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Books about Spain

cabrasopa

cabrasopa

New Member
Can anybody recommend Books that are set in Spanish locations, about Spanish people or deal with anything Spanish, not necessarily by Spanish authors.
I like to read mainly fiction (in english). I've recently finished 'Shadow Of The Wind' - Carlos Ruiz Zafon other books read include 'Don Quixote' , 'Snowball Oranges', 'Manana,Manana' by Peter Kerr.
My interest also, is anything to do with the Spanish Civil War, books read include..
Homage to Catalonia - George Orwell
The Spanish Civil War - Antony Beevor
Brother Against Brother - Frank thomas
Telegram from Guernica - Nicholas Rankin (Still to be read)


Thanks
Cabrasopa :cool:
 
You could try this non-fiction title Duende: A Journey in Search of Flamenco by Jason Webster.

Synopsis
Having pursued a conventional enough path through school and university, Jason Webster was all set to enter the world of academe as a profession. But when his aloof Florentine girlfriend of some years dumped him unceremoniously, he found himself at a crossroads. Abandoning the world of libraries and the future he had always imagined for himself, he headed off instead for Spain in search of duende, the intense emotional state - part ecstasy, part desperation - so intrinsic to flamenco. DUENDE is an account of his years spent in Spain feeding his obsessive interest in flamenco: he subjects himself to the tyranny of his guitar teacher, practising for hours on end until his fingers bleed; he becomes involved in a passionate affair with Lola, a flamenco dancer (and older woman) married to the gun-toting Vicente, only to flee Alicante in fear of his life; in Madrid, he falls in with Gypsies and meets the imperious Jes?s. Joining their dislocated, cocaine-fuelled world, stealing cars by night and sleeping away the days in tawdry rooms, he finds himself spiralling self-destructively downwards. It is only when he arrives in Granada bruised and battered, after two years total immersion in the flamenco lifestyle that he is able to put his obsession into context. In the tradition of Laurie Lee's classic AS I WALKED OUT ONE MIDSUMMER MORNING, DUENDE charts a young man's emotional coming of age and offers real insight into the passionate essence of flamenco.
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I have this one on my book shelf. I have not read it yet but seems a good one :)
 
Thanks SillyWabbit,

Looks interesting, I'll order it now, let you know what i think when i've read it.

cabrasopa :cool:
 
You're welcome. Hope it's good. I will be interested to know what you think of it as you will pro baby read it before me :)
 
You know, for one long moment, I thought this thread said 'Books about Spam' and i was truly interested. Now that moment has passed, much will I lament it :(

I'll go now.

Phil
 
Thanks all, keep them coming,

Also found 'Monsignor Quixote' by Graham Greene

Synopsis
With Sancho Panza a deposed communist mayor, and his faithful Rocinante an antiquated motor car, Monsignor Quixote roams through modern-day Spain in a picaresque fable that offers enduring insights into our life and times.

I'll add them all to my list

Cheers
Cabrasopa :cool:
 
SillyWabbit said:
:eek:

How could I have forgotten this???????? YES! Good recommendation :)
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I was wondering about that, too.. ;) I remember your praise for Hemingway in this thread. :)

@cabrasopa:
Do Amazon.com/Amazon.co.uk offer to browse in the book selection only for Spanish (excluding Latin Amaerica) authors? I know the feature from Amazon Germany and it could be very useful for you.
 
SillyWabbit said:
You could try this non-fiction title Duende: A Journey in Search of Flamenco by Jason Webster.



I have this one on my book shelf. I have not read it yet but seems a good one :)
Click to expand...

Just finished this book, an excellent read .
Having a spanish family and playing the guitar myself (badly) i thought it caught the mood of Spain,it's music and it's people brilliantly, with a good insight into Gypsy life. I've been to many of the places he mentions in the book, Granada is Beautiful.
Jason Webster's writing about his dedication for learning the flamenco guitar and trying to find the intense emotional state called 'Duende' was simple and read like a work of fiction.
A very good, easy read. Recommended

Cabrasopa :cool:
 
Jason Webster's writing about his dedication for learning the flamenco guitar and trying to find the intense emotional state called 'Duende' was simple and read like a work of fiction.
A very good, easy read. Recommended

Cabrasopa :cool:[/QUOTE]

I have not read the book but, according to some reviewers and to quotes from the book in the review, it should read like a work of fiction. Some of the anecdotes never happened.
 
clueless said:
Jason Webster's writing about his dedication for learning the flamenco guitar and trying to find the intense emotional state called 'Duende' was simple and read like a work of fiction.
A very good, easy read. Recommended

Cabrasopa :cool:
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I have not read the book but, according to some reviewers and to quotes from the book in the review, it should read like a work of fiction. Some of the anecdotes never happened.[/QUOTE]

Maybe they did , maybe they didn't, but you can say the same about a lot of so called true accounts, even allowing for a bit of poetic license it's still a good read.

Cabrasopa :cool:
 
cabrasopa said:
Maybe they did , maybe they didn't, but you can say the same about a lot of so called true accounts, even allowing for a bit of poetic license it's still a good read.

Cabrasopa :cool:
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Of course, I am not denying that.

Have you tried any Spanish writers? And would you rather read books about Spain (non-fiction) or set in Spain?
 
clueless said:
Of course, I am not denying that.

Have you tried any Spanish writers? And would you rather read books about Spain (non-fiction) or set in Spain?
Click to expand...

I'll read anything about or set in spain, i'm particularlty interestested in the Spanish Civil War (see beginning of thread)

I do read a lot of fiction though, so any recommendations gratefully accepted.

As for Spanish writers i've not read many. (again recommendations please!!)

Cabrasopa :cool:
 
The most famous history book about the civil war is Hugh Thomas' The Spanish Civil War. It is used even in Spanish universities.

Fiction: Soldiers of Salamis by Javier Cercas (Maybe you have heard of the film)

There are many others, but few have been translated. I forgot to ask you if you can read Spanish
 
clueless said:
The most famous history book about the civil war is Hugh Thomas' The Spanish Civil War. It is used even in Spanish universities.

Fiction: Soldiers of Salamis by Javier Cercas (Maybe you have heard of the film)

There are many others, but few have been translated. I forgot to ask you if you can read Spanish
Click to expand...

Thanks Clueless i've added The Carpenter's Pencil by Manuel Rivas.and Soldiers of Salamis by Javier Cercas to my evergrowing list of books to read.
As for reading Spanish no, i can get by speaking that's all.

Thanks, keep them coming

Cabrasopa :cool:
 
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