"To say that I am Juan Pablo Castel, the painter who killed María Iribarne, is enough.".

In The Tunnel, Sabato took the idea of the demented male artist and the city, which had its roots in Russian and French fiction, and transported it to Buenos Aires, not to offer it a local colour but to offer it instead further depth and strangeness (Colm Tóibín).

This is a story of a preordained fallout: Sabato masterfully transposed the labyrinthine depths of our antihero Castel to a powerful mental ticking bomb bursting with obsession, envy, bitterness, and suffering. He yields a twisted journey, a confined amalgamation of existential intensity and tonic darkness that springs from the deepest angst of the human soul: the recluse mind of a madman.


“I have always looked on people with antipathy, even revulsion – especially crowds of people.”

Castel descents into the tunnel, into his own subconscious, where he confronts the fragmented aspects of his identity and grapples with the blurred boundaries of perception and reality. This is Castel’s unending search for self-understanding, a quest to reconcile the contradictory aspects of his own psyche. In the end, the tunnel becomes his realm where rationality and reason give way to the irrational and the absurd.

This is Great Literature!

4.85/5

من هیچ وقت نتوانستم یک رمان روسی را تا آخر بخوانم. خیلی کسالت آورند. آدم فکر می کند هزاران شخصیت در رمان هستند، و در پایان معلوم می شود که فقط چهار یا پنج نفرند. آیا کلافه کننده نیست که تازه با مردی به نام آلکساندرا آشنا شده باشید که یکهو او را ساشا و بعد ساشکا، و بالاخره ساشنکا بنامند و یکدفعه نام پر تصنعی مثل آلکساندر الکساندروویچ بونین و بعد از آن هم فقط آلکساندر آلکساندروویچ بخوانند. و هنوز نفهمیده اید کجا هستید که دوباره پرتتان می کنند یک جای دیگر. این کار پایانی ندارد؛ هر شخصیتی برای خود یک خانواده تمام عیار است.

بخشي از رمان تونل ...

Es increíble como el paso del tiempo cambia la percepción que tenemos de nuestros libros favoritos. Este libro lo leí por primera vez cuando tenía 17 años, y causo tal impacto en mí, que sentí como si me estuvieran dando un golpe en la cara, me encantó, lo leí miles de veces.
Ahora que estoy en mi juventud, el personaje Castel me parece insufrible, egocéntrico y manipulador, me ha costado seguirlo, pero sigo considerando este libro una gran obra de Sábato, y siempre estará dentro de mis libros favoritos, por el impacto que me causó cuando era adolescente.

«کافی است بگویم که من خوان پابلو کاستل هستم، نقاشی که ماریا ایریبارنه را کشت.»
وقتی توی اولین جمله‌ی کتاب پایان کتاب رو میفهمی ولی تا انتها با اشتیاق کتاب رو دنبال می‌کنی یعنی با کتاب خوب و درستی سر و کار داری. خوان پابلو کاستل شخصیت کم رو و مردم گریزی داره، نسبت به بقیه خیلی احساس دوست داشتن، دلسوزی و دلرحمی نداره و زبان رک و تند و تیزی هم داره. نقاشی که هیچ اهمیتی به منتقدین نمیده و به نظرش اونها مثل افرادی هستند که در مورد کار یک جراح با وجود عدم دانش نظر میدن و تعجب میکنه که مردم نظر راجع به جراح رو مسخره می‌کنند ولی نظرات منتقدین هنری رو قبول. در یک نقاشی به اسم مادری تابلو متشکل شده از یک مادر که به فرزندش در حال بازی کردن نگاه میکنه، و در گوشه‌ی نقاشی پشت یک قاب پنجره زنی تنها به دریا خیره شده. هیچ کس به این قاب پنجره و تصویر پشتش توجه نمیکنه جز ماریا که مدت ها محو اون میشه. خوان پابلو همون موقع فکر می‌کنه یک آدم متفاوت پیدا کرده و به اون نیاز داره. چه نیازی؟ خودش هم مطمئن نیست. و از این قسمت تا پایان داستان به گشتن و پیدا کردن و رابطه و در نهایت قتل ماریا توسط خوان پابلو پرداخته میشه. در سراسر داستان جملاتی رک و روانشناسانه راجع به آدم ها و رابطه بیان میشه. به نظر میاد اون تصویر پشت پنجره تمثیلی از نظر خوان پابلو از عشق و آسایش باشه، ما نمی‌تونیم با دریا یکی بشیم و فقط باید از دور نگاهش کنیم. چیزی که خیلی داستان رو برام جذاب کرد اینه که به نظرم اومد همه‌ی ما یک خوان پابلوی درون داریم، اون وجهه تمامیت خواه مغز که اگه بهش بال و پر بدیم و در موقعیتی باشیم که به اون خواسته‌ تمام و کمال ترسیم فاجعه به بار میاد.ه

“La felicidad está rodeada de dolor.”

Una breve pero sustanciosa e intensísima narración de tipo psicológico, escrita por el asombroso intelecto de Ernesto Sabato (1911-2011), quien antes de dedicarse de lleno a la literatura fue un brillante físico-matemático.

El personaje principal de la novela es un pintor llamado Juan Pablo Castel quien desde la cárcel nos relata un fragmento de su vida que inicia cuando conoce y se enamora de María Iribarne hasta que, poseído por el odio, el desprecio y la autocompasión, le da muerte.

La novela es muy introspectiva y presenta pocos personajes, algunos diálogos y un poco de acción, siendo la reconcentrada exploración psicológica el tema que ocupa gran parte del relato. La trama transcurre en el Buenos Aires de los años cuarenta y fuera de este lugar presenta pocos detalles y menciones adicionales de tiempo y espacio.

El protagonista es un sombrío misántropo que desprecia la vida por algunas razones. También se aprecia su extrema susceptibilidad, su estado de paranoia acompañado de tintes de nihilismo; es un ser ensimismado, incisivamente obsesivo, cruel y pesimista; un buena combinación de ingredientes que aunados al amor envenenado de María hacen de la personalidad de Castel un cóctel Molotov.

Este sentimiento que le despierta María le hace caer en una vida de culpabilidades, de inestabilidad, de degradación; una vida llena de miserias, llena de dudas y mortificaciones internas hasta generar un gran odio.

El personaje de Juan Pablo Castel es uno de esos personajes de la literatura que nos gritan su soledad y su dolor desde lo más profundo de su ser y que nos llegan, arrastrándose penosamente, hasta nuestra médula.

“… en todo caso había un solo túnel, oscuro y solitario: el mío, el túnel en que había transcurrido mi infancia, mi juventud, toda mi vida.”

La obra de Sabato pone de manifiesto tanto la incomprensión del mundo hacia Castel, así como la no aceptación del mundo por éste, un mundo que le parece absurdo y frívolo, exponiéndonos con claridad esa eterna lucha entre los dos mundos que coexisten en nuestro interior: el luminoso y el oscuro.

«Υπήρξε μόνο ένας άνθρωπος που μπορούσε να με καταλάβει. Όμως ήταν ακριβώς ο άνθρωπος που σκότωσα»

Τυραννισμένη ψυχή ο Καστέλ του βιβλίου διαπράττει ένα έγκλημα πάθους από παράφορο έρωτα. Ο Σάμπατο με λιτή γλώσσα περιγράφει τον δαιδαλώδη ψυχισμό ενός βασανισμένου ψυχαναγκαστικού μοναχικού ζωγράφου Ο Καστέλ ζει μέσα σε ένα δικό του τούνελ παλεύοντας να βρει σημείο επαφής με κάποιον άλλον άνθρωπο. Όταν πιστέψει πως τον βρήκε τον ερωτεύεται παράφορα και οδηγείται σε ακραίες συμπεριφορές, αρρωστημένη ζήλεια , παράλογους συλλογισμούς, κυριεύεται από τρόμο ότι ο έρωτας του τον κοροϊδεύει και ότι θα τον εγκαταλείψει
Δεν υπήρχε ποτέ καμία αμφιβολία από την αρχή του βιβλίου ότι η μόνη λύτρωση θα ήταν ο φόνος του αντικειμένου του έρωτα του όμως και τότε δεν έρχεται η κάθαρση

«Ένιωσα πως ένα σπήλαιο μαύρο, όσο πήγαινε και μεγάλωνε μέσα στο κορμί μου»

Εξαιρετικό ψυχογράφημα, διαχρονικό και αληθινό. Διαβάζεται απνευστί και συστήνεται ανεπιφύλακτα.

Guau!! No me lo esperaba, me apasionan estas novelas de corte psicológico. Angustiosa y opresiva, muy cortita pero con una intensidad brutal.
Narrada por el protagonista, Juan Pablo Castel, un pintor que mata a María Iribarne, la mujer que cree que puede llenar su vida o más bien salvarle de su lamentable vida(lo de la muerte se sabe al principio de la novela).

El protagonista es un ser solitario, egoísta, celoso, obsesivo, controlador, violento, enfermo…que produce rechazo a lo largo de todas las páginas. Se obsesiona con María y su túnel se va cerrando cada vez más a medida que va conociéndola o inventándola en su mente retorcida.

El personaje que crea el autor de María me parece magistral. No sabes bien quién es, no se deja conocer en la novela, crees, intuyes, dudas…buenísimo. Será así? Esconde algo? Da lo mismo cómo sea ella? Imagina el pintor todo para odiarla ya que no obtiene lo que esperaba?

“En todo caso había un túnel, oscuro y solitario: el mío, el túnel en que había transcurrido mi infancia,mi juventud, toda mi vida”.
“Y en uno de esos trozos transparentes del muro de piedra yo había visto a esa muchacha y había creído que venía por otro túnel paralelo al mío, cuando en realidad pertenecía al mundo sin límites de los que no viven en túneles.”
“Y entonces sentía que mi destino era infinitamente más solitario que lo que había imaginado”.

Muy, muy buena.

Πόσο σίγουρη ήμουν οτι θα μου αρέσει αυτό το βιβλίο και ποσο λάθος έκανα.
Θα ξεκινήσω με το αδιαμφισβητητο γεγονός ότι απο "τεχνικής" άποψης είναι σχεδόν άρτιο. Επιτυγχάνει εναν ολοκληρωμένο παραλογισμο του ήρωα με τις μεταπτώσεις, την παράνοια και ολο το πακέτο.
Αλλά δυστυχώς δεν με κέρδισε καθόλου. Δεν ξέρω γιατί αλλα είχα συνέχεια στο μυαλό μου τον Ρασκολνικωφ απο το Έγκλημα και Τιμωρία. Ίσως να μην ηταν δίκαιο απέναντι στον Σαμπατο γιατι μιλαμε για αλλες περιπτώσεις αλλα δεν μπορουσα να μην σκεφτώ πόσο αγάπησα τον εναν και ποσο αντιπάθησα τον άλλον. Και παει καλα, δεν συμπαθείς έναν δολοφόνο. Μα δεν συμπάθησα ούτε την πρωταγωνιστρια ή εδώ που τα λέμε κανένα απο τους ήρωες του Τούνελ. Επιπλέον η ψυχογραφηση του ήρωα κάπου με κούρασε και κάποιοι διαλογοι μου φάνηκαν τραβηγμένοι και ψεύτικοι.
Τι να κάνουμε; Δεν είναι ολα για όλους..

The Tunnel is a dark, psychological novel written by Argentine writer Ernesto Sábato about a deranged porteño painter, Juan Pablo Castel, and his obsession with María Iribarne. The story's title refers to the symbol for Castel's emotional and physical isolation from society, which becomes increasingly apparent as Castel proceeds to tell from his jail cell the series of events that enabled him to murder the only person capable of understanding him. Marked by its existential themes, El Túnel received enthusiastic support from Albert Camus and Graham Greene following its publication in 1948.

n  "There are times I feel nothing has meaning. On a tiny planet that has been racing toward oblivion for millions of years, we are born amid sorrow; we grow, we struggle, we grow ill, we suffer, we make others suffer, we cry out, we die, or others die, and new beings are born to begin the senseless comedy all over again."n

The Tunnel is Sábato's debut novel, followed by only two more. It marks the beginning of a new stage in Sábato's intellectual development. He is considered a "man with three lives": first a physicist, with a doctorate in 1937, a man who researched and taught about radioactivity, followed by a turn to literature in the 1940s and a break with physics, until finally, toward the end of the 1970s, Sábato's last written text appeared and from then on he devoted himself only to painting.

The Tunnel begins, so to speak, from the end (in ultimas res). The respected painter Juan Pablo Castel is in prison in Buenos Aires because he killed his lover María Iribarne and then turned himself in to the police. Castel wants to give an account of his deed and how his relationship with María and finally her murder came to be.

A particular painting by Castel ("Motherhood") plays a key role within the narrative. It depicts a scene in which a lonely beach can be seen through a window, on the beach is a woman looking out to sea. In this review, I will refer to this painting as "window scene". To Castel's dismay, the art critics do not take particular note of this painting. But María, who one day stands spellbound in front of it at an exhibition, does. Castel believes he recognizes a kindred spirit in María. They get to know each other and begin a love affair. It turns out that María is married to an older, blind man. She also keeps eluding Castel by disappearing from Buenos Aires and going to an acquaintance's seaside estate. One day, when Castel visits María at the estate, she leads him to a spot by the sea. She explains to Castel that she has often sat there and that she recognised this very spot in the window scene Castel painted.

Castel, in turn, in trying to analyze María's behavior, becomes convinced that he cannot be sure of her love. He becomes increasingly jealous and berates his lover more and more violently, only to beg her forgiveness and place all the blame on himself. Finally, fate takes its course. In a fit of frenzy, Castel destroys his painting with a knife. He then drives out to the estate where María is staying and stabs her to death.

There are many ways to interpret the novel. One layer, the one to which the novel owes its title, is about the great loneliness of a man who lives at a critical distance from the world, due to a reality that is anything but simple.

The window scene, from the painter's point of view, expresses loneliness in an oppressive and radical way. María recognizes the loneliness of the window scene and the desire it contains for an interlocutor to break through it. From Castel's point of view, María and he had each lived separately in corridors/ tunnels. He is convinced that they are kindred spirits whose tunnels will meet at the end. Mediated through Castel's painting and María's response to it, the window scene became, for Castel, a window between the tunnels of their solitude.

When his relationship with María fails, however, Castel realizes that the encounter at the end of the tunnel was an illusion and that nothing can break through his loneliness, nothing can pass through the supposed window. For it is in fact not a window, but a wall of glass. Castel realizes that María is not a "tunnel person" like him, she belongs to the wide, normal world. Furthermore, he realises that there is only "a single tunnel, dark and solitary: mine, the tunnel wherein passed all my infancy, my youth, my entire life." Castel is convinced that there are no other "tunnel people", he is the only one. María has shattered his last hope for someone to end his solitude. Thus, Castel's crazed mind comes to the only "logical" conclusion: "I have to kill you, María. You left me alone."

The Tunnel is an amazing feat of existentialist writing. It's short, superbly written, intriguing, and a book that will hold you tight in its grip and not let you go. Castel is an amazing narrator of his own deeds because he is unreliable, crazed, arrogant towards his readership, sometimes unintentionally funny, but overall just giving incel vibes. Like, for real, that man is creeepy. His obsession with María is so scary – because it's so realistic. His desire to possess her, his later conviction that she is actually his possession. His threats ("I will kill you like a dog."), his frantic accusations ("Unfortunately, once again María failed me.") – as a reader, as a woman, I knew that María was doomed. You cannot escape a man like that.

Ultimately, The Tunnel is not just a story about solitude, it's also a story of power, and what those who wield it are capable of doing. The book is only 140 pages long, please, please read it. It is so, so good! And take my word for it, Sábato could write. So many good quotes, so many beautiful passages! The translation by Margaret Sayers Peden is superb!

Sınırları belirsiz bir anti-kahraman öyküsü 'Tünel'. Bu yüzden akla 'Yabancı'yı getirmekte okurken. Camus'un sınırlarını çizdiği karakterinin bir benzeri de burada var çünkü. Ama bu karakterin varoluş sorgulamaları tam da hepimizin hayatında yaşadığı, hissettiği türden. Sanatçı gözü ve duyumsaması... Her çağrıyı olumsuza doğru yollaması... Aşkın saplantılı ve hastalıklı tarafı... Trajedinin olağanlığı... Hepsini sade ve vurucu bir şekilde aktarmayı başarmış yazar. Karaktere sinirlenip, için için çökerken; aslında benzer durumlarda tıpkı karakter gibi davranmış olmanın farkındalığıyla, kendimize sinirlenip kurumlanıyoruz gibi geldi bana. Hiç beklemediğin bir yerde, aniden aynada suretini görünce apışıp kalmaya benziyor burada durum.
Ben çok beğendim, devamını da getireceğim Sabato'nun.
Kesinlikle okumanızı tavsiye ederim.

چرا؟

Really wanted to nail this in one sitting, but still managed it in two, wow!, this still retains it's power to shock all these years later, disturbing and even funny, Sabato features possibly the most chilling ending I have come across to date. Narrated by an artist in jail (that being Juan Pablo Castel)
who practically goes about stalking a woman named Maria after he spots her eying one of his canvases in a gallery. From this moment on he forces his way into her life, learning she has a blind husband, and ex-lovers drives him deranged with jealous envy. A perverse effect of the candour in Castel's retrospective account is that it almost makes you forget he's a murderer, believing this is an ordinary man, just telling a story. It wasn't always uncomfortable, and has some darkly humorous moments throughout. The lurking horror of his crime is all the more gross for its subtlety, that's what makes 'El Túnel' so darn chilling. A fantastic psychological short novel. Missing out on top marks though because I still felt it's story somehow seemed unbalanced.