Boxwood
by Camilo Jose Cela
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Boxwood might perhaps be best described as a kind of whirlwind: a vortex of marvelous writing about folklore, traditions, superstitions, cooking, nautical disasters on the Coast of Death (ships from afar spilling cargoes of oranges, typewriters, iron ore, oil, spices), elements of nature both cruel and beautiful, whales, priests, witches, ghosts—sprinkled with various autobiographies— everything exquisite and crass in Cela's native home, Galicia, Spain.
"If the Holy Ghost were a bat instead of a dove our religion would not be the one true faith and there would be fewer Catholics, and if he were a magpie or a jackdaw there would be none at all, the devil appears in the guise of a billy goat whose rump you kiss as a mark of homage and respect, the Holy Ghost could have been a swallow, but not a cormorant, the form taken by the Holy Ghost is well thought out, you immediately see the hand of God in it, Father Xerardino, the priest of San Xurxo, supposes the form might also have been a butterfly in all the colors of the spectrum...." (from Boxwood)
Discussion questions for Boxwood
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- 1
Camilo José Cela structures Boxwood as a whirlwind or vortex of folklore, gossip, and local voices rather than following a traditional plot; how did this fragmented, mosaic-like style affect your reading experience, and did it draw you into the world of Galicia or distance you from it?
- 2
The novel is deeply rooted in the rugged, unforgiving landscape of Spain's "Coast of Death," where nature acts almost as a character itself; in what ways do the natural elements and maritime disasters shape the daily lives, fatalism, and spiritual beliefs of the local people?
- 3
Cela blends the sacred and the profane with ease, juxtaposing profound religious devotion with earthy superstitions, witchcraft, and crude humor; how does this unique blend reflect the complex cultural identity of rural Galicia?
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