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Luces en el mar
A veces necesitamos perdernos para poder encontrarnos.
«Fue un rayo el desencadenante de todo…». Así empieza Luces en el mar, una emocionante novela que cuenta la historia de Harold y Mary Rose Grapes, un matrimonio que, tras la trágica muerte de su hijo, dejó a un lado sus sueños de juventud y se resignó a vivir en una isla remota, alejados de todo. Ahora, el destino les vuelve a poner a prueba y se ven forzados a abandonar su hogar de una manera que nunca habrían imaginado. Justo la noche antes de ser desahuciados, por un problema de delimitación de costas, mientras Harold y Rose duermen, se desata una fuerte tormenta y un rayo hace que la casa se desprenda del acantilado y caiga al mar con ellos dentro. De la forma más inesperada, los Grapes se convierten en dos náufragos a la deriva sobre una casa flotante. Comienza así un extraordinario viaje en el que deberán luchar juntos frente a las adversidades si quieren sobrevivir. Olvidarse de los fantasmas y frustraciones del pasado es imprescindible.
«Fue un rayo el desencadenante de todo…». Así empieza Luces en el mar, una emocionante novela que cuenta la historia de Harold y Mary Rose Grapes, un matrimonio que, tras la trágica muerte de su hijo, dejó a un lado sus sueños de juventud y se resignó a vivir en una isla remota, alejados de todo. Ahora, el destino les vuelve a poner a prueba y se ven forzados a abandonar su hogar de una manera que nunca habrían imaginado. Justo la noche antes de ser desahuciados, por un problema de delimitación de costas, mientras Harold y Rose duermen, se desata una fuerte tormenta y un rayo hace que la casa se desprenda del acantilado y caiga al mar con ellos dentro. De la forma más inesperada, los Grapes se convierten en dos náufragos a la deriva sobre una casa flotante. Comienza así un extraordinario viaje en el que deberán luchar juntos frente a las adversidades si quieren sobrevivir. Olvidarse de los fantasmas y frustraciones del pasado es imprescindible.
334 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 30, 2018
About the author
Miquel Reina
1 book386 followersBarcelona-born Miquel Reina defines himself as a dreamer and a fighter; from a young age, he was drawn to the creative life, studying design and cinema before building his reputation as a filmmaker and graphic artist. His work in advertising won him several awards, including the prestigious Bronze Sun at Spain’s Festival de San Sebastián in 2011, and in 2014, his music video “Dead in the Water” was screened at the Tribeca Film Festival. Reina has lived in Vancouver, Canada, since 2016, working for a video production studio and dedicating his free time to his most gratifying passion: writing. Lights on the Sea is his debut novel, translated in 5 different languages. You can find more of his work at miquelreinabooks.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 568 reviews
November 17, 2018
Strange, magical, quirky delightful, there are many different ways to describe this novel. A parable, a fable, an allegorical treatise on loss and aging, among other definitions on how this book can be read. Harold and Mary Rose Grape, the names alone drew me into their story. A ship in a bottle, a house that floats, a helpful dolphin, are all details that stick in my mind.
Now elderly, about to lose their house, a house that holds all their hopes and dreams, a special house particularly the how and why in which it was built. A huge storm will change all that, and now life, living will require special skills. Their journey is the stuff of dreams, hallucinations, because their journey should be impossible. It is this journey, a journey that requires some major skills, that will give the Grapes, one last chance of a fulsome life. That will let them come to terms with their unbearable loss, forgive each other and themselves, and let them see that life can still hold surprises.
A well done and very different read, but one that holds a very big story and some unbelievable but brilliant imaginings.
ARC from Netgalley.
Now elderly, about to lose their house, a house that holds all their hopes and dreams, a special house particularly the how and why in which it was built. A huge storm will change all that, and now life, living will require special skills. Their journey is the stuff of dreams, hallucinations, because their journey should be impossible. It is this journey, a journey that requires some major skills, that will give the Grapes, one last chance of a fulsome life. That will let them come to terms with their unbearable loss, forgive each other and themselves, and let them see that life can still hold surprises.
A well done and very different read, but one that holds a very big story and some unbelievable but brilliant imaginings.
ARC from Netgalley.
May 5, 2017
Wow! I just finished this amazing book today! I devoured it in only 3 days!! I found the other day by chance, when I was taking a look at amazon indie authors contest. Immediately I felt in love with this beautiful book cover. But don't misunderstand me, in this book, there is beauty everywhere, out of the book and also inside it. The story is so powerful, so uplifting that I still in shock! Miquel Reina please write more books, I want to read more of your creative and touching stories. I suppose that I don't have to say more about the book, you only have to read it, especially if you enjoy books as LIFE OF PI, THE ALCHEMIST or ALL THE LIGHT WE CANNOT SEE. Its a masterpiece!
August 29, 2018
Miguel Reina crafted an exciting, action-packed tale that guided me on a remarkable adventure. It was a roller coaster ride from summits of jubilation to the deepest, darkest pits of despair and everything else thrown in between. Special recognition is given to Catherine Nelson for the fantastic job of translating this script from Spanish into well-written English.
The two leading characters were exceptionally well-drawn. The scenes took off with a maddening intensity that failed to yield. Many fascinating twists and turns made for a riveting storyline. A piece of my heart was torn out in the process of a gut-wrenching ending. This novel comes highly recommended.
Retired couple Harold and Mary Rose Grapes lived in a house that was precariously perched on a cliff above the raging ocean, the highest point of Brent Island. They were far removed from other members of the small community. It was just the way they preferred it.
For the past 35 years, the couple had been consumed with grief over the loss of their eight-year-old son, Dylan. Mary Rose had unrelenting contempt for her husband Harold and blamed him for their son's death. Mary Rose had no means for letting it go, no room for forgiveness. The couple mostly kept to themselves locked away in their faraway home.
On one stormy night a storm of epic proportion whipped the tiny island and snapped the guy wires that secured their lonely home to the cliff. While they slept peacefully, their home slipped down into the open jaws of the waiting sea. Miraculously, it didn't sink. So began their journey toward open-water.
They spent weeks adrift in the unforgiving ocean. It was quite a sight. What kept the house afloat was attributed to the voluminous foundation of lava under the house that was porous and acted like a raft, truly phenomenal.
Their torturous journey through frigid weather conditions was fraught with many overwhelming challenges, their most perilous being their head-on collision with a towering iceberg. Each day they thought would be their last.
After what seemed like an eternity of being drawn by the currents of the merciless sea, they spotted land. Where they were, they hadn't the faintest idea. By this time, the remaining meager rations of water and food were all but depleted.
Smoke was spotted coming from behind a soaring mountain on the snow-covered plain. After making contact with the icy shelf, they were faced with a monumental decision. They could either stay in the house and die of certain famine or go out into the wilderness in search of the source of the smoke.
Teetering on the brink of predictable death, the stranded survivors knew they had to put their lives in great peril and leave the temporary sanctuary of their home. In their weakened state, they had no idea what lied just behind the mountain. It was do or die.
I offer my gratitude to NetGalley and AmazonCrossing for this ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.
The two leading characters were exceptionally well-drawn. The scenes took off with a maddening intensity that failed to yield. Many fascinating twists and turns made for a riveting storyline. A piece of my heart was torn out in the process of a gut-wrenching ending. This novel comes highly recommended.
Retired couple Harold and Mary Rose Grapes lived in a house that was precariously perched on a cliff above the raging ocean, the highest point of Brent Island. They were far removed from other members of the small community. It was just the way they preferred it.
For the past 35 years, the couple had been consumed with grief over the loss of their eight-year-old son, Dylan. Mary Rose had unrelenting contempt for her husband Harold and blamed him for their son's death. Mary Rose had no means for letting it go, no room for forgiveness. The couple mostly kept to themselves locked away in their faraway home.
On one stormy night a storm of epic proportion whipped the tiny island and snapped the guy wires that secured their lonely home to the cliff. While they slept peacefully, their home slipped down into the open jaws of the waiting sea. Miraculously, it didn't sink. So began their journey toward open-water.
They spent weeks adrift in the unforgiving ocean. It was quite a sight. What kept the house afloat was attributed to the voluminous foundation of lava under the house that was porous and acted like a raft, truly phenomenal.
Their torturous journey through frigid weather conditions was fraught with many overwhelming challenges, their most perilous being their head-on collision with a towering iceberg. Each day they thought would be their last.
After what seemed like an eternity of being drawn by the currents of the merciless sea, they spotted land. Where they were, they hadn't the faintest idea. By this time, the remaining meager rations of water and food were all but depleted.
Smoke was spotted coming from behind a soaring mountain on the snow-covered plain. After making contact with the icy shelf, they were faced with a monumental decision. They could either stay in the house and die of certain famine or go out into the wilderness in search of the source of the smoke.
Teetering on the brink of predictable death, the stranded survivors knew they had to put their lives in great peril and leave the temporary sanctuary of their home. In their weakened state, they had no idea what lied just behind the mountain. It was do or die.
I offer my gratitude to NetGalley and AmazonCrossing for this ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.
March 14, 2018
What a book! What an incredible story! I never read a full Spanish book and I have to admit that is for sure one of THE BEST BOOKS I EVER READ in all languages. Luces en el Mar is a story so well balanced, so well written, with a characters so charm and human that sometimes I totally forgot that they weren't real. But above all, is a story that punches you and this is for me something almost magical. I hope that the writer translates the book to can capture all the subtle language that I still missing and I hope that everybody read this book. Its a masterpiece and hope that some day becomes a classic.
February 8, 2017
Tengo que reconocer que con este libro he tenido un gran problema: que no he podido conectar con él.
August 16, 2018
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book In exchange for a honest review.
What a powerful book. This is a truely magical read.
Lights on the sea is beautifully written and moved me deeply.
I was heartbroken and reduced to tears more than once, but also blown away at the level of understanding shown towards human emotion and the power of forgivness and love.
This was a spiritual journey that you can't read without being pulled into.
" A home isn't built with walls or determined by where we are, a home is built from our experiences , from the people we meet along the way , and, more than anything, from how we decide to journey through life . Life is a movement. A precarious equilibrium that can change in an instant."
Miquel Reina is an exquisite writer and I can't wait to read more from him.
I was disappointed when I came to the end and will reread this title again.
This was by far the most moving and thought provoking book I have read this year.
What a powerful book. This is a truely magical read.
Lights on the sea is beautifully written and moved me deeply.
I was heartbroken and reduced to tears more than once, but also blown away at the level of understanding shown towards human emotion and the power of forgivness and love.
This was a spiritual journey that you can't read without being pulled into.
" A home isn't built with walls or determined by where we are, a home is built from our experiences , from the people we meet along the way , and, more than anything, from how we decide to journey through life . Life is a movement. A precarious equilibrium that can change in an instant."
Miquel Reina is an exquisite writer and I can't wait to read more from him.
I was disappointed when I came to the end and will reread this title again.
This was by far the most moving and thought provoking book I have read this year.
July 30, 2023
This is a Lap Cat Book
As I was reading this book I realized that this is the kind of fun book that a cat would even make more fun if that cat was on my lap. Where’s my cat? I asked outloud. “She is in the other room working out on the treadmill,” my husband replied. The treadmill? Our new one? Working out? I went to see. And there she was on the treadmill, not desiring at all to join me in my read. She was fast asleep. Treadmills can wear you out, I thought and then I went back to my book.
I didn’t expect this kind of book and whatever its genre was, I was not sure. If it was a fable, you could not prove it by me, if it was a fantasy, I couldn’t tell. It was kind of close to reality but it was improbable that a house could slide off a cliff and remain intact. My husband, who was a house builder, said, “If could happen if it landed just right, but it is very improbable, and it would need air to hold it up.”
It has air to hold it up.
The couple who live in this house are Harold and Mary Rose Grapes, and they on a small island in Wales living in a two story yellow house that is now too close to the sea. Years of rain and ocean waves have caused the house be closer and closer to the cliff’s edge. Now they are being evicted from this lovely yellow house that Harold had built, and I might add, I also live in a yellow house, so I relate well to yellow houses. I feel sad.
So they begin packing, and the following morning they have to leave their little home. Instead a rainstorm occurs during the middle of the night, but they don’t realize that their little house will be in the sea by morning. They don’t even feel the rumble because they have both taken sleeping pills. Now those are some powerful sleeping pills, and this is the only time that I felt that this book was in the fantasy genre.
And by now my other cat has taken her place on my lap, and so we are reading this book together. Let Taffy have her treadmill; she needs to lose weight, and I have Mandy now.
Besides being a wild adventure, this book is also about redemption. Harold had gone fishing with his son one day, and the boat capsized. The son died, and Mary Rose blames him for their son’s death.
So now they are on the sea in their little houseboat. It floats because part of the island came with it, a volcanic large rock that has enough air in it to cause the house to float. And the ocean is carrying them out to sea. How will they survive?
I got caught up in a conversation with my husband about this book. Can you turn a motor into a generation and can the sea currents make electricity with this generator? What is a guy line? Yes. And a guy line is a cable that holds a ships mast. He knows these things because he was once a commercial fisherman.
So now they are bobbing on the sea trying to find food and electricity to make water and to light the house. Can you imagine what it would look like to anyone on the sea who sees this two story yellow house with lights on, bobbing up and down on the sea just going with the flow of the ocean currents?
My last question to my husband was, “Can you make the house move in a different direction if you open the windows on one side of the house?” “It would be like a sail. It is possible to move it some.” So see, this book is not really a fantasy at all.
And then he said the unexpected, “I want to read this book too.” And I thought of how over the last 30 years we have only read two books together, both he had read first and loved, “Lord of the Rings” and “Gold River Canyon’s Dead.” But I beat him to this one.
As I was reading this book I realized that this is the kind of fun book that a cat would even make more fun if that cat was on my lap. Where’s my cat? I asked outloud. “She is in the other room working out on the treadmill,” my husband replied. The treadmill? Our new one? Working out? I went to see. And there she was on the treadmill, not desiring at all to join me in my read. She was fast asleep. Treadmills can wear you out, I thought and then I went back to my book.
I didn’t expect this kind of book and whatever its genre was, I was not sure. If it was a fable, you could not prove it by me, if it was a fantasy, I couldn’t tell. It was kind of close to reality but it was improbable that a house could slide off a cliff and remain intact. My husband, who was a house builder, said, “If could happen if it landed just right, but it is very improbable, and it would need air to hold it up.”
It has air to hold it up.
The couple who live in this house are Harold and Mary Rose Grapes, and they on a small island in Wales living in a two story yellow house that is now too close to the sea. Years of rain and ocean waves have caused the house be closer and closer to the cliff’s edge. Now they are being evicted from this lovely yellow house that Harold had built, and I might add, I also live in a yellow house, so I relate well to yellow houses. I feel sad.
So they begin packing, and the following morning they have to leave their little home. Instead a rainstorm occurs during the middle of the night, but they don’t realize that their little house will be in the sea by morning. They don’t even feel the rumble because they have both taken sleeping pills. Now those are some powerful sleeping pills, and this is the only time that I felt that this book was in the fantasy genre.
And by now my other cat has taken her place on my lap, and so we are reading this book together. Let Taffy have her treadmill; she needs to lose weight, and I have Mandy now.
Besides being a wild adventure, this book is also about redemption. Harold had gone fishing with his son one day, and the boat capsized. The son died, and Mary Rose blames him for their son’s death.
So now they are on the sea in their little houseboat. It floats because part of the island came with it, a volcanic large rock that has enough air in it to cause the house to float. And the ocean is carrying them out to sea. How will they survive?
I got caught up in a conversation with my husband about this book. Can you turn a motor into a generation and can the sea currents make electricity with this generator? What is a guy line? Yes. And a guy line is a cable that holds a ships mast. He knows these things because he was once a commercial fisherman.
So now they are bobbing on the sea trying to find food and electricity to make water and to light the house. Can you imagine what it would look like to anyone on the sea who sees this two story yellow house with lights on, bobbing up and down on the sea just going with the flow of the ocean currents?
My last question to my husband was, “Can you make the house move in a different direction if you open the windows on one side of the house?” “It would be like a sail. It is possible to move it some.” So see, this book is not really a fantasy at all.
And then he said the unexpected, “I want to read this book too.” And I thought of how over the last 30 years we have only read two books together, both he had read first and loved, “Lord of the Rings” and “Gold River Canyon’s Dead.” But I beat him to this one.
August 29, 2018
Fantastic cover. And this book is one that proves the old saying "don't judge the book by its cover" wrong. So wrong.
Because the story is simply magical and captivating and will open a whole new perspective on the world after reading it.
And the best part is that Mr Reina has managed to make it feel so realistic. What would it feel like to be washed away in the sea...IN YOUR HOUSE? Amazing.
I highly recommend this book to everyone who likes lyrical general fiction with a message.
Thank you AmazonCrossing for translating this book and providing me with a copy in exchange for my honest review.
Because the story is simply magical and captivating and will open a whole new perspective on the world after reading it.
And the best part is that Mr Reina has managed to make it feel so realistic. What would it feel like to be washed away in the sea...IN YOUR HOUSE? Amazing.
I highly recommend this book to everyone who likes lyrical general fiction with a message.
Thank you AmazonCrossing for translating this book and providing me with a copy in exchange for my honest review.
June 22, 2020
Me ha gustado muchísimo 😍👏🏻muy recomendado..
Se lee muy ligero y te mete en la historia de una manera increíble...
Es una historia muy bonita que te tiene en vilo y con la piel de gallina en todo momento...
Aprendes sobre el Amor la pérdida y lo k significa el un Hogar 🏡 realmente ... tenéis que leerlo ... apuntalo 😃👍🏼
Se lee muy ligero y te mete en la historia de una manera increíble...
Es una historia muy bonita que te tiene en vilo y con la piel de gallina en todo momento...
Aprendes sobre el Amor la pérdida y lo k significa el un Hogar 🏡 realmente ... tenéis que leerlo ... apuntalo 😃👍🏼
October 22, 2016
This book was suggested to me and I was quick to start reading. I'm always looking for a great new book written in Spanish, and on reading the summary I was immediately interested. The way the book is written keeps you interested the entire time, I can't remember a point where I wasn't completely lost in the story. And as the story progressed I found my self agreeing more and more with the lessons that Los Señores Grapes learn as well as the profundity of their meanings. While reading I couldn't help but be reminded of The Alchemist at times. It's obvious that the writer is experienced in life as well as in writing.
August 23, 2018
I was completely enthralled with this story. Once I had started, I couldn't stop reading! I was so in love with Mr. and Mrs. Grapes that I didn't want the story to end, even though my breath caught numerous times in anticipation as to what would happen next. I wholeheartedly recommend this book to everyone. I thank Netgalley for allowing me to read and review this great book!
September 3, 2018
"lights of the Sea" by Miquel Reina is truly unusual book.
Can we imagine the elderly couple living on the edge of the cliff high above the ocean? ,That large ocean that eroded their cliff from large property to a few feet of land around the house, the same fierce ocean that took a life of their son, the same mysterious ocean that send a couple to their impossible journey had awaken them as the result of that journey to the new lights and revelations of lights.
The book is very metaphorical in my opinion. The house that became adrift is actually a boat that was not finished by Howard long time ago, when the couple shut themselves in the house grieving their son. That boat the couple always wanted to take to make a family ocean journey, became a house, got buried away in the foundation of the house, the mast became a beam supporting the house and nobody recognizes it anymore as the boat.
The storm tear away the cliff with the house , sends it adrift, strips all the unnecessary things in life and in the house and restores the actual boat to be seen as the boat. With that restoration, Harold and Rose awaken from their grief and see the new lights in the ocean and in their life.
The language has a poetic quality to it, I think the original poetic quality was not lost in translation but it feels it was simplified somehow. Cannot agree with some reviews that the language is sweet and resembles young adult novel. The language here reflects the magical journey and very appropriate, despite simple sentence structure and floweriness.
I would recommend this book for the book clubs as well as general audience, however, it is not a fantasy book. or a thriller. I would definitely recommend the book to the poetry lovers.
I was provided free copy of the book courtesy of the publisher "Amazon Crossing".
.
Can we imagine the elderly couple living on the edge of the cliff high above the ocean? ,That large ocean that eroded their cliff from large property to a few feet of land around the house, the same fierce ocean that took a life of their son, the same mysterious ocean that send a couple to their impossible journey had awaken them as the result of that journey to the new lights and revelations of lights.
The book is very metaphorical in my opinion. The house that became adrift is actually a boat that was not finished by Howard long time ago, when the couple shut themselves in the house grieving their son. That boat the couple always wanted to take to make a family ocean journey, became a house, got buried away in the foundation of the house, the mast became a beam supporting the house and nobody recognizes it anymore as the boat.
The storm tear away the cliff with the house , sends it adrift, strips all the unnecessary things in life and in the house and restores the actual boat to be seen as the boat. With that restoration, Harold and Rose awaken from their grief and see the new lights in the ocean and in their life.
The language has a poetic quality to it, I think the original poetic quality was not lost in translation but it feels it was simplified somehow. Cannot agree with some reviews that the language is sweet and resembles young adult novel. The language here reflects the magical journey and very appropriate, despite simple sentence structure and floweriness.
I would recommend this book for the book clubs as well as general audience, however, it is not a fantasy book. or a thriller. I would definitely recommend the book to the poetry lovers.
I was provided free copy of the book courtesy of the publisher "Amazon Crossing".
.
September 16, 2018
This book will be BIG as other classics like Life of Pi or The Alchemist, actually some of my favorite books. This is a story about redemption, love, grief, and above all, a big light that makes us dream. I totally recommend it if you like books that entertain but also make you think. A MUST!
October 6, 2018
Originally published on The Nerd Daily | Review by Tom Carrao
Where are we? This simple question takes on enormous existential weight for the central couple of Miquel Reina’s tender debut novel.
Harold and Mary Rose Grapes are embalmed in profound personal grief when their lives are unmoored completely in one swift move from self-imposed exile. During a tempestuous storm, their precarious cliffside home detaches from its foundations and floats out to sea. Any leap of credibility that a reader will have to make is eased by the reactions of the characters who themselves can scarcely believe the circumstances.
On the eve of eviction from their geographically perilous property, surrounded and beleaguered by the boxed dusty detritus of their lives, any further disruption is unimaginable. Reina skilfully exploits this surreal (or “marvellously real”) aspect to the story to investigate and reveal the long-buried and repressed emotions within the Grapes, the sub-conscious incrementally teased out as the journey unfolds, suggesting that healing (hard and painfully earned) is possible even years on from tragedy.
35 years ago, misjudging the severity of a weather forecast, Mr. Grapes set sail home with his young son, Dylan, only to lose him to the sea after a rogue wave capsizes their boat. At a shipyard on the other side of their island home, the two had been diligently employed constructing a private boat, intended to become the family’s permanent home. The death of the child maroons both parents in a dense fugue of despair and fathomless sadness, compounded by unspoken guilt and recrimination. The hollowed Grapes dismantled what they now perceived as a worthless project and incorporated bits of it in the home they built for themselves at cliff’s edge. Over the years, what may have been intended as shrine to the lost son has atrophied into a mausoleum.
Long-dormant, pure instincts towards survival kick in as the Grapes confront the dire conditions of their plight. Harold and Mary Rose are startled into a direct engagement with the present, awake and fighting after so many years of vacancy both spiritual and psychological.
Harold sets about solving the practicalities of electricity and potable water. Meanwhile, Mary Rose sets about restoring some order in the residence, as all furnishings and objects have shifted violently in the plunge. However, a bit more self-sufficiency and resourcefulness from Mary Rose would be welcome, overall, as behaviour occasionally lapses reductively along traditional gender lines.
It is determined the buoyancy of the property, the reason it has remained intact, is due to the unique volcanic composition of the island’s soil, which has produced a series of air pockets. Mysterious, alluring lights pulse on the horizon when exhaustion and apprehension conspire to defeat the Grapes. These are allusions perhaps to the fireflies beloved of their son or, indeed, solicitous transmissions from his soul now embedded in the universe to encourage their resolve. Reina’s immediacy of style in this section lends a thrilling moment-to-moment awareness of physical and environmental threat as the couple battle against the elements.
After near-disaster, the Grapes are rescued by the inhabitants of a nomadic tribe of people, initially suspicious, but soon compassionate. As the Grapes become enmeshed in the day-to-day activities of the community, opening themselves to cultural rituals and perspectives far from their own, it is suggested that much of an enlightened outlook springs from engagement with and appreciation of difference. When a similar tragedy to the Grapes’s own strikes a family to whom they have grown close, their considered and reflective response stirs the Grapes to confront all the years of bitterness and regret that have made it impossible to purge and move on, that has isolated them comprehensively.
“I must keep moving forward…because in the end that’s why we’re here, right? The only reason we are given life is to live it…life is a constant journey”. No blame is sought, no fault is assigned, just an acknowledged acceptance of the vagaries of existence, and how we decide to continue travelling despite them. A gentle but remorseless rebuke to a couple who abruptly ceased any motion.
With this revelation, the Grapes welcome a peace and comfort thought impossible to access. In these final chapters, Reina in his enthusiasm and delight for his characters’ breakthrough has a tendency to overwrite the dialogue between Mr. And Mrs. Grapes-they reveal themselves to one another in an inelegant overflow of self-actualised effluvium that seems more the result of absorbing the text of a self-help book. This sometimes gross overstatement can be forgiven as Reina has built so much sympathy for the duo through their adversity and hardship. They are certainly due this epiphany, but writing it descriptively would ease what sounds cumbersome and overwrought as conversational confession. This sudden effusion of talk also violates the reserved nature of the Grapes which, even in the face of tensions cracking like “dry, brittle crust”, would not so quickly transition into such loquaciousness.
Readers can already discern, through the simplest expression of behaviour and action, how matters between the Grapes are easing and thawing. The expansion extends right through to the Grapes’s property, as well, which finally shakes off the funereal in favour of vivid momentum-a fulfilment of original intentions. In the concluding segments, when Reina allows his authorial voice to reflect, he achieves some of his most moving, lyrically plain spoken passages.
Sometimes we need to get lost in order to find ourselves, reads an anonymous quote at the start of the tale. And sometimes, when we are quite unable or unwilling to motivate ourselves, the universe will set in place its own strategy. Reina’s strategy is to embody this principle so winningly, fantastically and poignantly in this inaugural work.
Where are we? This simple question takes on enormous existential weight for the central couple of Miquel Reina’s tender debut novel.
Harold and Mary Rose Grapes are embalmed in profound personal grief when their lives are unmoored completely in one swift move from self-imposed exile. During a tempestuous storm, their precarious cliffside home detaches from its foundations and floats out to sea. Any leap of credibility that a reader will have to make is eased by the reactions of the characters who themselves can scarcely believe the circumstances.
On the eve of eviction from their geographically perilous property, surrounded and beleaguered by the boxed dusty detritus of their lives, any further disruption is unimaginable. Reina skilfully exploits this surreal (or “marvellously real”) aspect to the story to investigate and reveal the long-buried and repressed emotions within the Grapes, the sub-conscious incrementally teased out as the journey unfolds, suggesting that healing (hard and painfully earned) is possible even years on from tragedy.
35 years ago, misjudging the severity of a weather forecast, Mr. Grapes set sail home with his young son, Dylan, only to lose him to the sea after a rogue wave capsizes their boat. At a shipyard on the other side of their island home, the two had been diligently employed constructing a private boat, intended to become the family’s permanent home. The death of the child maroons both parents in a dense fugue of despair and fathomless sadness, compounded by unspoken guilt and recrimination. The hollowed Grapes dismantled what they now perceived as a worthless project and incorporated bits of it in the home they built for themselves at cliff’s edge. Over the years, what may have been intended as shrine to the lost son has atrophied into a mausoleum.
Long-dormant, pure instincts towards survival kick in as the Grapes confront the dire conditions of their plight. Harold and Mary Rose are startled into a direct engagement with the present, awake and fighting after so many years of vacancy both spiritual and psychological.
Harold sets about solving the practicalities of electricity and potable water. Meanwhile, Mary Rose sets about restoring some order in the residence, as all furnishings and objects have shifted violently in the plunge. However, a bit more self-sufficiency and resourcefulness from Mary Rose would be welcome, overall, as behaviour occasionally lapses reductively along traditional gender lines.
It is determined the buoyancy of the property, the reason it has remained intact, is due to the unique volcanic composition of the island’s soil, which has produced a series of air pockets. Mysterious, alluring lights pulse on the horizon when exhaustion and apprehension conspire to defeat the Grapes. These are allusions perhaps to the fireflies beloved of their son or, indeed, solicitous transmissions from his soul now embedded in the universe to encourage their resolve. Reina’s immediacy of style in this section lends a thrilling moment-to-moment awareness of physical and environmental threat as the couple battle against the elements.
After near-disaster, the Grapes are rescued by the inhabitants of a nomadic tribe of people, initially suspicious, but soon compassionate. As the Grapes become enmeshed in the day-to-day activities of the community, opening themselves to cultural rituals and perspectives far from their own, it is suggested that much of an enlightened outlook springs from engagement with and appreciation of difference. When a similar tragedy to the Grapes’s own strikes a family to whom they have grown close, their considered and reflective response stirs the Grapes to confront all the years of bitterness and regret that have made it impossible to purge and move on, that has isolated them comprehensively.
“I must keep moving forward…because in the end that’s why we’re here, right? The only reason we are given life is to live it…life is a constant journey”. No blame is sought, no fault is assigned, just an acknowledged acceptance of the vagaries of existence, and how we decide to continue travelling despite them. A gentle but remorseless rebuke to a couple who abruptly ceased any motion.
With this revelation, the Grapes welcome a peace and comfort thought impossible to access. In these final chapters, Reina in his enthusiasm and delight for his characters’ breakthrough has a tendency to overwrite the dialogue between Mr. And Mrs. Grapes-they reveal themselves to one another in an inelegant overflow of self-actualised effluvium that seems more the result of absorbing the text of a self-help book. This sometimes gross overstatement can be forgiven as Reina has built so much sympathy for the duo through their adversity and hardship. They are certainly due this epiphany, but writing it descriptively would ease what sounds cumbersome and overwrought as conversational confession. This sudden effusion of talk also violates the reserved nature of the Grapes which, even in the face of tensions cracking like “dry, brittle crust”, would not so quickly transition into such loquaciousness.
Readers can already discern, through the simplest expression of behaviour and action, how matters between the Grapes are easing and thawing. The expansion extends right through to the Grapes’s property, as well, which finally shakes off the funereal in favour of vivid momentum-a fulfilment of original intentions. In the concluding segments, when Reina allows his authorial voice to reflect, he achieves some of his most moving, lyrically plain spoken passages.
Sometimes we need to get lost in order to find ourselves, reads an anonymous quote at the start of the tale. And sometimes, when we are quite unable or unwilling to motivate ourselves, the universe will set in place its own strategy. Reina’s strategy is to embody this principle so winningly, fantastically and poignantly in this inaugural work.
November 12, 2018
A truly magical book that resonates with one’s humanity and strikes a chord with what unites the peoples of the world rather than what divides us.
Never more than a story about a simple couple growing old together it becomes a takes on a life of its own through fantasy and parable. Not looking outside for divine intervention but revealing within ourselves by embracing others and being accepted by them. We learn deeper truths and the power of life and the wisdom of living it in the right spirit.
Harold and Mary Rose have much to be grateful for but when then day of the notice of eviction gets closer they reflect about losing their home and their boxed up possessions.
Their home however is special. It is a shrine to their son who died at a young age while helping his dad build a boat to free the family to journey to new lands and enjoy the freedom of travel.
When they lost their son their dreams died with him and the timbers of the boat rebuilt into their home.
Even the weather seems to reflect the tension of their last night in the house, on top of the cliff, overlooking the sea.
They wake in a new reality; they are adrift. The ground and foundations of the house have given way and fallen into the sea. Miraculously, they are alive but without power or the means to steer their floating home at the mercy of the current.
Everyone back home will feel they died in the cliff fall but for now at least they are alive.
The story goes on to tell of this new reality. Their lives have been spared with their house and only a will to live and ingenuity will keep them alive.
A journey of adventure and personal insights follows. Harold and Mary Rose face death on a daily basis.
Yet through this heart warming story we learn to cry with them as we understand their sorrow and how the death of their son both unites and divides them.
A beautiful tale without a strident repetitive message but a reflection on a common life. How love can be set aside and happiness buried in grief. Not preached to you but gently shared through their struggle to survive and observations of others who hold the power of life over them. A blessing to read as subliminally in narrative, dialogue and the expanse of the ocean rich gems of lasting beauty are found. You learn the difference between a rock and a fish. Reflective, resonating deep spiritual truth through nature and surviving in extreme situations.
The floating house is a journey from grief to rest, blackness to light and clutter to abundance.
It labels what inhibits and prevents peace. It names what subdues and prevents enlightenment. It identifies what grows but never produces life.
A book free from religious platitudes but teeming with wisdom and a spark of fire that can be captured and used to throw light on things that hold us back and free paralysed limbs to live and move.
Never more than a story about a simple couple growing old together it becomes a takes on a life of its own through fantasy and parable. Not looking outside for divine intervention but revealing within ourselves by embracing others and being accepted by them. We learn deeper truths and the power of life and the wisdom of living it in the right spirit.
Harold and Mary Rose have much to be grateful for but when then day of the notice of eviction gets closer they reflect about losing their home and their boxed up possessions.
Their home however is special. It is a shrine to their son who died at a young age while helping his dad build a boat to free the family to journey to new lands and enjoy the freedom of travel.
When they lost their son their dreams died with him and the timbers of the boat rebuilt into their home.
Even the weather seems to reflect the tension of their last night in the house, on top of the cliff, overlooking the sea.
They wake in a new reality; they are adrift. The ground and foundations of the house have given way and fallen into the sea. Miraculously, they are alive but without power or the means to steer their floating home at the mercy of the current.
Everyone back home will feel they died in the cliff fall but for now at least they are alive.
The story goes on to tell of this new reality. Their lives have been spared with their house and only a will to live and ingenuity will keep them alive.
A journey of adventure and personal insights follows. Harold and Mary Rose face death on a daily basis.
Yet through this heart warming story we learn to cry with them as we understand their sorrow and how the death of their son both unites and divides them.
A beautiful tale without a strident repetitive message but a reflection on a common life. How love can be set aside and happiness buried in grief. Not preached to you but gently shared through their struggle to survive and observations of others who hold the power of life over them. A blessing to read as subliminally in narrative, dialogue and the expanse of the ocean rich gems of lasting beauty are found. You learn the difference between a rock and a fish. Reflective, resonating deep spiritual truth through nature and surviving in extreme situations.
The floating house is a journey from grief to rest, blackness to light and clutter to abundance.
It labels what inhibits and prevents peace. It names what subdues and prevents enlightenment. It identifies what grows but never produces life.
A book free from religious platitudes but teeming with wisdom and a spark of fire that can be captured and used to throw light on things that hold us back and free paralysed limbs to live and move.
April 4, 2018
3,5 estrellas
Reseña completa: http://anitavelabooks.blogspot.com.es/2018/04/luces-en-el-mar-miquel-reina.html
Luces en el mar es una historia original y peculiar que nos habla de vida, de amor, de sueños sin cumplir, de superación… Digamos que esta historia te hace reflexionar, aprender y mirar las cosas con otro punto de vista. Yo os animo a que le deis una oportunidad a los señores Grapes para conocer su historia.
En el BLOG os cuento más. ¿Te pasas?
Reseña completa: http://anitavelabooks.blogspot.com.es/2018/04/luces-en-el-mar-miquel-reina.html
Luces en el mar es una historia original y peculiar que nos habla de vida, de amor, de sueños sin cumplir, de superación… Digamos que esta historia te hace reflexionar, aprender y mirar las cosas con otro punto de vista. Yo os animo a que le deis una oportunidad a los señores Grapes para conocer su historia.
En el BLOG os cuento más. ¿Te pasas?
September 9, 2016
· 4,5 ·
Lo que me hace quitarle ese medio punto es el hecho de que hubo momentos en los que la lectura se me hizo algo pesada, alguna escena demasiado lenta o, tal vez, alargada de más.
Dicho esto, todo lo que me quede por decir de esta novela es más que bueno. Es mejor que bueno.
Empezando por los personajes, que me han parecido redondos (tanto los protagonistas como los secundarios, o no tan secundarios)... y siguiendo por la enorme lección que deja su historia, fácilmente extrapolable a cualquier ámbito de nuestra vida.
Tras conocer la historia de Mary Rose y Harold me quedan unas inmensas ganas de vivir y unas gafas sucias por las lágrimas.
Lo que me hace quitarle ese medio punto es el hecho de que hubo momentos en los que la lectura se me hizo algo pesada, alguna escena demasiado lenta o, tal vez, alargada de más.
Dicho esto, todo lo que me quede por decir de esta novela es más que bueno. Es mejor que bueno.
Empezando por los personajes, que me han parecido redondos (tanto los protagonistas como los secundarios, o no tan secundarios)... y siguiendo por la enorme lección que deja su historia, fácilmente extrapolable a cualquier ámbito de nuestra vida.
Tras conocer la historia de Mary Rose y Harold me quedan unas inmensas ganas de vivir y unas gafas sucias por las lágrimas.
September 16, 2018
I love to find books that really surprise me. Lights on the Sea is a fable about the power of redemption and the fulfillment of dreams that has elements from Life of Pi or Aleph. The 2 main characters, Harold and Mary Rose Grapes are so well defined that sometimes I thought they were real. The story is beautifully written, surrounded by landscapes and images that gave me the feeling of being watching a film. I hope someday some studio decides to translate this marvelous story into a movie because it will be deserved a lot of Oscars.
September 17, 2018
Harold and Mary Rose Grapes lead an isolated existence in their small yellow house perched on the edge of a cliff. Facing eviction due to the government deeming their house unsafe, Harold and Mary Rose go to bed after packing their belongings, resigned to accepting the inevitable. They wake in the morning, however, to find themselves in their little house adrift in the middle of the ocean. During the night the house had plunged off the cliff, and because it was built on porous volcanic rock, Harold and Mary Rose are now bobbing like a cork, destination unknown.
Faced with dwindling resources and terror of the open sea, Harold and Mary Rose are stressed to the limits of endurance. The couple also bears the additional burden of grief that cripples their daily life. They meet some others along the way, outsiders from a different culture who help them with their physical survival and their mental stagnation.
Although the message can be heavy-handed towards the end, it is sympathetic nonetheless. Part tall tale, part love story, Lights on the Sea would appeal to any generation of reader.
Many thanks to Miquel Reina, Netgalley, and AmazonCrossing for this advance copy in exchange for my review.
Faced with dwindling resources and terror of the open sea, Harold and Mary Rose are stressed to the limits of endurance. The couple also bears the additional burden of grief that cripples their daily life. They meet some others along the way, outsiders from a different culture who help them with their physical survival and their mental stagnation.
Although the message can be heavy-handed towards the end, it is sympathetic nonetheless. Part tall tale, part love story, Lights on the Sea would appeal to any generation of reader.
Many thanks to Miquel Reina, Netgalley, and AmazonCrossing for this advance copy in exchange for my review.
September 16, 2018
I don´t usually read translations because I always fear that something will get lost. So when I found this novel I wasn´t sure if I should read it or not. At the end I bought it without any expectations and now, I don´t know what to say. I finished the book with my eyes full of tears and for days I couldn't stop thinking about this story. Mary Rose and Harold Grapes will be always in my heart. This is the most inspirational, poetic and also tough story I read in years. Now, I just wish to see a film adaptation of this particular and magical journey of a house floating adrift.
September 16, 2018
Oh my god! This is one of the most beautiful novels I ever read in my entire life. I´m a great fan of Kristin Hannah´s books and when I saw her quote for Lights on the Sea it picked my curiosity. Although the type of book is very different from Hanna´s writing style, I totally agree with here that this is an incredible story.
September 15, 2018
This book came to me by chance. I never heart about the author but when I saw that Kristin Hannah did a great endorsement for it I didn´t hesitate and I read it. This is an amazing story, with some similarities to Life of Pi but much more touching. I totally recommend it
December 26, 2020
3'5 🌟 Es un viaje que te hace reflexionar sobre la vida y la muerte. Una historia original y distinta a lo que estoy acostumbrada a leer, es una novela que te sorprende en cada página y te deja con grandes mensajes que te hacen pensar. Una lectura de superación personal y lucha que todo el mundo debería leer.
June 21, 2018
Reseña completa -> http://thewordsofbooks.blogspot.com/2...
«Tengo miedo a olvidar. Olvidar los recuerdos de un tiempo en que éramos felices soñando. Miedo al saber que lo único que nos permite seguir cerca de él es esta casa que mañana será destruida para siempre.»
Ha sido una historia bonita, de nuevas oportunidades, de saber perdonar y dejar el pasado atrás.. todo con una aventura que nuestros personajes nunca imaginaron llegar a vivir. Son unos personajes adorables y que es inevitable no cogerles cariño :D
«Tengo miedo a olvidar. Olvidar los recuerdos de un tiempo en que éramos felices soñando. Miedo al saber que lo único que nos permite seguir cerca de él es esta casa que mañana será destruida para siempre.»
Ha sido una historia bonita, de nuevas oportunidades, de saber perdonar y dejar el pasado atrás.. todo con una aventura que nuestros personajes nunca imaginaron llegar a vivir. Son unos personajes adorables y que es inevitable no cogerles cariño :D
January 11, 2017
Debo reconocer que cuando comencé a leerlo lo hice sin haberme leído la sinopsis, y también tengo que reconocer que no me esperaba en absoluto una historia como la que contiene el libro.
Los personajes son fáciles de comprender y no hay ninguno que guste menos, aunque sí me hubiera gustado saber más de los secundarios. Pero la historia tiene que ser de esa manera, así que no voy a quejarme ni a quitar puntos por ello. No es que la historia conlleve complejidad, simplemente es que la redacción es muy buena. Te atrapa desde las primeras hojas, o al menos a mí. Me ha encantado la forma de contar la historia, las metáforas, la poética y sobre todo el mensaje que la historia ofrece. El autor no pierde el hilo en ningún momento y adorna cada escena de forma sutil, aporta una belleza frágil. Supongo que es una de las cosas que más me ha gustado de todo.
Recomiendo el libro a aquellas personas que les gusten leer sobre la vida, sobre los sueños y sobre la esperanza. Y animo al autor de esta obra para que siga el curso que ha tomado. Espero poder leer muchos libros más de ti, Miquel.
Los personajes son fáciles de comprender y no hay ninguno que guste menos, aunque sí me hubiera gustado saber más de los secundarios. Pero la historia tiene que ser de esa manera, así que no voy a quejarme ni a quitar puntos por ello. No es que la historia conlleve complejidad, simplemente es que la redacción es muy buena. Te atrapa desde las primeras hojas, o al menos a mí. Me ha encantado la forma de contar la historia, las metáforas, la poética y sobre todo el mensaje que la historia ofrece. El autor no pierde el hilo en ningún momento y adorna cada escena de forma sutil, aporta una belleza frágil. Supongo que es una de las cosas que más me ha gustado de todo.
Recomiendo el libro a aquellas personas que les gusten leer sobre la vida, sobre los sueños y sobre la esperanza. Y animo al autor de esta obra para que siga el curso que ha tomado. Espero poder leer muchos libros más de ti, Miquel.
December 12, 2017
Es un libro que te hace emocionarte, reflexionar, y pensar mucho según vas leyendo te vas dando cuenta que estás dentro de la historia que participas de sus aventuras y desventuras de los personajes que te puedes identificar con algún personaje. Hay que decir que hacía tiempo que no veía los personajes tan bien perfilados tanto los principales como los secundarios, como es evidente por lo que he comentado anteriormente recomiendo esta lectura para ir disfrutándola página poco a poco no es una historia para leer con rapidez es reflexiva por lo que es mejor dosificarla y poder apreciar sus diferentes matices. Agradecer al autor la amabilidad y el detalle de hacerme llegar su obra de poder compartir una historia tan entrañable que me ha quedado en el corazón.
September 18, 2018
This is one of these books that I never heard of and now I'm her biggest fan. This novel has touched my soul in a way I still can understand. The story of Mary Rose and Harold Grapes is unique and although some people are comparing it to Life of Pi, I will take a risk and I will say that is much better.
September 22, 2018
An incredibly beautiful fable about the power of dreams and the light and darkness in our lives. I'm high school teacher and I would love that all my students and their parents read this amazing book.
December 20, 2018
Having read quite non-fiction books lately, I wanted to read a fiction which would be imaginative and absorbing at the same time. And by picking up this book, I made the right choice.
Lights on the sea is a beautiful story, wonderfully written and very much fascinating. Into few chapters and I was totally engrossed in the book. I just couldn’t stop reading.
It’s a story of Mr. and Mrs. Grapes, a retired couple still lamenting the loss of their son, Dylan, who died thirty-five years before. Living in a house positioned at the highest point of the Brent Island, that was made out of the parts of their dream ship that never sailed. But one day it did. When a violent storm hit the island, the cliff broke down and their house slid into the sea and float away to a voyage they always dreamt of.
Both the Characters were genuine and totally fits in. The narrative was so evocative that it made me believe that I was accompanying Harold and Mary Rose on this adventurous journey. The visions created while reading of the lights, the sea, ice, and the nomads still holds in my mind.
I loved the part when the couple was residing between the nomads and the narration was intense, making me pause and ponder about life and existence.
I totally enjoyed reading this book and couldn’t recommend enough. Definitely recommended to readers who would love to read about the adventurous sea voyage along with the heartfelt account.
Lights on the sea is a beautiful story, wonderfully written and very much fascinating. Into few chapters and I was totally engrossed in the book. I just couldn’t stop reading.
It’s a story of Mr. and Mrs. Grapes, a retired couple still lamenting the loss of their son, Dylan, who died thirty-five years before. Living in a house positioned at the highest point of the Brent Island, that was made out of the parts of their dream ship that never sailed. But one day it did. When a violent storm hit the island, the cliff broke down and their house slid into the sea and float away to a voyage they always dreamt of.
Both the Characters were genuine and totally fits in. The narrative was so evocative that it made me believe that I was accompanying Harold and Mary Rose on this adventurous journey. The visions created while reading of the lights, the sea, ice, and the nomads still holds in my mind.
I loved the part when the couple was residing between the nomads and the narration was intense, making me pause and ponder about life and existence.
I totally enjoyed reading this book and couldn’t recommend enough. Definitely recommended to readers who would love to read about the adventurous sea voyage along with the heartfelt account.
February 12, 2017
Soy nuevo en esto del godreads y me gustaria escribir opiniones para otros libros asi que empezare por el ultimo que lei que es luces en el mar. Como amante de los viajes que soy me llamo la atencion la tematica del libro asi que empece a leerlo. Nunca habia oido hablar del autor pero me gustan los riesgos y no me defraudo. El libro es un viaje casi magico, la naturaleza de la casa hace de la historia algo tierno y a la vez profundo. Me encantaron los dos protagonistas, esta pareja de ancianos que redescubren el significado de vivir a las puertas de su muerte y que se redimen de todos los secretos y culpas de un pasado marcado por la tragedia. Un 10 para el autor, espero leer mas libros suyos.
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