Discovering books set in Spain...
Take me straight to the
books!
With so many people traveling to Spain to enjoy the
beaches of the Costa del Sol or the stunning architecture of Barcelona, it is easy to forget that
it was not so long ago that Spain was divided by a bitter civil war, followed by the fascist Franco
regime. But when it comes to Spanish fiction, the impact of the war and the 40 years of Facism are
generally not too far away.
From Hemingway's For Whom The Bell Tolls, to C.J. Sansom's Winter in Madrid and to the semi chick-lit of Victoria Hislop's The Return, the war and Franco's regime are integral parts of the story. And
if you are to understand Spain, then such novels provide vital clues to what the country is
today.
If Barcelona is your city of choice, then the
incredibly popular The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon and Cathedral of the Sea by Ildefonso Falcones are novels worth exploring, and if
you want to try some Spanish crime fiction, then follow the exploits of Inspector Jefe Javier Falcón as he investigates the dark side of
Seville.
Spain is a country rich with food, wine and culture,
but by dipping into some of the books we have selected below, you will be able to look beyond the
impact of the recent years of tourism and understand more of the country that lies
beneath.
If you are visiting us from the Americas, please feel
free to visit our US
site.
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