Water over Stones

"A brilliantly inventive writer" A.S. BYATT

"The most important Basque writer of his generation" Times Literary Supplement

"Not just a Basque novelist but the Basque novelist" Guardian

Their lives run into each other, like water running over stones

As the Basque mining town of Ugarte moves from the hazy summer of the 1972 Olympics, through the mining strikes of the turbulent Eighties and into the modern day, her people navigate the silences, secrets, joys and tragedies of their lives.

From the story of a traumatised teenage boy at the town's bakery, to the tale of a group of comrades on an army base in the twilight of Franco's dictatorship, the interconnected narratives of Water Over Stones confront the changes time brings to Ugarte's close-knit community, as the lives of its inhabitants run into to each other like water running between stones.

This extraordinary novel of friendship, nature, love and the immensity of death shows Bernardo Atxaga's mastery of his craft, and his ability to create places and characters that are impossible to forget.

Translated from the Spanish by Thomas Bunstead and Margaret Jull-Costa

“A brilliantly inventive writerAtxaga holds the attention by his sheer craft, by the complete control he exhibits - IndependentNot just a Basque novelist but the Basque novelist - GuardianThe most important Basque writer of his generation - Times Literary SupplementA narrative steeped in poetry in which Atxaga has brilliantly combined reality and fictionA dramatic story that captivates the reader from the first pages to its splendid ending - La RazonThe reader will discover once again the great poetic power of Atxaga, and his incredible ability to build entire and profound universes - El CorreoAtxaga knows how to entertain, move and give autobiography all the charm of fiction - La Vanguardia”

A brilliantly inventive writer -- A.S. Byatt
Not just a Basque novelist but the Basque novelist Guardian
The most important Basque writer of his generation Times Literary Supplement
A twisting and rewarding story, and one readers will savor until the lovely finish Publishers Weekly, starred review
Profound, luminous and strange. This is really a remarkable novel Shiny New Books
Atxaga holds the attention by his sheer craft, by the complete control he exhibits Independent
A narrative steeped in poetry in which Atxaga has brilliantly combined reality and fiction -- Jury of the National Spanish Literature Award
A dramatic story that captivates the reader from the first pages to its splendid ending La Razón
The reader will discover once again the great poetic power of Atxaga, and his incredible ability to build entire and profound universes El Correo
Atxaga knows how to entertain, move and give autobiography all the charm of fiction La Vanguardia

Bernardo Atxaga was born in Gipuzkoa in Spain in 1951 and lives in the Basque Country, writing in Basque and Spanish. He is a prizewinning novelist and poet, whose books, including Obabakoak (1992), The Accordionist's Son (2007) and Nevada Days (2017), have won critical acclaim in Spain and abroad. In 2019 he was awarded the National Prize for Spanish Letters. His works have been translated into thirty-two languages.

"A brilliantly inventive writer" A.S. BYATT "The most important Basque writer of his generation" Times Literary Supplement "Not just a Basque novelist but the Basque novelist" Guardian Their lives run into each other, like water running over stones As the Basque mining town of Ugarte moves from the hazy summer of the 1972 Olympics, through the mining strikes of the turbulent Eighties and into the modern day, her people navigate the silences, secrets, joys and tragedies of their lives.From the story of a traumatised teenage boy at the town's bakery, to the tale of a group of comrades on an army base in the twilight of Franco's dictatorship, the interconnected narratives of Water Over Stones confront the changes time brings to Ugarte's close-knit community, as the lives of its inhabitants run into to each other like water running between stones.This extraordinary novel of friendship, nature, love and the immensity of death shows Bernardo Atxaga's mastery of his craft, and his ability to create places and characters that are impossible to forget. Translated from the Spanish by Thomas Bunstead and Margaret Jull-Costa

This item is eligible for free returns within 30 days of delivery. See our returns policy for further details.