Podcast Summary: Hoy por Hoy – La biblioteca | Adolfo García Ortega vuelve a la Biblioteca de Hoy por Hoy con 'Madre mujer muerta'

Date: October 31, 2025
Host: Àngels Barceló (Hoy por Hoy), with Antonio Martínez Asensio, Ángel Sánchez, Pascual Donate, Pepe Rubiola, and guest Adolfo García Ortega

Main Theme & Purpose

This episode of “La Biblioteca” within “Hoy por Hoy” centers on Adolfo García Ortega’s novel Madre, mujer muerta (Galaxia Gutenberg), a story rooted in the forgotten lives and silent heroism of women and outsiders in 19th-century Spain. The conversation delves into the novel’s main characters, its historical context, and universal themes of motherhood, love, memory, and marginality, intertwining literary discussion with personal anecdotes and book recommendations.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Literary Playfulness and Introduction [00:02–04:00]

• The show begins with a playful exchange between the hosts and recurring contributors, particularly Belinda Marrero, who jokes about recently discovering her mixed genealogy—linking this to the theme of identity and hidden histories in literature.
• Marrero’s story is cheekily compared to the premise of Adolfo García Ortega’s new novel, setting an irreverent and friendly tone.

2. Introduction of Award & Main Book of the Week [02:34–03:11]

• Antonio Martínez Asensio is congratulated for winning the Ondas Award for the program "Un libro una hora."
• The main book under discussion is revealed: Madre, mujer muerta by Adolfo García Ortega.

3. Fiction vs. Reality in 'Madre, mujer muerta' [03:36–04:24]

• Key Question: Is the novel fiction or grounded in familial truth?
• Quote:

  "Efectivamente es una novela, todo es ficción, pero hay un origen familiar que es un poco el embrión de esta historia, que es el hecho de que mi bisabuela era una joven que se parece muy lejanamente a la protagonista."
  — Adolfo García Ortega [03:52]

4. Thematic Precursor: Death in Literature [04:44–07:59]

• Asensio presents Las intermitencias de la muerte by José Saramago for All Saints’ Day, highlighting how society copes when death is paused, echoing the theme of confronting mortality that runs through the main novel.

5. Entering 'Madre, mujer muerta': Plot and Setting [09:12–10:32]

• Set in late 19th-century Castilla, centering on two marginalized characters: Dr. Selva (a homosexual doctor exiled by society) and Galia Cervino (a pregnant, single girl).

• The story opens with Galia dying in childbirth, leaving her daughter and the doctor with unresolved emotions and histories.

  Quote:

  "Cuenta una historia alrededor de la valentía, alrededor del miedo y sobre la maternidad... ese descubrimiento es un auténtico placer."
  — Antonio Martínez Asensio [10:00]

6. Marginality and Recovery from Oblivion [10:46–11:56]

• The core narrative is about rescuing the stories of the forgotten: women and homosexuals, historically relegated to the margins.

  Quote:

  "He querido rescatar de la muerte... a figuras que estaban en la periferia de la historia, una mujer y un homosexual... quedan en el saco del olvido."
  — Adolfo García Ortega [10:46]

7. Dual Search and Psychological Depth [11:56–13:35]

• The novel intertwines an external investigation (the doctor searching for Galia’s past) with internal reckoning (his own culpability and marginalization).
• The protagonist’s failure to save Galia becomes a catalyst for existential and social reflection.

8. Historical Context: Spain’s Class Divide [13:35–14:30]

• García Ortega discusses how his novel, while personal, also captures:

  • The rise of industrialization and class tensions
  • The entrenched polarizations in Spanish history

  Quote:

  "...la novela lo que recrea es el mundo que luego ha proliferado, lamentablemente ha crecido en España, esas dos Españas"
  — Adolfo García Ortega [13:35]

9. Modernity of Characters [17:34–18:01]

• Both main characters are depicted as “modern” for their time: Galia (autonomous in seeking love/motherhood) and Selva (a homosexual fleeing from stigma and personal tragedy).

• The narrative links their struggles to contemporary issues.

  Quote:

  “Son dos personajes muy modernos... una mujer moderna y él en el fondo, un homosexual enamorado que huye de sí mismo.”
  — Antonio Martínez Asensio [17:34]

10. Feminine Strength and Love’s Ambivalence [19:05–20:23]

• Women are portrayed as the emotional and ethical backbone; their loves are often unreciprocated fully or met with male cowardice.

• The novel has a clear feminist resonance: male figures are often stuck in outdated clichés, while women push forward.

  Quote:

  "...ellas, casi solo ellas, sostienen el amor. La relación amorosa la buscan, la tienen en plenitud, pero la otra parte nunca llega a ser satisfactoria."
  — Adolfo García Ortega [19:38]

11. Autobiographical Touch: Dedication to the Author’s Mother [22:59–24:21]

• Ortega reveals the emotional origin of the novel, inspired by his mother’s confession regarding her own pregnancy out of wedlock and the generational thread of female resilience.

  Quote:

  “El libro está dedicado a mi madre... hay un nexo familiar en mi familia... donde las mujeres han tenido que tomar alguna decisión... con la maternidad, tiempos de dolor, de miedo, de duda... han pensado hay que seguir.”
  — Adolfo García Ortega [22:59]

12. Patriarchy & Matriarchy: The “Contramujer” [24:21–25:50]

• Appearance of another powerful woman: mother of Sixto (Galia’s lover), emblematic of matriarchal power enforcing social/class barriers.
• Broader discussion of political and social polarization in 19th-century Spain (Cánovas, Sagasta).

13. Redemptive Power of Love and Memory [27:29–28:44]

• The recurring motif: love is a curse and a blessing, but to be loveless is an even greater punishment.

  Quote:

  "El amor es una condena dictada por uno mismo. Te hace feliz e infeliz a la vez. Pero no amar es peor. No amar es un infierno."
  — Frase destacada del libro [26:05]

  Quote:

  “Es una novela que lo que buscaba era contar un drama que acabara siendo una apuesta por la vida, que está reflejada en lo que Galia no pudo ver ni tener en sus brazos, que es su hija.”
  — Adolfo García Ortega [27:51]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Valentía y feminidad:

  “La esencia de la masculinidad era la ternura, pero la esencia de la feminidad era la valentía.”
  — Adolfo García Ortega, citando a Patricia Highsmith [18:01]

• Amor, miedo y maternidad:

  “Hay un nexo familiar donde las mujeres han tenido que tomar decisiones con la maternidad... tiempos de dolor, de miedo, de duda, no sé si meses, horas o segundos... pero que lo han seguido lo han pensado.”
  — Adolfo García Ortega [23:00]

• Sobre el contexto histórico:

  “Sabemos poco del gobierno de Cánovas y de Sagasta, pero aquel gobierno de Cánovas, que era absolutamente reaccionario, y el de Sagasta, tímidamente progresista... ya pinta una España y una sociedad polarizada."
  — Adolfo García Ortega [24:44]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Introduction and playful banter: 00:02–04:00
• Award announcement and main book revealed: 02:34–03:11
• Opening question to Adolfo García Ortega: 03:36–04:24
• Saramago’s “Las intermitencias de la muerte”: 04:44–07:59
• First reading from 'Madre, mujer muerta': 09:12
• Why this book? (Antonio M. Asensio): 10:00
• Ortega on forgotten voices: 10:46
• Dr. Selva’s guilt and journey: 13:10
• Historical class divide: 13:35
• Modernity of characters: 17:34
• Feminine strength: 19:05
• On real family inspiration: 22:59
• Matriarchy and class: 24:21
• Frase destacada sobre el amor: 26:05
• Memory as a life-force, finale: 27:29–28:44

Book Recommendations and Listener Contributions

Book Donations by Guests & Listeners

Adolfo García Ortega:

• Zorro by Dubravka Ugrešić ([29:21])
  A genre-blending book about the origins of stories and writers as “foxes”—astute, independent, and sometimes rebellious.

Pepe Rubiola:

• Petróleo by Pier Paolo Pasolini ([31:38])
  The unfinished, hybrid magnum opus of Pasolini, exploring Italy, politics, and identity.

Antonio Martínez Asensio:

• Laberinto (Labyrinth) by Charles Burns ([32:45])
  A graphic novel full of cinematic allusions and teenage angst.

Listener Pedro (Ávila):

• Posguerra by Tony Judt ([33:47])
  A thorough essay on Europe’s post–World War II history, noted for political seriousness and clarity.

Listener Mari Carmen (Granada):

• Cuentos de Edgar Allan Poe ([35:40])
  Classic dark tales, compelling and terrifying.

Listener Pilar (Tenerife):

• Han cantado Bingo by Lana Corujo ([37:33])
  Intimate, poetic prose from a young Canary author, using local vocabulary.

Pascual Donate:

• Sexo Salvaje by Ricardo Moure ([38:33])
  A humorous exploration of animal mating habits.

Tone and Language

The conversation is warm, erudite yet informal, often humorous and deeply human. The hosts and guest author speak candidly about personal connections to literature, the redemptive power of storytelling, and the challenges of confronting history’s shadows, always with a sense of curiosity and celebration for reading and discovery.

Closing

Final reflection:
Madre, mujer muerta is lauded as a moving, multilayered tribute to the unsung bravery of women and outsiders, blending intimate biography with social history. The show closes with thanks to the author and further reading recommendations—reminding listeners that literature offers both solace and understanding in a changing world.

For more detailed insights, memorable passages, and book inspiration, listen to the full episode.