Maletes perdudes
Lost Luggage | Empúries, 2010
» Joaquin Amat-Piniella Award 2010
» Lletra d'Or 2011 Prize
» National Critics Prize 2011 for Catalan Fiction
The novel tells of the crossed destinies of an impossible family. Christof, Christophe, Christopher and Cristòfol are brothers, sons of the same father and four very different mothers and none of them know about the existence of the others.
They live in Frankfurt, Paris, London and Barcelona. Their father, Gabriel, abandoned them when they were little and they never heard from him again. One fine day, the secret comes out and the brothers get together for the first time. The brothers reconstruct their father’s life step by step, above all his job as a lorry driver between Spain and the rest of Europe. These trips enabled him to support his gloomy existence under Francoism and the same voyages enabled Gabriel to have several sons – the «Cristóbales» - all divided by European geography.
«Puntí is a sprightly writer, delighting in taking us down byways and through backwaters as the novel circles Gabriel’s disappearance.» Adrian Turpin, Financial Times
«Jordi Punti's Lost Luggage will tell you more about the cosmopolitan natura of the Catalan mind tahn any guide book.» Colm Tolbin, The Telegraph
«A funny, moving and poignant exploration of identity, home, family and freedom [...] An outstanding read» Luisa Metcalfe, Daily Express
«Inventive, absorbing and beautifully written.» Victoria Moore, Daily Mail
«A marvellous platform for digressive riffs, often witty and insightful, on language and European-ness» Richard Gwyn, The Independent
«An extraordinary talent for storytelling.» Bruno Corty, Le Figaro
«The novel is a road movie through the Europe of the 68 student uprisings. A small masterpiece and one that works on several levels. It is about much more than proximity and distance, fidelity and parenthood.» Jörg Hunke, Berliner Zeitung
«Puntí has written an outstanding work, a gripping and colourful page-turner that will not easily be forgotten.» WDR 5 Bücher
«Puntí introduces us to a family in an action-packed story in a historical setting and at the same time a road movie, but most of all he regales us in most entertaining style.» Literaturkurier
«European literature in the truest sense of the word.» Cultur Mag Deutschland
«Helping to lay the groundwork for Europe’s great, post-modern, narrative fiction, a road movie interspersed with melodrama, the gospels and parallel universes; together with Pagès, he has reclaimed the role of 19th century psychological realism; two writers in their prime.» Carles Geli, El País
«A novel with an uncommon excellency, confirming Puntí’s talent.» Ricardo Senabre, El Cultural
«Character with great literary force; they represent the power of fiction when facing history.» Julià Guillamon, La Vanguardia
«On of the musts of the season.» El Mundo
«A book as extraordinary as it is memorable. Jordi Puntí already belongs to the noble tradition of the great storytellers.» David Morán, Rockdelux
«A conjuring trick. Incorruptible literature.» Lluís Muntada, Quadern de El País
«With this novel, Jordi Puntí consolidates the excellence already obvious in his two previous books. Maletes perdudes is an astonishing literary artefact: a good plot, a consistent vision of the world and a rigorous formal work with a rich and natural language. Marvellous.» Jordi Llavina, El Mundo
«Jordi Puntí brings memorable scenes to the family adventures of Lost Luggage. The best contemporary prose available.» Vicenç Pagès Jordà, El Periódico
«Pure life, intense and passionate. A thorough and precise creation, very near perfection… one can only surrender to the utter force of the story...» Toni Vall, Qué Leer
«Maletes perdudes is thrilling. Do not miss it.» María José Obiol, El País
Albania: Botime Dudaj; Brazil: Rai Editora; Bulgaria: Ciela; Catalan Pocket: Labutxaca; Croatia: Fraktura; China: Shanghai 99 Culture Consulting Co. Ltd; France: JC Lattès; Germany: Kiepenheuer & Witsch; Israel: Kinneret; Italy: Mondadori; The Netherlands: Mouria; Poland: Sonia Draga; Portugal: Teorema; Romania: Curtea Veche; Slovenia: Mladinska Knjiga Zalozba; South Korea: Sapiens 21; Spanish: Salamandra; UK: Short Books; US: Atria
