José María Gironella facts for kids
José María Gironella Pous (born December 31, 1917, died January 3, 2003) was a famous Spanish author. He was also known by his Catalan name, Josep Maria Gironella i Pous. He is best known for his book The Cypresses Believe in God (Los cipreses creen en Dios). This book was published in Spain in 1953. It was later translated into English in 1955.
About José María Gironella
José María Gironella was born in Darnius, Girona, on December 31, 1917. His family was not wealthy. He studied in a special school for priests, called a seminary, when he was 10 to 12 years old. Later, he worked in many different jobs. He was a clerk in a drugstore and a bank, and he worked in a factory that made drinks.
When the Spanish Civil War began, he joined Franco's army. This was a group called the Terç de Requetès de la Mare de Déu de Montserrat. He also worked for a military information service. In 1940, he was held in prison for a short time.
In 1946, he married Magdalena Castanyer. That same year, he published his first book of poems. It was called Ha llegado el invierno y tú no estás aquí (The Winter has Come and You are not Here). He became very famous when his novel Un hombre (A Man) won a big Spanish award, the Premi Nedal.
Gironella's most important work is a series of three books about the Spanish Civil War. These books are:
- Los cipreses creen en Dios (The Cypresses Believe in God), published in 1953.
- Un millón de muertos (One Million Dead), published in 1961.
- Ha estallado la paz (The Peace has Burst), published in 1966.
These books were very successful. José María Gironella lived in Paris and Helsinki for some time. He passed away in 2003 at his home in Arenys de Mar. He was 85 years old. He was buried in Arenys de Munt cemetery.
The Cypresses Believe in God Book
The Cypresses Believe in God is a novel with two parts. It is the first of four books written by Gironella. He was a Roman Catholic author and had studied in a seminary. He tried to show the many different groups and feelings in Spain just before the war started. He wanted to be fair to all sides.
The story takes place in Girona, a city in eastern Catalonia. It follows the life of a family from 1931 until the Spanish Civil War begins in 1936. The main character is the son of an atheist father from Madrid. His mother is a very religious Basque woman. His younger brother and sister are also part of the story and the conflict.
Gironella wrote more books that continued the story. One Million Dead (Un millón de muertos) follows the family through the war. The next book was Peace after War. There is also a fourth novel, Los hombres lloran solos (Men cry alone), but it has not been translated into English.
José María Gironella did not like how divided Spain became, which led to the Civil War. However, he supported the Spanish Nationalists and Franco. He even joined a group called the Requetés.
A literature expert named Gerald Brenan said that The Cypresses Believe in God was very interesting and fair. However, some modern experts have pointed out mistakes or changes Gironella made in the book. For example, they mention how he changed a famous speech by a philosopher named Miguel de Unamuno.
In his book, Gironella wrote about how people who were sensible and calm got caught in a difficult situation they did not want. They had to choose a side in the war. He said that the book shows how these sad events happen.
