Hombres desnudos by Alicia Giménez Bartlett (review)

In her latest novel, Hombres desnudos (2015), Alicia Giménez Bartlett takes a respite from the series featuring her renowned detective, Petra Delicado, and she, instead, pens a wonderful novel that addresses gender roles in contemporary Spain. Hombres desnudos won the Premio Planeta in 2015, although many readers discount this accolade given the fact that there are so many literary prizes available in Spain. Giménez Bartlett also won the Premio Nadal in 2011 for her novel Donde nadie te encuentre, and she has written nine novels of detective fiction with Petra Delicado as the protagonist. However, she is still not recognized throughout Spain, which is a huge disservice to such a brilliant writer. A strong fan base for her detective fiction has emerged in Italy, where she is fully acknowledged as a gifted writer. Ironically, it is much easier to find one of her Petra Delicado novels in Italian bookstores than in Spanish ones.

In Hombres desnudos, Giménez Bartlett artfully intertwines four separate first person narratives: Irene, a woman in her forties who is abandoned by her philandering husband; Javier, a substitute teacher of literature who has recently been fired and becomes a male stripper and prostitute to make ends meet; Iván, Javier's guide into this disreputable world; and Genoveva, the epitome of a wealthy gay divorcee who has discovered the taboo world of male prostitution and revels in it, along with her newfound independence. Irene is a savvy businesswoman who has dedicated most of her life to running the family business started by her demanding father, but she has sacrificed her own freedom and well-being in the process. She becomes friends with Genoveva, who slowly convinces her to enjoy her new status as an emancipated wealthy woman; Irene can now choose her sexual fantasy by paying for it and thus feeling superior to men, and specifically to Iván and Javier. Although the four characters superficially thrive in the company of each other, it is fascinating to read four different versions of the same situation and to observe the importance of social class vis-a vis sexuality. Giménez Bartlett excels as a modern author because she ably delineates the psychological nuances of each character and why they react as they do. The constant in each narration is the standard of behavior imposed by a patriarchal culture that does not allow men or women to alternate roles easily. Sex as a commodity, even between consensual adults, is viewed as sordid and divergent from the norm. If a woman dares to deviate from this standard, she is punished by a patriarchal society that expects its members to adhere to traditional roles which do not allow for sexually liberated women. Giménez Bartlett is not criticizing the departure from these norms: rather, she disparages the society that tries to enforce them and the men who think that women need redemption or salvation (by men) from their mundane lives.

Hombres desnudos is a clever title in that it refers not only to nudity during sex, but also to the baring of the psyches and souls of the characters until nothing remains. Although each individual is easily distinguished by their lexicon, the reader must pay close attention to the narrative because there are no obvious breaks between the distinct narrations. The author does end the novel with a newspaper cutting that summarizes the novel's climax, an ending which also heightens the dramatic tension that builds throughout. It is a testament to Giménez Bartlett's talent that the novel ends on such an impersonal note.

Graduate students of contemporary Spanish literature would highly benefit from a profound analysis of the text, although the novel might be too difficult for undergraduates. Anyone who has pondered the natural process of aging will find themselves identifying with the main characters because of the author's expert depiction of the psychological and physiological nuances during their process. Readers will also continue to meditate on Spanish society and its machismo long after they have...