Victus: The Fall of Barcelona
“Why do… the small resist the great?” ponders 98-year-old Catalan Marti Zuviria. He promises to divulge the answer while dictating his memoir to a woman he calls an “Austrian elephant.” Although having served in wars on several continents (and in boudoirs, like Flashman), Zuviria focuses on narrating his part in the War of the Spanish Succession, particularly the fall of Barcelona in 1714.
Earlier, in 1705, fourteen-years-old “Zuvi” is expelled from a French school but secures a cadetship under the tutelage of Marquis Vauban, a military engineer. Zuviria delightfully describes the warfare engineering skills he learns, in tedious detail. He is also much intrigued by the invisible powers of le Mystère that haunt him throughout his life. Having honed his skills in sieges and constructing defenses, Zuviria engages in many escapades and loves, eventually acquiring a family. He gets involved in the Succession War, first on the Spanish Bourbons’ and later on the Grand Alliance’s side. The battles, the brutality, and the massacre of the inhabitants are portrayed vividly.
It would seem as if Albert Sánchez Piñol has penned this historical novel in time for the 300th anniversary of the fall of Barcelona, and the unofficial referendum on Catalan independence (in November 2014). For those unfamiliar with the era of European history, this novel provides a glimpse into the miserable lives of the peasants and the horrific events of those days. While the inclusion of some real historical personalities adds authenticity and opportunity for presenting alternate points of view, the exhaustive inclusion of military technical details tends to swamp the storyline. Nevertheless, the use of humor and first-person narrative assists in the readability of this novel of epic proportion. Zuviria’s conflicting thoughts on nationalism, military strategy and butchery of civilians are subtly presented. This novel might well influence the Catalan referendum. Recommended.
