Starting with fiction set in Barcelona through factual literature. Scroll down for Spanish Civil War reading list and suggestions for quiet spots to read.

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Barcelona in the Past (Historical & Gothic)

• The Shadow of the Wind – Carlos Ruiz Zafón (2001)

 A modern classic: a young boy discovers a mysterious book in post–Civil War Barcelona, leading him into a labyrinth of secrets and lost writers.
 

• Cathedral of the Sea – Ildefonso Falcones (2006)

International bestseller, a medieval saga about freedom, faith, and ambition during the building of Santa Maria del Mar in 14th-century Barcelona.

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• Victus – Albert Sánchez Piñol (2012)

A witty, gripping retelling of the 1714 siege of Barcelona — the defining trauma in Catalan history — from the point of view of a rebellious engineer.

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• The City of Marvels – Eduardo Mendoza (1986)

A panoramic portrait of Barcelona’s transformation from 1888 to 1929, full of humor, crime, and political intrigue.

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Barcelona in the 20th Century

• Nada – Carmen Laforet (1945)

 Post–Civil War existential realism: a young woman comes to study in Barcelona and finds a decaying, oppressive family and city still haunted by defeat.

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• La plaça del Diamant (The Time of the Doves / In Diamond Square) – Mercè Rodoreda (1962)

A woman’s life before, during, and after the Spanish Civil War — one of the most beautiful, heartbreaking depictions of ordinary survival in Catalan literature.

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• The Truth About the Savolta Case (La verdad sobre el caso Savolta) – Eduardo Mendoza (1975)

A noir-style political thriller set in early 20th-century Barcelona’s world of anarchists, industrialists, and corruption.

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• Homage to Barcelona – Colm Tóibín (1990) – A lyrical travel-memoir blending fiction, history, and personal reflection.

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• Barcelona Shadows – Marc Pastor (2008) – A gothic crime novel set in the early 20th century, inspired by a real serial killer case

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Modern & Contemporary Barcelona

• The Angel’s Game / The Prisoner of Heaven / The Labyrinth of the Spirits – Carlos Ruiz Zafón

   The rest of the “Cemetery of Forgotten Books” series — expanding Zafón’s dark, romantic vision of Barcelona from the 1910s to the Franco era.

• A God in Ruins (La verdad sobre el caso Savolta) – Eduardo Mendoza

  Brilliantly satirical and suspenseful — Mendoza’s “detective” Barcelona is a mix of absurdity, melancholy, and political commentary.

• The Seamstress (El tiempo entre costuras) – María Dueñas (2009)

  While much of it happens abroad, parts of this bestselling historical novel touch Barcelona’s cosmopolitan world in the 1930s.

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Factual literature

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• Barcelona by Robert Hughes

A landmark cultural and historical portrait of Barcelona by one of the 20th century’s most celebrated art critics.
Hughes traces the city’s evolution — from its Roman origins through Gothic, modernist, and contemporary transformations.

• Homage to Barcelona by Colm Tóibín

 A lyrical, deeply personal non-fiction account of Barcelona’s history and culture by the Irish writer who lived there.
Tóibín blends history, biography, and urban reflection, capturing how the city’s turbulent past — including civil war, dictatorship, and renewal — shapes its present. 

•  Barcelona. Una biografía by Enric Calpena

A comprehensive, narrative biography of the city — tracing Barcelona’s 2,000-year arc from ancient settlement to modern metropolis.

• The Spanish Cockpit by Franz Borkenau

Eyewitness reportage from the early years of the Spanish Civil War — including Barcelona — by a journalist who witnessed events firsthand in 1936–37

• Barcelona: The Great Enchantress (expanded edition of Barcelona) by Robert Hughes

What it is: A slightly more “reader-friendly” version of Hughes’s monumental history, often recommended for general history readers.
Why it matters: Still deep and insightful, but easier to digest for readers new to Barcelona’s story

• Barcelona pam a pam by Alexandre Cirici

A detailed guide to the city’s barrios and their histories, mixing sociocultural observation with urban evolution. Excellent for understanding Barcelona on the street level — how neighborhoods reflect broader historical and cultural forces. 

• La construcció d’una identitat by Josep Fontana 

A historical study of how Barcelona and Catalonian identity evolved, especially in relation to the Spanish state.
Great for readers who want political and social context behind modern Catalonia and Barcelona.

• Tots els barris de Barcelona by Jaume Fabre & Josep Maria Huertas Claveria

A detailed collection of histories and stories from each Barcelona neighborhood — combining journalism and urban history.
Offers a ground-level, neighborhood-by-neighborhood portrait of the city’s social and cultural fabric.

• Barcelona (travel & history compendiums) (various authors)

Strong hybrid books blending practical guide content with history and culture, such as those by Lonely Planet, Rick Steves, or National Geographic. Great for contextual historical background paired with on-the-ground insights if you’re visiting or exploring the city in person.

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