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Voices From An Old Sea: One Last Summer Read

8/26/2013

Normal Lewis' Voices of the Old Sea is a beautifully told account of the transformations that undergo a small fishing village on the Catalan coast in the late 1940s. What makes the book worth reading is Lewis' skill in capturing the ordinary, the mundane and the changeless existence of the people until tourism arrives one day, and decides to stay. Their initial rejection and ultimate embrace of this new era unfolds with insight and compassion.

For those interested in contemporary Spain, the story is echoed across the whole peninsula as the gradual spread of tourism, like gout or any other infection, spreads down the coast, across to the Balearic and canary islands and finally, from the 1980s onward systematically inland.

Yet despite what on the surface looks to be like a malignant disease, Spain somehow still retains an identity and character undeniably Iberian. Where other cultures would have fallen, subsumed in the tidal wave of the new consumerist religion, Spain continues to maintain much of its tradition and culture despite the forces of invasion. Perhaps because - even after 40 years of democracy - Spain is still a relatively poor country within the EU, and, as Lewis points out at the end of the book: "Corruption doesn't come naturally to the poor as it does to the rich".

So true, so true.

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Another One for your Bookshelf

8/15/2013

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Goodreads Review: Here in Spain

I just re-discovered this old classic by David Mitchell and found some fascinating quotes and stories inside. It was published back in the 1980's by Lookout Publication, which when I first came to Spain, was one of the few glossy and quality mags dealing with Living in Spain. Below is a review I left on goodreads, and to the right is the only link I could find on Amazon. Whether it is really available for just 1 pence, who knows. But I'd say its definitely one for your bookshelf - even if it may cost a little more.

Here in Spain by David Mitchell

Excellent Account by Mitchell of the travellers that have passed through and left their thoughts on Spain since the 17th century. Mitchell was a journalist and contributor to the Lookout magazine and this appears to be a compilation of his research on how the country has been portrayed by English speakers over the last 4 centuries. Particularly apt, are his chapters on tourism in Spain during the last half of the 20th century - something so bitingly relevant still today.

A difficult to find book, but one nevertheless worth picking up if you see a copy, if for no other reason than to gain a brief overview as to the rich legacy such writers have left.

For more on Iberian Perspectives, see http://www.speakingofspain.com

View all my reviews

The 1980's copy Front Cover

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The Literature of Spain: A Couple of Recommendations

8/6/2013

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Anyone with a keen interest in Spain will probably have a reasonably sized library of books, both historical and contemporary.

Mine is forever growing, though these days more digitally than physically. I tend to find myself attracted to those books that not only inform, but empower in some way too - such as 'The Disinherited' by Henry Kamen. This is a fascinating account of the history of Spain from the point of view of its exiles - and although politically a tad bias, it is nevertheless surprisingly informative and portrays a history of Spain rarely told through conventional historical accounts. How's this for an example from the chapter on Jewish Exiles:

Around 1900 over 12% of the population of Bulgaria spoke judeoespañol and nearly 50% of the population of Turkey.

Or this one from the chapter on the Muslim Exiles:

From the 1570's the Christians took steps to prohibit regular washing and bathing (a practice associated with the Moors) on the grounds that it denoted heresy.

There are other categories of books that fascinate me, such as contemporary accounts of places I know little about. One such book is Mathew Hirtes guide book Going Local in Gran Canaria, a place I have yet to visit. Mathew's book not just guides, but does so from a perspective of someone who knows Spain. Take this simple bit of advice for example regarding selecting a place to eat:

...if you see more native diners in a venue that tourists, you can assume this is a restaurant steeped in authenticity. Either that or its cheap.

In short, the book is useful, in only the way a book written by a resident of the area can be so. Find bellow my review of the book on Amazon.

"Having lived on the Spanish mainland for the last 18 years, you get to know when someone writes about your country from a point of fleeting interest, and when someone writes about it from a perspective of depth and insight. Mathew clearly belongs in the latter camp where he has not only written a unique guide to this fascinating island in the Canaries, but he has written it with an authentic voice.

For lets face it, these days facts and listings about any location can be downloaded from umpteen web sites for free. But if you want to know more than just a phone number or address, if you want to know 'why' rather than just 'what'...then you need to ask someone who knows. And Matthew Hirtes is just that man.

This guide book does just what a good guide book should do: Inform, explain, entertain, and in the very best of cases - as with Going Local In Gran Canaria - even inspire."

This is the first in a series of brief posts about Books on Spain that offer a practical or alternative slant to understanding the country. If you have written a book and would like it considered for review, then email me - gazpachomonk@gmail.com

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