Entre el Cielo y la Tierra
Entre el Cielo y la Tierra
The German thinker Hannah Arendt explained the precept under which she lived her whole life like this: “Prepare for the worst, expect the best and take what comes.” An expert in the genesis of totalitarianism, her fundamental axiom could well serve to deal with any cruel or ruthless existence. This is not the case of Christian, the protagonist of the effervescent novel Entre el cielo y la tierra (Between Heaven and Earth), whose reality is much more peaceful and happy. Or so it seems. What Arendt denounced has little to do with the current political and social contexts of the Middle East, where the novel is set, but it is no less true that no westerners can save themselves from a great cultural shock if they travel through those distant deserts. Hence the suitability of using the “prepare for the worst, expect the best…” as an expeditious lifesaver.
Christian’s journey to Qatar for work reasons, one of most advanced emirates in that region, does not take place without a few setbacks and vicissitudes. His vibrant story is delightfully stuffed with confusions and setbacks that inevitably end up making the reader laugh. And more so if we take into account that the protagonist of Joanes Mathiuet’s novel is a typical Christian – at least, culturally – a homosexual with a tendency towards epicurean pleasures. In other words, the ideal breeding ground for all kinds of absurd crises to blossom.
Between Heaven and Earth is a brilliant succession of moments that are typical of the slapstick sub-genre, those famous comedies from the middle of the last century that were based on a somewhat naïve exaggeration of humour. In this case, with social and religious customs as the backbone. The fact is that if you stay on the surface of what constitutes this novel, that is precisely what you will be able to see on its pages.
However, let’s get down to the nitty gritty. Between laughs, a complex reality underlies Mathiuet’s story – nothing naïve – where cultural differences play a central role. Behind the slapstick lurks an authoritarian regime that represses difference and the different. We do not need to remind you that in countries like Qatar and surrounding areas, everything that contradicts their iron morality ends up being suppressed.
In this sense, the protagonist of Between Heaven and Earth reminds us of the difficult survival of the LGTBI group in non-Western countries: the plight of diversity in certain places exemplifies the need not to give up in the struggle for those rights that should be innate to our human condition. That’s why this novel is a first-rate cultural artefact, because it offers a little-known perspective on the state of affairs in Qatar and will also delight all who dare to venture into its hilarious pages.
But make no mistake: all of the subjects dealt with in the book are treated with the utmost respect for other cultures and beliefs. We are simply looking at a mirror of the reality that happens between heaven and earth. Besides, in short, humour can never be annoying. Therefore, there is many a reason to celebrate the publication of this fresh, yet scathing story. You will not be disappointed.
