Barcelona Noir
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- £9.99
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- £9.99
Publisher Description
Journey to Spain with “stories that tap into history, politics and culture to cast a cloak of horror and humor on the city’s distinctive neighborhoods” (The Miami Herald).
For some, Barcelona is a European enchantress of nouveau architecture, fusion tapas, and fine cava. To others, it’s a Gothic labyrinth of tiny streets to lose oneself in; hashish-clouded after-hours bars to forget the time; dimly lit plazas with global bohemians squatting, prostitutes tempting. But come morning, its cold cobblestones and misty beachfronts have even darker stories to tell.
This collection of crime fiction includes brand-new stories by Jordi Sierra i Fabra, Imma Monsó, Santiago Roncagliolo, Francisco González Ledesma, Valerie Miles, David Barba, Isabel Franc, Lolita Bosch, Eric Taylor-Aragón, Antonia Cortijos, Cristina Fallarás, Raúl Argemí, Teresa Solana, and Andreu Martín.
“The 14 stories . . . hew closely to the bleak spirit of the noir genre, whether reaching back to the 1920s . . . or chronicling chaotic immigrant-infused present-day Barcelona.” —Publishers Weekly
“Each [contributor] presents his or her own personal picture of the city, and as a whole, the anthology projects a many-hued sense of place. As portrayed here, Barcelona is a city that looks different from every angle.” —Booklist
“With 50 titles in its noir series and counting, Akashic adds another fine anthology to the lineup. . . . Fans of Spanish literature and crime fiction will enjoy.” —Library Journal
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
The 14 stories in Akashic's Barcelona volume hew closely to the bleak spirit of the noir genre, whether reaching back to the 1920s, as Andreu Mart n does in the chilling "The Law of Escape," or chronicling chaotic immigrant-infused present-day Barcelona, as Ra l Argem does in "The Slender Charm of Chinese Women." Standouts include Eric Taylor-Arag n's "Epiphany," with its shocking ending; David Barba's ghoulish "Sweet Croquette"; Teresa Solana's "The Offering," with its echoes of Edgar Allan Poe (and one of two stories originally written in Catalan); and Jordi Sierra i Fabra's "A High-End Neighborhood," in which a Filipino servant suffers the whims of a wealthy couple and their spoiled children. Francisco Gonz lez Ledesma's brief "The Police Inspector Who Loved Books," about an old man with more books than he can read who's going blind and doesn't want to live if he can't read anymore, provides a bittersweet ending.