Don Quixote rode into Barcelona in the 16th century
An article from Hildy Snow about the wild side of Barcelona literature.
Most discussions about Barcelona as a literary city inevitably end up with people mentioning two books: Carlos Ruiz Zafón’s The Shadow of the Wind and Ildefonso Falcones’ Cathedral of the Sea. Not to knock these books – they’re good reads – but there’s so much more to the city’s literary universe than these bestsellers and their Barcelona literary brand of Gothic mystique and historical weightiness. The Catalan capital’s literary life goes back much, much further. Beyond the post-war struggles of Mercè Rodoreda’s La Plaça del Diamant, beyond the Civil War battlefields of George Orwell’s Homage to Catalonia. All the way back to Cervantes, whose Don Quixote and Sancho Panza rode into Barcelona in the 16th century. For eons, Barcelona has served as the literary scene of romance, love, betrayal, adventure, friendship, familial conflict, mystery, crime and war. Read the rest of this article…
When I arrived in Barcelona I wanted to learn as much as I could about the city, the region of Catalonia, and its history.
I had read George Orwell’s Homage to Catalonia. The title of that book had inspired this blog. But I soon found there were many other fantastic books out there about Catalonia and the city of Barcelona.
Why not add one of these fascinating books to your reading list. They are some of the best books about Barcelona and Catalonia.
Read the rest of this article…
George Orwell’s famous book
It feels great to finally get this site up and running. This project has been in the back of my mind ever since I decided to move to Barcelona. And having been here for 5 months now I have finally ‘cut the ribbon’, so to speak.
It’s all in the title
I have no idea how this site is going to develop. That’s the interesting part. But I’ll write about what I experience and what the city has to offer and see where it takes us. It’s about discovering Barcelona. And hopefully meeting some of the people that live here.
And the title? Well that’s my nod to George Orwell and his book, Homage to Catalonia, which I’ve just finished reading. Check it out! It’s a fascinating account that’s even more poignant when you live here.
And no, before you ask, I haven’t started Spanish lessons yet. But rest assured when I do I shall let you know how spectacularly I fail.
