Kathy Hamilton Let’s pack our bags and go on a little literary tourism again. Today we’re travelling to the Iberian peninsula to discover the 10 best books set in Spain. So grab your passport and let’s get going.
Spain is a country packed with a rich and diverse history. From food to music, cinema and architecture Spanish culture is truly fascinating. Plus, it’s unique place on the Atlantic edge of Europe propelled it into a Golden Age of discovery in the 1500s and exported its culture and people all over the world. Today Spain is a beloved tourist destination for millions of people each year. Its literary culture is, as expected, no less diverse. It has been inspiring writers for centuries so let’s explore the 10 best books set in Spain, shall we?
As I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning by Laurie Lee
First up in the 10 best books set in Spain is As I Walked Out On Midsummer Morning by Laurie Lee. Ripe with a sense of nostalgia for a Spain that has long since disappeared. As I walked Out One Midsummer Morning by Laurie Lee captures a country on the brink of huge change.
Revolution may be whispering in the wind but as Lee tracks his journey by foot through 1930s Spain you will get lost in the charm of the beautiful, almost forgotten time.
Homage to Catalonia by George Orwell
If Laurie Lee captures Spain before the revolution, then Orwell does his best to show us the aftermath. In Homage to Catalonia, he deftly, sometimes clinically describes the fight. Fans of history will know that the Catalonian fight for power will ultimately give way to Franco’s military strength but this doesn’t stop to book from being a powerful and moving one.
For those of us who watched the 2017 Catalonian independence vote with shocked incredulity, this book will go a long way to explaining the complicated relationship between regions in Spain.
Don Quixote by Cervantes
This one recently came up as a topic of discussion in my Spanish Class as we were discussing whether you can ever fully understand the context of literature in translation. The reason for this was that many translations of Don Quixote update the language to read like a modern novel. For my Spanish teacher, this meant losing something important about the book.
All this to say that any list of best books set in Spain can’t fail to mention Don Quixote by Cervantes. It’s probably the book you thought of when you first saw the title. If you’re looking for truly Spanish literature, you can’t go wrong with this all-time classic.
The Wind from the East by Almudena Grandes
Almudena Grandes is one of Spain’s top-selling authors and is perfect for fans of Elena Ferrante. The Wind from the East is a magnificent saga about the lives of two people pitched from fortune to adversity by forces beyond their command.
Sara and Juan, two strangers, arrive in a small seaside suburb. Both have their reasons for fleeing the city. Like the capricious winds that dominate the coast, bringing chaos or clemency in their wake, the lives of these two people are are pitched from fortune to adversity by forces beyond their command.
Castile for Isabella by Jean Plaidy
Ideal for Historical Fiction fans. Jean Plaidy is a master of setting. Her books are meticulously crafted and invite the reader to delve deep into the world of her characters. The plot of Castile for Isabella takes place in the mid-1400s – one of the most tumultuous times in Spanish history.
The book retraces the life of young princess Isabella. Future Queen of Spain as she navigates a sometimes treacherous court. Opposed by a half-crazed mother and a scheming Archbishop, Isabella never swerves from her determination to restore Order in Castile. And in the process become one of the most important queens in history.
Everything is Happening: Journey into a Painting by Michael Jacobs
This is the first non-fiction novel on our list of 10 best books set in Spain. But, I couldn’t miss the opportunity to offer up a book that delves into Spain’s rich art history. Everything is Happening by Michael Jacobs is an ode to Velazquez’s enigmatic masterpiece Las Meninas which has haunted the author since he first encountered it.
The book searches for the ultimate significance of the painting. It follows the trails of associations from each individual character in the picture. In this visionary, meditative and often very funny book Jacobs dissolves the barriers between the past and the present, the real and the illusory. Ultimately it is a passionate, personal manifesto for the liberation of how we look at a painting.
The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
A stunning literary thriller is up next on our list of 10 best books set in Spain. In The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafron, the discovery of a forgotten book leads to a hunt for an elusive author who may or may not still be alive. This a page turner from start to finish as we follow Daniel’s life.
Daniel is allowed to choose one book from the shelves of a bookshop. He pulls out ‘La Sombra del Viento’ by Julian Carax. But as he grows up, several people seem inordinately interested in his find. Then, one night, as he is wandering the old streets once more, Daniel is approached by a figure who reminds him of a character from La Sombra del Viento, a character who turns out to be the devil.
Driving Over Lemons: An Optimist in Spain by Chris Stewart
Next up we have the true story of Chris, eternal optimist and itinerant sheep shearer. Together with his wife Ana, he moves to a mountain farm in Las Alpujarras. There, they set up a farm in this oddball region in the south of Spain. Misadventures gleefully unfold as Chris discovers that the owner has no intention of leaving and meets their neighbours, an engaging mix of peasant farmers and shepherds, New Age travellers and ex-pats. Their daughter Chloe is born, linking them irrevocably to their new life.
This is an enjoyable story about building a life in Spain. So if you’ve ever felt like packing up your life and moving to rural Spain this is the book from you. Although life can be tough, the love for their new home shines through in Driving over Lemons from start to finish.
A Heart So White by Javier Marías
A Heart So White delves into the intricacies of marriage. Examining the institution, considering all of its inherent betrayals and secrets. Juan knows little of the interior life of his father Ranz; but when Juan marries, he begins to consider the past anew. He begins to ponder what he doesn’t really want to know.
Javier Marias work has been so prolific that some people claim that more than being Spain’s greatest living writer, he’s simply the greatest living writer. His novel A Heart So White is one of his masterpieces. This one is a bit of a marmite novel, but worth its place on this list of 10 best books set in Spain.
Hot Milk by Deborah Levy
This novel has been described as dreamlike, and under the heady glare of the Spanish sun, it’s easy to see why. From the first page, Deborah Levy’s thoughtful prose will captivate you. No wonder it was nominated for the Man Booker Prize in 2016.
Sofia’s mother, Rose, is sick. However, neither of them or any doctors can work out why. This is the catalyst that drives Sofia’s summer of self-discovery. This hypnotic read is ultimately about the strain – and the love – between mother and daughter.
That wraps up the 10 best books set in Spain
What book do you like the sound of most? Each of them offers a unique perspective on Spain, its history and its people, that can’t fail to fill you a sense of the country. Are there any books you’d suggest adding to the list?
