My Top 5 Books on Spain and Barcelona

I travel a lot  and have a passion for gaining a deeper understanding for the places I visit. One of the best ways to do this is to step  outside the narrow constraints of a guide book and read up on a city or country through a novel or biography.

Barcelona has stories to tell. By Regina Winkle-Bryan

In my four years in Barcelona, I have done quite a lot of reading on the city and on Spain in general. Here are some of my picks for good reads on the Catalan Capital and on the Iberian Peninsula. (Not in any real order)

Book 1:

Pagan Spain by Richard Wright. Here is a book that will give you a historical perspective on the Spain of the 40′s. Set in Barcelona, Madrid, and the south, Wright describes Spain in harsh yet compelling terms.

Book 2:

In the Garlic. This is a sort of guide to life in Barcelona and local customs. Written by two savvy ex-pats, Valerie Collins and Theresa O’Shea, In the Garlic is a good choice for those who want quirky facts on Catalan culture.

Book 3:

The Sun Also Rises. This Ernest Hemingway classic is one many of us have read. Read it again on your trip to Spain, especially if you are off to the north.

Book 4:

Homage to Catalonia by George Orwell is one of the best reads out there on Barcelona during the civil war. Really fascinating. This book will give you an idea of why Barcelona is how it is today and why in many ways Spain is still very divided.

Book 5:

Shadow of the Wind by local Zafron will take you through old Barcelona and keep you up late reading. This is a real page-turner. Also consider other books by Zafron such as his newest, The Angel’s Game 2009.

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