Hi everyone,

My wife and I are going back to Spain in late June, this time concentrating on Northern / Atlantic Spain.

I like to read fiction about the areas we visit. (I already read Don Quixote.) Any suggestions?

Mike

Here are three every different works:

Platero y yo by Juan Ramón Jiménez who won the Nobel for Literature wrote, sweet, ornately written, simple tale about what is important in life.

The Family of Pascual Duarte, is a deep brooding novel, that some think reflect the darker side of the Gallegos. He is unpopular in some circles as he was always loyal to Franco. He too won the Nobel.

Everything But the Squeal. Eating the Whole Hog in Northern Spain by John Barlow is a thoroughly amusing account about the tradition of the pig.

Also there are the works of Emilia Pardo Bazon. Notably Los Pazos de Ulloa or The House of Ulloa.

Typo - Emilia Pardo Bazan.

We also helped a cousin with a partial translation of her doctoral thesis on Pedro Calderón de la Barca from the Golden Age Of Spanish Theater, in particular, Life is Dream. The international edition of the thesis required that the introduction and conclusion be written in English.

We were duly unqualified for the task as we knew nothing of Calderon and our Spanish is anything but doctoral level. Out of pity we were given acknowledgements.

Mark Kurlansky, The Basque History of the World

Obabakoak, Bernardo Atxaga (available in English)

The Dolores Redondo crime saga that takes place in Elizondo, Navarre (I don´t know if this one has already been translated into English)

These are not realy fiction:
Everything but the Squeal (gets another vote).
Travels with My Donkey by Tim Moore.
Not all of it is about Northern Spain but another good read is,
Ghosts of Spain by Giles Tremlett.
Fiction:
Death on a Galician Shore by Domingo Villar

Thanks everyone. I've ordered Travels with my Donkey and The Basque History of the World - should get them soon.

Mike

Hi again everyone,

I received and read both books while touring Northern Spain. Travels was very funny; Basque was an interesting and easy to read history. Both were relevant to the areas we travelled through.

Mike,