Eduardo Galeano (1) (1940–2015)

The blurb perfectly summarises this book: ‘Parable, paradox, anecdote, dream and autobiography blend into an exuberant world view and affirmation of human possibility.’

The embraces as referred to in the title are contact with the lives and stories of humanity; Galeano shares regurgitated (for want of a better word, reproduced?) tales from his travels, research and friendships, visceral fragments of life presented in short, barely more than a page, snippets of prose. They are like a cross between poems and short stories as demonstrated here:

Bureaucracy/3

Sixto Martinez completed his military service at a Seville garrison.

In the middle of the patio was a bench. Next to the bench, a soldier stood guard. No one knew why the bench needed guarding. They guarded it because they guarded it. Day and night, all nights and all days. And generation after generation of officers transmitted the order and the soldiers obeyed. No one doubted, no one questioned. If as such it is done, and as such always have been done, a reason there had to be.

And like this it continued until one person, I don’t know which general or colonel, wanted to see the original order. He had to forage the archives. And after much digging, he knew. Thirty-one years, two months and four days ago, an official ordered a guard to be placed by the bench that had recently been painted so that no one happened to sit on the fresh paint.


Galeano is a masterful writer, his offering is full of astute, important and empathic observations. The stories are ones to be dipped into, somewhat fleeting but the overall impression is hugely powerful. The tone of the writing is the most uplifting I have read, ‘The Book of Embraces’ is like an atheist’s bible, both a celebration of and unifying call to those who value and love humanity. I have struggled with the score, it is beautiful and unique and one I would definitely go back to, to perhaps learn by heart the particular snippets that are the most meaningful to me. If you love humanity, you will embrace this book wholeheartedly 4/5
… (lisätietoja)

"Tentei, e continuo a tentar, aprender a voar às escuras, como os morcegos, nestes tempos sombrios.
Tentei, e continuo a tentar, assumir a minha incapacidade de ser imparcial e a minha incapacidade de ser objectivo, talvez porque me recuse a transformar-me em objecto, indiferente às paixões humanas.
Tentei, e continuo a tentar, descobrir mulheres e homens animados pela vontade de justiça e pela vontade de beleza, para além das fronteiras do tempo e dos mapas, porque eles são meus compatriotas e meus contemporâneos, tenham nascido onde quer que nasceram, e tenham vivido quando viveram.
Tentei, e tento, ser suficientemente teimoso para continuar a acreditar, apesar de todas as desilusões, que nós, os homenzinhos, estamos bastante mal feitos, mas ainda não somos obra acabada. E continuo a acreditar também que o arco-íris humano tem mais cores e mais fulgores do que o arco-íris celeste, mas que estamos cegos. Ou melhor, que uma longa tradição mutiladora nos cegou.
E em última análise, resumindo, direi que escrevo para tentar que sejamos mais fortes do que o medo do erro ou do castigo, na altura de fazer a escolha no eterno combate entre os indignos e os indignados."… (lisätietoja)