Podcast Summary: Un libro en tres minutos | 'El camino', de Miguel Delibes

Podcast: Hoy por Hoy (SER Podcast)
Host: Àngels Barceló
Guest: Antonio (el bibliotecario)
Date: December 5, 2025

Main Theme & Purpose

This short segment from "Hoy por Hoy" is part of a recurring feature where Antonio, the show's librarian, presents a book in three minutes. Today's pick is El camino (1950) by Miguel Delibes—a cornerstone of Spanish literature and often the first "adult" book for many readers. The discussion centers on the novel's evocative look at childhood, rural Spain, and the bittersweet passage into adulthood.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Introducing El camino

• [00:04] Antonio explains the significance of El camino, noting its pivotal role in Delibes’s literary career:

  “...es la novela con la que Delibes dice que encuentra su verdadero rumbo como novelista. En El camino, Delibes me despojé por primera vez de lo postizo y salí a cuerpo limpio.”

The Plot and Core Characters

• The story follows Daniel, el Mochuelo, on the eve of his departure from his rural village to pursue further studies—a transition he resists, believing life doesn’t require such change.
• He lies awake, feeling the weight of leaving behind not only his friends but also the deeply-rooted ways of his home.

Vivid Rural Portraits & Character Snapshots

• Antonio recounts Daniel’s memories of his friends and villagers:
  • Roque el Moñigo: Raised harshly, believes “un hombre bien hombre no debe llorar aunque se le muera el padre.”
  • La Guindilla Mayor: Sharp-tongued, gave the “Cerrado por deshonra” sign after the Guindilla Menor’s scandalous departure.
  • Germán el Tiñoso: Sickly, obsessed with birds; his fatal accident profoundly marks Daniel.
  • Gerardo, el Indiano: Returns from Mexico with daughter Mica, awakening Daniel’s curiosity and burgeoning sense of desire.

Childhood Mischief & Nostalgia

• The trio’s pranks—burning the Guindilla’s cat with a magnifying glass, waiting for the train with their bottoms exposed, losing their trousers—capture both innocence and the transition from childhood.
• Tender moments surface, like:
  • Daniel’s uncertain affection for Uca-Uca, sharing silent moments searching for bird nests.
  • The “boda sorpresa”: Their prank letter leads to the marriage of two villagers.

Loss and Maturity

• The death of Germán (“el Tiñoso”) is a turning point:
  • Daniel’s intimate farewell—leaving a thrush in his friend’s coffin—speaks volumes about attachment, grief, and the stubborn in-betweenness of childhood and adult feeling.
• [01:41] Antonio:

  “Recuerda cuando Germán el Tiñoso se resbaló un día jugando en el río y se dio un golpe en la cabeza y se murió, y cómo Daniel el Mochuelo pasó la noche en vela junto al muerto y al alba cazó un tordo y lo dejó sin que nadie lo viera dentro del ataúd para que acompañara a su amigo.”

The Open Ending

• The narrative leaves readers pondering if Daniel, in his sorrow, ultimately cries, and whether he will be accompanied as he leaves the village:
  • [02:37] Antonio:

    “Pues mira, para saber si Daniel Mocholo lloró al final de la noche, si alguien le acompañará a la estación, si dormirá o no esa noche y lo que pasará por la mañana, se van a tener que leer El camino, que es un libro delicioso.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• [00:29] Antonio (quoting the novel’s opening):

  “Las cosas podían haber sucedido de cualquier otra manera, y sin embargo sucedieron así.”

• [01:21] Antonio (on memorable village characters):

  “La Guindilla Mayor, que tenía muy buen, muy bien puesto el apodo porque tenía una cara redonda y colorada y el carácter picante y agrio como el aguardiente...”

• [02:48] Àngels Barceló:

  “El camino de Miguel Delibes, que está en destino.”

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:04 — Introduction to El camino and Delibes as an author
• 00:29 — Novel’s opening lines; Daniel’s anticipation and reluctance to leave
• 00:43 — Snapshot of Daniel’s friends and early misadventures
• 01:21 — Vivid character portraits from the village
• 01:41 — Germán’s death and Daniel’s emotional farewell
• 02:35 — Cliffhanger ending and encouragement to read the book
• 02:48 — Àngels' closing affirmation of the novel’s lasting impact

Tone and Atmosphere

The segment is both evocative and affectionate, brimming with nostalgia and literary reverence. Antonio’s rapid but heartfelt recounting reflects the warmth and lasting imprint of Delibes’s novel on generations of Spanish readers. The tone is conversational, sprinkled with humor and gentle melancholy, inviting listeners to rediscover (or discover for the first time) the enduring charm of El camino.

Bottom Line:
El camino by Miguel Delibes is a tender, sometimes mischievous, often poignant tale of childhood’s end in rural Spain—a novel cherished by many and lovingly summarized here, urging listeners to experience its magic firsthand.