Barcelona

Shadow of the Wind got me thinking. Here are other books I love about Barcelona:

Homage to Catalonia by George Orwell


This book is why I decided to study abroad in Barcelona. Orwell writes about his time fighting in the Spanish Civil War, stationed in Barcelona. It explains the Civil War extremely well, which can be particularly confusing, and the Catalan spirit that raged during the war, as well as survived the Franco years.


Barcelona by Robert Hughes

Uh yeah, I never actually finished this book, but it provides the most extensive and readable history of the city. I highly recommend it to anyone who will actually be living or visiting the city. I think it would just make me sad reading it now.

Visca Barca!

Also, if you just want to read about Spain, Hemingway has some pretty bomb books about the country. He was a reporter during the Spanish Civil War. He also liked bull fighting! Neat-o!

                      

One of his most famous short stories is "Hills like White Elephants," also set in Spain. Google it!

Hasta luego!

The Shadow of the Wind

Book #8: The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón 





Few books are so enthralling, so well written as to keep me up all night and to fill my eyes with tears once finished. This book is a love letter: to literature, to writing, to Barcelona. If you are in love with any of these things, you will love this book. It was hard to read at times because I would become so sentimental thinking of Barcelona and how much I missed the Great Enchantress. Ruiz Zafón describes the many neighborhoods and streets of Barcelona so vividly that at times I would have to stop and look at photos to remember the alleyways I had forgotten. 


When I first arrived home in California from Barcelona, I had one of the most vivid dreams of my life. I saw the city of Barcelona, and the waves of the Mediterranean slowly rising. The tides rose across the city and water began to overfill the streets. I saw the entire city flood, covered deep in water. A voice told me that the city was my memories; the water, time. 


I felt a number of emotions reading this book, ranging from joy to melancholy to utter sadness. I miss Barcelona and this book took me back there. It was a difficult journey, but I certainly do not regret it.