Guide to understanding Catalonia

GUIDE TO UNDERSTANDING

CATALONIA

IRENE PRADES GINOVART DIRECTOR BIBLIOTECA MARCEL·LÍ DOMINGO TORTOSA, 2017

GUIDE TO UNDERSTANDING

CATALONIA

IRENE PRADES GINOVART DIRECTOR BIBLIOTECA MARCEL·LÍ DOMINGO TORTOSA, 2017

Catalonia is one of the most culturally intriguing regions of Spain, yet it’s also tied up in a highly publicized fight for independence, and despite most Catalonians speaking Spanish perfectly, there are over 10 million Catalan speakers.

This makes Catalan the most spoken, but still non-official, working language of the EU. Catalonia’s tumultuous history has led to a rather stop-and-start literary tradition, with huge breaks in output, most recently during the Franco dictatorship when minority Spanish languages such as Catalan was made illegal, driving many Catalans into exile abroad.

Check out this guide of books to better understand Catalonia!

Tirant lo Blanch

by Joan Martorell This book tells the story of a medieval knight Tirant from Brittany who has a series of adventures across Europe in his quest.

From the first Valencian printing of 1490, the novel's success has been explosive.

It was immediately translated into other languages, such as Spanish, Italian and French, and since then, right up to our own days, it has awakened the admiration of writers and readers of all kinds, captivated by the force, intensity, magnitude, magic and universality of the book by that Valencian knight, Joanot Martorell.

Without a doubt, this is the most important novel of Catalan literature of all time.

The Spirit of Catalonia

by Josep Trueta Trueta was one of the most known personalities exiled from Catalonia after the 1936-39 War. The Spirit of Catalonia is one of the key books wrote during the dark years of the Franco's Regime, and it had an important influence in the Catalan Opposition.

The author establishes a dichotomy: since the body of Catalonia is under Franco's boots, the Catalans must emphasize and protect the Catalan Heritage and let it know around the World.

An Uncertain Glory

by Joan Sales Joan Sales, a combatant in the civil war, distilled his experiences into a timeless story of thwarted love, lost youth and crushed illusions.

The novel is divided into four parts whose backdrop is the Spanish Civil War on the front and the rear of the Republicans.

The first recounts the experiences of young Lieutenant LluĂ­s de BrocĂ i de Ruscalleda on the Aragon front; the second, however, takes the point of view of Trini Milmany, the female companion of Louis, who narrates his experiences in Barcelona. The third and fourth are the memories of the seminarist Cruells, later priest.

Nosaltres, els valencians

by Joan Fuster "We, the Valencians" is a historical and political essay first published in 1962.

The book deals with Valencians, especially their national identity and their relationship with Spain, Catalonia and the Catalanspeaking community as a whole. It does so from an ardourous Catalanism.

The fact that it represented the first solid intellectual effort in the twentieth century to construct an overview of the past and the present of Valencians from a Catalanist point of view explains its relevance and controversy back in the day.

The Llibre dels fets (Book of Deeds)

By Jaume I El conqueridor

The autobiographical chronicle of the reign of James I of Aragon (1213 – 1276).

It is written in the Catalan language in the first person and is the first chronologically of the four works classified as the Grand Catalan Chronicles, all belonging to the early medieval Crown of Aragon (in the northeastern part of what is now Spain), and its first royal dynasty, the House of Barcelona.

James I inherited as a child the titles of King of Aragon, Count of Barcelona, and Lord of Montpellier, but also became by conquest King of Majorca and King of Valencia. James emphasises in his chronicles his conquest of Majorca (1229) and of Valencia (1238).

The Time Of The Doves

by Mercè Rodoreda La plaça del Diamant (The Time Of The Doves) is a 1962 novel written by exiled Catalan writer Mercè Rodoreda.

The book is named after a square in Barcelona's district of Gràcia. Arguably the author's most accomplished work, the novel has been translated into more than thirty languages and is regarded as one of the most important pieces of fiction in contemporary Catalan literature.

Dealing with the Second Spanish Republic and the Spanish Civil War, the novel is set in Barcelona before, during and after the war and pictures a young woman's struggles in life as well as her conflictive relationships with two men, and her progression from nearly complete submission until she develops a full-fledged outlook in life, personal maturity and independence. It is also a faithful chronicle of life in the city at the time, in a balanced mixture of psychologism and naturalism.

What Catalans Want

By Toni Strubell The book takes a close look at Catalonia at a time when the country's political future as a Spanish autonomous region is being seriously questioned for the first time since it came into being in 1980.

“What Catalans Want” contains interviews of more than 30 representative Catalan personalities in various key areas of public life. The book's aim is to discover why so many Catalans feel as uncomfortable about continuing to form part of Spain as they feel enthused about being full independent members of the European Union. Could the Catalan question— fanned by ongoing Spanish political, economic, and cultural oppression—be welling up into a political issue on the same order as Scotland's?

Victus, the fall of Barcelona

by Albert Sánchez Piñol A historical novel set in the early 1700s in the Catalonia region of northeastern Spain.

A prestigious military engineer in the early 1700s, he fought on both sides of the long War of the Spanish Succession between the Two Crowns—France and Spain—and aided an Allied enemy in resisting the consolidation of those two powers. Politically ambitious yet morally weak, Martí carefully navigates a sea of Machiavellian intrigue, eventually rising to a position of power that he will use for his own mercenary ends.

A sweeping tale of heroism, treason, war, love, pride, and regret that culminates in the tragic fall of a legendary city, illustrated with battle diagrams, portraits of political figures, and priceless maps of the old city of Barcelona, Victus is a magnificent literary achievement that is sure to be hailed as an instant classic.

Diccionari etimològic i complementari de la llengua catalana

by Joan Coromines Joan Coromines i Vigneaux was a linguist who made important contributions to the study

of

Catalan,

Spanish,

and

other

Romance languages.

The Diccionari etimològic i complementari de la llengua catalana, which investigates the origin of most words in the Catalan language (9 volumes).

Barcelona, Catalonia: A View From The Inside

by Matthew Tree A collection of Matthew Tree’s incisive essays about life, language, and politics in Catalonia, as told through the eyes of a Catalan-speaking Englishman, or an Englishspeaking Catalan, depending on your vantage point, and his.

Matthew’s honesty and keen observations combined with his sharp wit and mastery of language give the reader a unique and compelling vision of Catalonia, rarely uncovered by the casual visitor, as he discusses what he promises is the next new state in Europe and its relationship with the state it currently belongs to.

But Matthew does not limit himself to the purely political; he also gives us an insider’s view of real life in Barcelona, from doctor’s visits to shopping trips, through to finding one’s own voice in another culture and language.

Going Native in Catalonia

by Simon Harris Much more than a tourist guide: ●

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Why Catalonia is not just another part of Spain The quirks of the Catalan people and language A brief history of Catalonia and its politics intimate guided tours of key towns and cities.

Advice for short, long and medium term stays.

Personal photographs from the author’s travels Catalan culture, art, style and partying Witty anecdotes and interesting facts to share The inside scoop on Catalonia’s culinary delights Tips on ‘going native’ yourself and living there

WELCOME TO CATALONIA!