I just came back from a great trip to Spain and absolutely fell in love with Barcelona. I would love to read more about its history, or simply books that are set in Barcelona.

Does anyone have suggestions for books set in Barcelona, or the rest of Spain, either historical fiction or plain old fiction?

I went into bookstores while I was there, I was also in Sevilla, Granada & Madrid, and was looking for books from Spanish novelists translated in English, but didn't have any luck. Thought I'd try my luck here.

Thanks

Carlos Ruiz Zafon - Shadow of the Wind.

Although it's not fiction - George Orwell's Homage to Catalonia.

But both of those are really focussed on the Civil War and Franco era - I'm not up on more modern literature.

not quite what you asked for i realize, but i really loved the movie, Vicky Christina Barcelona

Another vote for Zafón's <i>Shadow of the Wind</i>. For our November trip to Barcelona, I bought his follow-up book, which is actually a prequel to Shadow, <i>The Angel's Time</i>.

There's a good list at BiblioTravel:

http://www.bibliotravel.com/locale.php?locale=440

Just finished The Angel's Game about a month ago. One of the strangest novels I have read but compelling and very evocative of Barcelona in the 20s and 30s. I liked it enough to plan to read The Shadow of the Wind. Club Dumas by Perez-Reverte is very good but might be set in Madrid.

thanks for the suggestions, I did read "Shadow of the Wind" before I left, and in some ways, would like to re-read it now that I've been there. I'll look up Angel's Game.

That's the problem about traveling, then you want to know even more about those countries, and you have to buy more books.

<<books from Spanish novelists translated in[to] English>>

Arturo Perez-Reverte

He is the author of the Alatriste novels (I read the first two, both short and intriguing), Club Dumas, The Seville Communion (which was fairly dull), The Fencing Master (which was fantastic) and more.

The Pepe Carvalho's destective stories, written by Manuel Vazquez Montalban.

Alicia Gimenez-Bartlett is a Barcelona resident who writes mysteries set in the city now. I love them; they are quirky and feminist.

The bartender/part owner of our favorite wine bar spot highly recommended Cathedral of the Sea by Ilfonso Falcones. It is a historical novel framed around the building of Santa Maria del Mar. I picked it up the weekend after we got home and could not put it down. I highly recommend it!

Jubilada, I'm going to check out Gimenez-Bartlett.

I would highly recommend Robert Hughes's book simply called Barcelona. He is an art critic who offers lessons in history and culture in his own witty or acerbic style. It is anything but a standard text.

http://www.amazon.com/reader/0679743...ert%20hughes#_

thank you everyone, I already ordered Angel's Game and 2 of the novels by Alicia Gimenez-Bartlett (taking a gamble that I'll like them...getting free shipping from amazon )

I did see Cathedral of the Sea on Amazon, and was wondering about it....I've put it on my wish list.

Thank you again

I thought Javier Cercas' Soldiers of Salamis was a fantastic read. I see it was translated to English.
http://www.amazon.com/Soldiers-Salam.../dp/1582343845

Ernest Hemmingway For whom the bell Tolls

Cathedral of the Sea is wonderfully evocative and VERY LONG.
Aduchamp: thanks for the rec of the HUghes book, it looks great.

how could I have not thought about Hemingway! dah on me!

thanks for the reminder....

now I just need to get on a plane or a train, so I have a long uninterrupted time to read

<i>"That's the problem about traveling, then you want to know even more about those countries, and you have to buy more books."</i>

I agree but you could always go to your local library and save some $ for your next trip.

I can't believe I forgot about Robert Wilson's excellent books based on the detective Javier Falcon which are mostly based in Seville. They are well written, suspenseful and give a great sense of Seville.

Jubilada

You are welcome. As soon as I read about the caganers it was obvious Hughes knew Barcelona from the high culture to the low.

Please note that while For Whom The Bell Tolls does in deed take place in Spain during the Civil War, the actual location is Sierra de Guadarrama which is southwest of Madrid.

Re: Bell Tolls, that's ok, doesn't have to be in Barcelona, in general my interest in the Spain history was awaken.