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Historical fiction set in Spain?
Any suggestions for a good historical fiction novel set in Spain?
Thanks! |
Cathedral of the Sea
Driving Over Lemons ( contemporary memoir, but wonderful) For Whom the Bell Tolls |
Shadow of the Wind set in post civil war Barcalona.
The Angel's Game, the prequel to Shadow, set in the 20s in Barcalona. Both by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. A little historical, a little atmospheric, fun reads. Later on this year his third in this trilogy is coming out, Prisoner of Heaven. |
There's one by some gent named Cervantes . . . title escapes me but it generated the English word "quixotic." Features an errant knight and a wise-acre sidekick who rode a donkey . . .
The wife liked Winter in Madrid by CJ Sansom. Spanish Civil War fiction is fish-in-a-barrel, unfortunately. Much of Alan Furst's NIght Soldiers takes place in Catalonia. The Fencing Master by Arturo Perez-Reverte is outstanding. Short enough to read on the flight too. His Captain Alatriste novels are pretty good too and they stand alone despite being a series (thus, I skipped #3 and missed nothing). See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Captain_Alatriste The Lions of Al-Rassan by Guy Gavriel Kay is set in a fictional Spain equivalent - he writes "fantasy" fiction that is (other than his first two works) really just historical fiction with renamed locations (there's one book set in pseudo-France, two set in pseudo-Byzantium, one set in pseudo China, one set in pseudo-Wales). |
The Last Jew by Noah Gordon. Focus is the Inquisition and the expulsion of Jews and "new Christians" (conversos) in the late 15th century.
http://www.noahgordonbooks.com/lastjew.html |
Thanks so much for all of your suggestions. Will see what my local library might have or, maybe the couple of Half Price stores here in town.
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For the darker side of the Spanish soul try Camilo José Cela.
For the direct opposite approach including an ornate writing style, try Juan Ramón Jiménez. |
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