Stephanie Jane reviewed El Hacho by Luis Carrasco
A lovely read
5 stars
I'm generally wary (and often downright sceptical) of a synopsis that starts with such high praise for the novel it describes, but in the case of El Hacho I can agree that 'brilliant' is completely justified! This novella beautifully evokes the hard lives of its rural Andalusian farming family and I loved spending the few hours with them that it took to read El Hacho. Having seen the dry Spanish landscapes that Carrasco describes, I could easily imagine this countryside. Even if I had not been there though, the descriptions are so vivid and detailed that every field and path springs to life.
Curro himself is a man completely at one with his land and, as he says, who could never envisage himself anywhere else even though the work to maintain his farm is back-breakingly hard. I did not envy him or his wife, Carmen, their seemingly endless labour, but …
I'm generally wary (and often downright sceptical) of a synopsis that starts with such high praise for the novel it describes, but in the case of El Hacho I can agree that 'brilliant' is completely justified! This novella beautifully evokes the hard lives of its rural Andalusian farming family and I loved spending the few hours with them that it took to read El Hacho. Having seen the dry Spanish landscapes that Carrasco describes, I could easily imagine this countryside. Even if I had not been there though, the descriptions are so vivid and detailed that every field and path springs to life.
Curro himself is a man completely at one with his land and, as he says, who could never envisage himself anywhere else even though the work to maintain his farm is back-breakingly hard. I did not envy him or his wife, Carmen, their seemingly endless labour, but I found myself hankering after their peaceful, natural home! Carrasco's understated prose complements Curro's taciturn ways perfectly and I particularly loved the strong bond between Curro and Carmen. This is a lovely read and a wonderful insight into a fast vanishing way of life.