their problems, they were unable to side with the people who had killed their son. I could understand their suffering, but you didn’t see the slightest trace of compassion in them.
-People usually talk about the difference between the writers, let’s say classics, and those from journalism. In his work you see the impulse to want to get to the point and put the reader first.
-I am a son of my reading and I like well written literature that tells moving stories. I agree that being a journalist makes you more to the point. I have great admiration for writers with style, who play with language, but that’s not my choice. I have wanted to write literature, but always in the service of history.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
