By Mariana Hales<\/strong><\/p>\nAuthor and former judge Gonzalo Garay Burn\u00e1s introduces his latest novel, \u00abThe Music of Sunday Afternoons,\u00bb a dark, intimate, and provocative work that delves into the fringes of morality, madness, and redemption.<\/p>\n
Written in the first person by Nicol\u00e1s, a young Chilean writer, the narrative unfolds between Paris and Concepci\u00f3n, exploring the obsessive relationship between the protagonist and his enigmatic mentor, Basti\u00e1n\u2014a man as charismatic as he is unsettling.<\/p>\n
With this new novel, Garay\u2014known for works like \u00abAuthor\u2019s Kitchen,\u00bb \u00abCandy, Candy, Candy,\u00bb and \u00abThe Lives of Others\u00bb\u2014solidifies a visceral and contemporary narrative style that boldly showcases the uncomfortable aspects of desire, guilt, and artistic creation. His writing, characterized by a tension between the poetic and the stark, prompts reflection on human fragility and the quest for meaning amidst chaos.<\/p>\n
In this interview with El Ciudadano, Gonzalo Garay Burn\u00e1s discusses the motivations behind his new book, the intricate characterizations of Basti\u00e1n and Nicol\u00e1s, and that \u00abinternal music\u00bb which he believes guides every act of writing.<\/p>\n
\u00abThe Music of Sunday Afternoons\u00bb explores the fringes of morality, madness, and redemption through writing. What personal or literary motivations led you to write such a dark and intimate story?<\/strong><\/p>\nI felt the need to continue exploring the universe of Basti\u00e1n and Nicol\u00e1s, which first appeared in my novel Author\u2019s Kitchen<\/em> and evolved further in my next book: Candy, Candy, Candy<\/em>. This new book relates to that internal music functioning as a machine of ideas, decoding everyday observations that nourish my writing.<\/p>\nI haven\u2019t drawn personal motivations for this story; I\u2019ve already explored my autobiographical journey in The Greek<\/em> and The Lives of Others<\/em>. That groundwork was sufficient. This book is a literary exercise aimed at placing Basti\u00e1n and Nicol\u00e1s in varied settings, delving into their horrors and what moves and obsesses them. It had to be dark because both characters share that trait, there was no other option. Still, I believe there\u2019s space for humor, satire, and wit. It\u2019s a novel of our times\u2014raw and tough, reflecting current realities. I couldn\u2019t write from any other place; reality is as it is, regardless of individual perception or idealization.<\/p>\nNicol\u00e1s is a writer, and I found that profession an excellent vehicle for exploring moral dilemmas and madness, which isn\u2019t new. What is different lies in the narrative style, the perspective, and the settings. Writers are in a perpetual search; that\u2019s what each new book is about\u2014discoveries, questioning why we write and the essence of the literary journey.<\/p>\n
Every book acts like a revelation, shedding a new layer of truth that connects deeply with themes of madness and morality. Quoting my friend and writer Luis Nitrihual, I believe The Music of Sunday Afternoons<\/em> tries to answer the following questions: Who said that speaking your truth is good for your health? Who can believe that being a writer is the best job in the world? Only those who are not.<\/p>\nBasti\u00e1n\u2019s character, with his blend of charisma and psychopathy, creates a dangerous fascination for Nicol\u00e1s. How did you construct this disturbing figure, and what role does he play in the protagonist\u2019s inner journey?<\/strong><\/p>\nBasti\u00e1n Richter is a mystery, even to me. He serves as a metaphor for art and success, highlighting how these concepts can coexist with deception disguised as pleasure. There\u2019s a play with aesthetic questions and the decadent cycle of empty lives needing external stimuli to engage with the dynamics surrounding them. Food subtly weaves into the story, protecting Basti\u00e1n from the truth, allowing him to sidestep it.<\/p>\n
If I told you how I wrote him, I\u2019d be lying; I\u2019m not entirely sure. The character has always been quite independent since I wrote Author\u2019s Kitchen<\/em>; I never intended to control him. I freed him to carve out his own path, regardless of the rejection I\u2019d sometimes feel. Basti\u00e1n serves as a reference point for Nicol\u00e1s\u2014a solitary man who seems to know it all; strong, successful, captivating. He represents the destination Nicol\u00e1s aspires to, but one he knows he can never attain, hence the character\u2019s contradictions. Basti\u00e1n even exerts dominion in his absence, instilling fear in Nicol\u00e1s, which ignites an emotional torrent leading him to idolize and abhor his mentor simultaneously. Even after Basti\u00e1n\u2019s death, Nicol\u00e1s tries to decipher him.<\/p>\nFire emerges as a central symbol in the novel, linked to both crime and redemption. What does fire represent to you, from a narrative or personal perspective?<\/strong><\/p>\nAnyone who tries to erase the past with flames is mistaken; fire never consumes everything\u2014it always leaves something behind: a clue, evidence, an expression of intent, the spirit of the perpetrator. Fire made its way into the text because reality feels ablaze to me, beyond what I can observe here in Temuco and its surroundings, where some believe they control everything with a match and some gasoline. The protagonist of The Music of Sunday Afternoons<\/em> shares this distorted perception.<\/p>\nFire symbolizes passion, a vital impulse, the spark that can ignite creativity but can also obscure it if not handled properly. Fire carries an internal heat demanding that one transform into words what resonates within\u2014that burning music one must liberate oneself from. Fire is also memory, much like a torch passed down through generations, keeping something alive even in uncertain moments.<\/p>\n
To what extent is Nicol\u00e1s an alter ego of yours, or is he a completely autonomous literary creation?<\/strong><\/p>\nThere\u2019s always a piece of the author in every book, although I don\u2019t feel closely related to Nicol\u00e1s at all. Nicol\u00e1s is an independent creation who has accompanied me for quite some time, perhaps too long. I still remember the settings he inhabits, the scent of his deserted home, the views from his study window looking out onto Concepci\u00f3n\u2014the literary city which inspires me. We coexisted for a long time, I dreamed of him, we breathed the same air. I had to let him go because he was consuming me. I needed time for myself. I hope he won\u2019t interfere with my next story.<\/p>\n
How would you define this novel in a few words? If you had to describe it with three adjectives, what would they be and why?<\/strong><\/p>\nThe Music of Sunday Afternoons<\/em> is soft nostalgia, as it marks the end of a phase, an era, and a day, heralding the return of the everyday. It\u2019s perhaps a breath between what has been and what is to come, a melody that interlaces melancholy and tension: Sunday afternoon carries a tone of farewell, almost musical, that is not complete sadness, but rather a light shadow.<\/p>\nWhat do you believe differentiates \u00abThe Music of Sunday Afternoons\u00bb from your previous works? How does your style differ or intensify here?<\/strong><\/p>\nThere\u2019s a proposal for metanarrative; I believe this sets it apart from my earlier works. In my constant pursuit of refreshing my narrative and engaging in a different game, you\u2019ll find a story that doesn\u2019t aim to soften the facts, delving into family dynamics: the journey of an only child after their parents\u2019 death or the position a humble fraudster takes when they finally feel successful in a world that now accepts them. Personal stories shape the characters\u2019 futures, anchoring them to a bastion from which they cannot escape without getting hurt. The quest for success, if such a thing exists, offers incredibly twisted variables. There\u2019s something of this in this book, along with elements of blood and fire. I can\u2019t renounce the visceral tone of my works; I write as I live.<\/p>\n
How do you hope this novel will impact readers? What emotions or reflections do you think it may evoke?<\/strong><\/p>\nI always hope for a dialogue to emerge with every reading, that readers create their own story based on the book\u2019s scenes. The writing circuit reaches its closure with readers, thereafter embarking on its own journey. I hope it brings them pleasure and entertains them\u2014that they embrace Nicol\u00e1s and make him their own, that they take him from me and keep him with them. They would do me a great favor.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nInterview by Mariana Hales<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n