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ra sé que tota aquesta ànsia de cuidar roures i boixos, jonquilles i atzavares, ens ha fet servei quan hem hagut de cuidar-nos nosaltres mateixos". The book also talks about this, about the importance of taking care of ourselves.
But, what is the plot of "Les cuques"?
"Les cuques" is the story of a family that cannot go to the forest. They were used to going regularly and, suddenly, they have to stop going because the woman suffers a stroke. And from there, a series of stories emerge in which there is a whole reflection on the time of people and the time of nature.
Does nature have a therapeutic function?
These people spend the day watching that cars don't run over bugs. And when insects get into their house, they also open the window and let them out. They have a relationship of coexistence with nature. They like to coexist and feel part of this natural world. And all this that they have learned to do in nature helps them in their situation of health and emotional precariousness that they go through for three years, which is the period covered by the novel.
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The origin of the story is a recent personal experience…
The book is based on a real event. My wife had a stroke and when she was in a coma, she was very serious and we didn't know if she would make it, I had to write an article for La Vanguardia. I didn't know whether to do it or not and, finally, I decided yes and wrote about what was happening to us. It was good for me but I think the most interesting thing was to see that what I was explaining interested people. Many people called me, commented on it and even now people remember it. You realize that some things, which seem very private to you and that you have to keep to yourself, if you know how to explain them and make literature with them, can be useful for other people.
Your childhood was spent between Poble Nou and Arbúcies.
I lived two lives. I lived in Poble Nou, in Barcelona, which was the least close to a world of insects, as it was full of smoke and factories. And then, since my family had an inn in Arbúcies, we spent from June until Pilar here. They were two very different worlds and when I arrived here I paid a lot of attention to things. I was very impressed, for example, by the night butterflies, which were all over the town.
Little by little you decided to spend longer and longer seasons here…
Yes, we made it our own. And when I could, I would come here to write. Also, I did something I recommend to all parents. Sometimes it's hard for us to communicate with our children. I decided to introduce him to the world of insects. Since we lived next to the forest, when we left the house we saw many, and then, when we returned, we looked at books and manuals to identify them and learn their history. And it was a very strong bond with my wife and my son, especially with my son, because we learned many things together. And then there's the experience of the writer who goes alone through the forest. I really like going alone through the forest.