Additional information
by Anjel Lertxundi (Author), Amaia Gabantxo (Translator)
Perfect Happiness can be described as a realist novella with lyrical overtones. It explores how witnessing a terrorist assassination affects a teenage girl's life over a span of fourteen years. Against this backdrop Lertxundi explores one of his recurring themes: the relationship between art and death. Perfect Happiness is moral without being didactic, and confessional - as well as natural and fluid - in tone. Confronting its horrific theme with profound existential understanding, it is an eloquent plea for the right to beauty and happiness and the importance of following one's conscience.
Author Biography
Anjel Lertxundi (Orio, 1948) studied philosophy and literature in San Sebastian, Rome, and Valencia. He worked as a teacher and journalist for many years. He was director of the Basque Writers' Association, 1982-85.
His literary achievements are many and varied: he has written more than thirty books for children and young people, including Tristeak kontsolatzeko makina (The Happiness Machine, 1981) and Lehorreko koadernoa (The Land Journal, 1998); volumes of essays such as Gogoa zubi (Memory Bridge, 1999) and Mentura dugun artean (While We Stand a Chance,2001); short-story collections Hunik arrats artean (Wait Until Dusk, 1971), Aise eman zenidan eskua (You Gave Me Your Hand So Easily, 1980), Urtero da aurten (This Year Like Every Year, 1984) and Piztiaren izena (The Name of the Beast, 1995); and a number of novels.
