Diana from Thoughts on Papyrus recommended this book to me. It's not very long, so I read it in between other things. Despite its brevity, it contains a lot, practically everything you need for a long life.
It's about a man nearing retirement. Well, much earlier than most people retire, but the situation is still realistic. He's wondering what he's going to do with the rest of his life. Then he falls in love with a co-worker, and she falls in love with him. After raising his three children alone after the untimely death of his wife, this is a new beginning for him.
In his diary, we can follow his thoughts. It also deals with religion; among other things, he says: "Frankly, I don't know if I believe in God. Sometimes I think that if God really existed, such doubts shouldn't upset him." I think this quote alone says a lot about the book, which I really enjoyed. It's a calm narrative that nevertheless has a lot to say.
From the back cover:
"'Perhaps that moment had been exceptional, but still, I felt alive. That pressure on my chest means being alive.' Forty-nine, with a kind face, no serious ailments (apart from varicose veins on his ankles), a good salary, and three moody children, widowed accountant Martín Santomé is about to retire. He assumes he'll take up gardening, or the guitar, or whatever retired people generally do. What he least expects is to fall passionately in love with his shy young employee Laura Avellaneda. As they embark upon an affair, happy and irresponsible, Martín begins to feel the weight of his quiet existence lift - until, out of nowhere, their joy is cut short. The intimate, heartbreaking diary of an ordinary man who is reborn when he falls in love one final time, this beloved Latin American novel has been translated into twenty languages and sold millions of copies worldwide."
Sounds GOOD. I'll look out for it. I'm always looking for new things in translation.... and its published by Penguin which is often a (very) good sign.
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