Reviews

The Penguin Book of Spanish Short Stories by Margaret Jull Costa

readingoverbreathing's review

4.0

"It's strange, that brief meeting with people we have never seen before and whom we will probably never see again. When we get on the tram, there is usually someone else already there; others get on afterwards; some get off, leaving us alone and then, finally, we get off too. It's in an image of human life, in which being born and dying are like those entrances and exits I've described and which, as the generations of travellers come and go, are constantly renewing the small world of the tram. They enter and leave, they are born and die."

I picked this up only because I got an advanced copy through some volunteering I did for my local bookstore. I liked the simplicity of the cover design and, of course, the Penguin label. Usually I don't go for multiauthor anthologies, but I thought it'd be interesting to try out a national literature I have never read much of.

In fact, I ultimately enjoyed that experience so much that I think I'll make these Penguin collections a part of my regularly reading, maybe one a year, and tie it into my travels somehow. The stories themselves varied plenty and reflected the cultural and historical diversity of the Spanish people, but at the same time I found that I really got a sense of the national literature itself. Overall, I found this collection to be a very rewarding experience.

Since this is a compilation of stories, this is a collective review. Each story is individually rated. Overall rating is based on the average of the individual ratings.

'The Novel on the Tram' by Benito Pérez GaldOs — ★★★★★
'The Talisman' by Emilia Pardo Bazán — ★★★★
'Duet for Two Coughs' by Leopoldo Alas/Corín — ★★★★
'The Likeness' by Miguel de Unamuno — ★★★
'The Poor Wee Child' by Ramón de Valle-InclAn — ★★★
'The Unknown' by Pía Baroja — ★★★★
'The Reverse Side of the Tapestry' by Azorín — ★★★★
'The Biobardos' by Eduardo Blanco-Amor — ★★★★
'Counterpoint' by Josep Pla — ★★★
'The Genie of the Night and the Genie of the Day' by Rosa Chacel — ★★★★
'Light and Silence' by Rafael Dieste — ★★★★
'The Boy' by Ramón J. Sender — ★★★
'Ingratitude' by Max Aub — ★★★
'Like Silk' by Merecè Rodoreda — ★★★
'Jacinto's Umbrella' by Álvaro Cunqueiro — ★★★
'Feat of Arms' by Pere Calders — ★★★★
'On a Visit' by Alonso Zamora Vicente — ★★★★
'At the Beach' by Julián Ayesta — ★★★★
'On Such a Night' by Miguel Delibes — ★★★
'Conscience' by Ana María Matute — ★★★★
'Berta's Presence' by Merdado Fraile — ★★★★
'Behind the Eyes' by Carmen Martín Gaite — ★★★★
'Madrid, Autumn, Saturday' by Josefina Rodríguez Aldecoa — ★★★★★
'The Recidivist' by Rafael Sánchez Ferlosio — ★★★★
'Reichenau' by Juan Benet — ★★★★
'The Street of the Sleeping Dragon' by Juan Marsé — ★★★★
'Summer Orchestra' by Esther Tusquets — ★★★★
'Luzmila' by Álvaro Pombo — ★★★
'The Deserter' by José María Merino — ★★★★
'Then He Began to Forget' by Cristina Fernández Cubas — ★★★★
'A Fresh Start' by Marina Mayoral — ★★★
'She's Everywhere' by Juan José Millás — ★★★★
'The Real Hairdresser' by Vicente Molina Foix — ★★★★
'Traffic Jam' by Soledad Puértolas — ★★★
'Sea Swell' by Enrique Vila-Matas — ★★★★
'A Sense of Camaraderie' by Javier Marías — ★★★
'Teresa, Poverina Mia' by Bernardo Axtaga — ★★★★
'The Fullness of Summer' by Quim Monzó — ★★★★
'In Search of a Photograph' by Paloma Díaz-Mas — ★★★★
'Balancing the World on His Chin' by Julio Llamazares — ★★★
'The Butterfly's Tongue' by Manuel Rivas — ★★★★
'The Usher' by Carlos Castán — ★★★★
'The Second Mrs Appleton' by Teresa Solana — ★★★★
'Against Optimism' by Javier Cercas — ★★★
'About the Wedding' by Eloy Tizón — ★★★
'The Scream' by Karmele Jaio — ★★★★★
'10/10/10' by Jesús Carrasco — ★★★★
'Hotel Life' by Javier Montes — ★★★★
'The Keys to the Apartment' by Harkaitz Cano — ★★★
'And Shortly After That, There Was Now' by Eider Rodríguez — ★★★★
'Love' by Elvira Navarro — ★★★★
'The Generation Gap' by Cristina García Morales — ★★★★
'True Milk' by Aixa de la Cruz — ★★★★

Average rating comes out at 4.3, which rounds down to four stars.

100reads's review

dark emotional funny informative inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective relaxing sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Some stories I liked more than others. I need to reread.

hay_jude's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative lighthearted mysterious reflective relaxing sad tense

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.5

I was given this short story collection two Christmases ago. I have been learning Spanish for four years now and am interested in lots of aspects of Spanish culture and history so this was great present from my daughter. I liked the way the stories were arranged in chronological order and the way that the compiler (and translator of many of the stories) Margaret Costa had included such a range of writers and that she included stories written in the four different languages of Spain. I took her advice to only read 2 or 3 stories at time to give time for reflection and consider them properly. They covered the whole gamut of life and experience. It was interesting how often the Spanish Civil War cropped up across the stories showing what an impact it has had on the country down to this day. Overall very enjoyable read.