Jon Mirande and his novel

Hi! How are you today?

Do you know any Basque writers or poets? Do you fancy broadening your knowledge in the area of Basque literature? I would like to tell you briefly about Jon Mirande and his novel titled "The Goddaughter"("Haur Besoetakoa" in Basque).

Jon Mirande, a Basque writer, was considered one of the most renowned poets in Basque literature of the 20th century. The author was born on 1925 on Paris where his family had moved in search of employment. It was in 1944 that he began working as a translator at Ministry of Finance in the capital of France. Mirande collaborated with several not only magazines but also journals, where he published his numerous poems. 

He showed enthusiasm for learning foreign languages from the outset. Although the Basque language was not his mother tongue, it became the dominant language of his literary creation. Mirande also translated works by authors such F. Nietzsche, E. Allan Poe, F. García Lorca and others. The writer suffered from a mental disorder that drove him to kill himself on 1972. 

"The Goddaughter" is his only novel: Mirande finished it on 1959. The author describes the history of an adult male who has sexual relation with his minor goddaughter. It's worth reading this book for a number of reasons. In my point of view, issues that give to rise to so much controversy (e.g. incest, pedophile, suicide) grab reader's attention. Furthermore, Mirande is fairy skilled at creating characters and giving free rein to our feelings.