Gustavo Martín Garzo
No hay amor en la muerte / There's No Love in Death
Novel , 2017
DESTINO
Pages: 240
Like Roberto Calasso, Gustavo Martín Garzo explores and revisits the foundational myths, source of the world’s great stories
With a new perspective, as erudite as it is suggestive, and the poetic vigour of his highly personal prose, Gustavo Martín Garzo recreates the story of Isaac from the Book of Genesis, which portrays the complex relationships between parents and children and pushes the limits of man’s obedience to God.
Soon after his birth, Isaac is sentenced to death by Yahweh. When Abraham, a submissive servant, is about to sacrifice his son, Yahweh sends an angel to stop him. With a father devoted to a capricious God and an ageing mother, Isaac is raised by African servant women. Once he escapes the watchful eye of Yahweh, he discovers a world where he can enjoy earthly pleasures, and realises that he must live life as he feels it, and not as imposed by his lineage or divine will.
Many years later, Isaac will push aside his firstborn son, Esau, and keep him safe in that shadowy area inhabited by those who never make history or become heroes, while giving his blessing to Jacob, who he entrusts to Yahweh’s care.