José Ignacio García
Published: 2014-09-25
Total Pages: 133
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An almost 20-year literary career; more than three hundred stories written and published on several anthologies, compilations and specialised magazines; five published books and many awards- among them the Miguel Delibes Narrative Award 2009-, as well as the almost unanimous opinion of critics and readers back José Ignacio García as one of the best Spanish short-story writers of the 21st century. A writer who bases his success on his immaculate language, sometimes exuberant, others concise; on the human feelings full of realism that his plots depict; on the vertiginous narrative pace of his stories; and on endings which are generally sudden and surprising. He is more enthusiastic about stoves and good stews than about social networks, so García hadn’t shown too inclined to leave the warm paper scent and its touch until now, to give in to the temptation of Online editions. However, he is convinced that one has to be revitalised so as to keep on living and prevent the progress train from running over him, and he accepted the proposal by E2E4 Media of launching a new literary ship, this time along the Internet seas, choosing for this journey’s crew thirteen of the most representative stories of the different stages of his career; from The visions of Toña which let him burst strongly in the Castilian narrative scene almost two decades ago, through the curious adaptation of Christmas to the modern times depicted in The miracle of the wise ox, to The secret of her name, which gives the title to this compilation, and to Wine Room, which are the two best stories that have come out of his pen according to many experts’ opinion. Among the diverse structures of these stories which are not superstitious at all, the reader will be able to find oxen disguised as the Three Wise Men, love reunions taking place after fifty years of uncertain yearnings, prostitutes who face life as they can, couples who are born, grow up and die at the same time, trashy wine tasters who replace real experts, football trainers who present the strategies of oblivion on the pitches of failure every Sunday, boyfriends who get amazed before certain family pictures, almost perfect murders and Viking princesses gifted of an exuberant beauty which in the end, like almost every story of this type, could not be what they seem to be. Or they could. Although it is the reader who will have to decide on that.
