Barcelona Paperback – March 9, 1993

Because we were scheduled to visit Barcelona, a friend told me about this book and I ordered it. I’m a lover of history and also my favorite book of all time is Pillars of the Earth, so this book spoke to me. It had so much history, along with a wonderful story which spanned a lifetime and more. All of the background info was researched well and made the book so much more exciting.While visiting, we were able to see some of the sites talked about in the book and that made it so much more fun.Whether or not you visit Barcelona, it’s a riveting story and an interesting book.

This book is effectively a 540-page Encyclopedia Britannica article -- lots of facts dryly presented. I read it after spending 7 days seeing what I thought were the worthwhile sights in Barcelona, and soon had a list of things I missed good for another 7 days. I recommend it to anyone planning a visit to Barcelona, since I am not aware of any other source of information about the city that is as comprehensive.Hughes does a fine job of describing the architectural history of the city, particularly the Modernisme (Art Nouveau) period, but wastes far too much time on Catalan music, literature and art, which even he admits are mediocre. You will do yourself a favor by skimming those chapters.Note that this book was written in 1993, after the city had been spruced up for the 1992 Olympics but still 11 years ago. It is an even better city today, with nice people, excellent and reasonably priced food, and plenty of things to see and do. The comparison that comes to mind is "Tuscany 25 years ago."Apparently taking to heart some of the criticism of this book, Hughes wrote a revised version, "Barcelona the Great Enchantress" [ISBN: 079226794X] in 2003, a far more enjoyable read that reflects significantly better editing. Given a choice, I would read it first and only then buy "Barcelona" if I was interested in more detail.There is an excellent VHS tape of Barcelona [ASIN: 6303209777] that combines both ground and aerial footage. Well worth purchasing.Additional recommended reading: George Orwell's "Homage to Catalonia"

For instance:You could see traces of that ancient, tattered dandyism in Barcelona twenty-five years ago. Today, none remains. It lived at all levels. The Catalan gypsies of the Parallel had it in abundance. Corbero swears that he owes his conception of the dignity of his metier as an artist to three gypsy friends back in the early 1960s, old-cloths sellers who went under the nicknames of Puca (Flea), Flanel (Flannel), and Plastic. They were brilliant salesmen. They sold the worst, the rattiest clothes as though they were the newest English tweeds from Bel on Passieg de Gracia. They were so good that the artist, amazed, suggested that they go upscale. Why not put some of the take back into buying better merchandise, things that -- compared with the course rubbish they now sold with such virtuoso effect -- would walk out of the cart? Flea, Flannel and Plastic listened to the suggestion gravely and with scorn. "You may be right about the pesetas," concluded Flannel, dismissively. "But what about art?"

Robert Hughes mines the depths and soars into the stratosphere in this historical work on Catalunya/Barcelona.It's all here in 500 plus pages of political unrest, international intrigues, economic blunders and city/ province building; over a 2,000 year span.Overarching the meticulous some times ponderous work is Hughes' architectural observations and artistic, and scientific musings. A challenging read, but worth the effort for the student of regional Iberian history.

What a fantastic introduction to Barcelona! This is a foray into almost everything Catalan. Social and artistic history is introduced in such a way as to make it spring to life from the pages - one feels as if they are moving through Barcelona in real time, be it modern Barcelona or in times past. One experiences political change, artistic development, the industrial revolution, along with the development of Catalan language, culture, architecture, and history.I'm a flamenco aficionado through and through, and plan on studying dance in Barcelona in the near future. I now feel utterly and completely ready for this journey, and am excited to view the city with this solid introduction to its history - I feel my time there will be all the richer for having danced through the pages of Hughes' "Barcelona."

Robert Hughes wrote two books on Barcelona. This is the first and the one that every traveler should read both before and after visiting the city. His style is classy and engaging -- elegant fun to read because he mixes the authoritative and the anecdotal in presenting history, descriptions and judgments of art and architecture, and the vivid personalities involved in Barcelona's past. I finished it on the Kindle and was so enthusiastic that I bought the paperback to take on a second trip to Spain where it proved to be a not-to-be missed companion.

I recently returned to Barcelona and I decided to read up before the trip. To be honest, I thought that I wouldn't get through this book. It is a very thorough and detailed tome. But I persevered and after completing the book I would have to point out that this is not for the reader wanting a general overview. This is a scholarly study of the art, architecture, literature, music, history, language, religion and more of the city from late antiquity to the end of the 20th century. I learned much but at times I was thinking "too much". After all, I am not that interested, for example, in Catalan poetry.I would recommend this in depth study but be aware of what you are getting into.

Hughes is opinionated and witty, qualities that make this thoughtful and informative book a magnificent read. So many parts are funny. There are many great cities around the world that would have liked to have had a book written about them as masterful as this one.