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- Identity: the
building blocks of
2. Literature
and philosophy
3. Art and
architecture
4. Performing
arts
5. Cinema
and fashion
6. Media and
communications
7. Food and drink 8. Living culture:
the details of
A young woman’s game
The good news for Spain’s publishing industry is that its readership is
gradually catching up with the rest of Western Europe. Historically, Spain
hasn’t been the most studious nation but today more Spanish people than
ever are reading books. In 2005, 57 per cent of the population confirmed
that they read a book at least once every three months. More of them were
women, were well educated and lived in large towns or cities. And what did
they prefer to read? Four out of five expressed a passion for the novel, with
mystery stories and thrillers proving most popular.The Spaniard least likely
to read a book is over the age of 55. Less encouragingly for Spanish book
peddlers, the best-seller lists in Spain are often swamped with novels by
foreign authors.
The Sun Also Rises(1926) by Ernest Hemingway.
Hemingway colours Pamplona with some of his best lyrical prose.
Monsignor Quixote(1981) by Graham Greene.
About a small town Don Quixote wannabe wittily placed in
post-Franco Spain.
Voices of the Old Sea(1984) by Norman Lewis.
Summer in a small Costa Brava fishing village facing the spectre
of mass tourism under Franco.
A Rose for Winter(1955) by Laurie Lee.
Lee travelled through ravaged post-war Spain busking on his violin,
later penning an intimate portrait of his experiences.
Driving over Lemons: an Optimist in Andalucía(1999) by Chris Stewart.
Living the alternative ex-pat dream on a farm in the remote Alpujarras mountains.
Five great foreign books set in Spain
