The journalist and writer moves to the time of the construction of the railroad in Ecuador in his novel ‘The bug that got off the train’.
As a journalist, Benjamin Ortiz Brennan has always been aware of the events of the country. As a writer, he has been drawn to the “historical adventures” of Ecuador. In this way, his novels respond to the historical genre, since they are framed in momentous moments of his homeland. Continuing with this line, he presents his new work, called The bug that got off the train, under the editorial seal The nest.
It is a novel that takes place at the end of the 19th century, in the middle of the Liberal Revolution, led by Eloy Alfaro. “In addition to this great political and social transformation, there is the construction of the southern railway, which attracts people from different parts of the world”, says Ortiz.
In this way, the story begins with the hiring of an American who arrives in Ecuador to work on the construction of the railroad. “The Jamaicans arrive to collaborate with the construction of the train, the investors arrive. They live the most difficult moment of construction, which is the famous Devil’s Nose; and there they live their personal, human, political problems and conflicts, as foreigners, as Ecuadorians “, reviews the author of other books, such as In the shade of the magnolia tree.
He says that the title of the book is due to the nickname of the central character, who is baptized as animal.
He mentions that his creative process was nurtured by two connections: one was the national and foreign works that spoke of the construction of the railway; the other responds to a family connection. “I have an important relationship, because my maternal grandfather was an American of Irish origin who came to Ecuador to build the train”, reveals Ortiz, who dedicated more than a year to enlightenment and another to write.
Its purpose was to get a story “That it is coherent, that it is credible, that it is possible, and that in some way it has connections with certain realities, both general and particular of the time”.
“The historical setting is authentic, the fictional setting is of characters that I put to live in that story. They live that history, but they live the change of government, they live the revolts, they live the revolutions, they live the lack of money to build, they live the arrivals of the Jamaicans, they live the conflicts “explains the author.
He defends the idea that more authors should be inclined to write historical novels. “I believe that Ecuador has a wonderful history, it has a hard, painful history, but where there are so many episodes and so many events that it is worth taking advantage of as a romantic theme”, he maintains.
The bug that got off the train it is available at Mr. Books and Librimundi. It also makes home deliveries (tel. 0980333900). The cost of the book is $ 20. (I)
Paul is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment and general news. He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established herself as a respected voice in the industry.
