Looking for the best books set in Barcelona? – Barcelona has inspired generations of writers, from Catalan literary icons to internationally acclaimed authors. These novels set in Barcelona explore the city through many different lenses: Gothic mysteries, turbulent love stories, political conflict during the Spanish Civil War, and portraits of everyday life under Franco’s dictatorship. Whether you are looking for historical fiction, literary classics, or contemporary voices, these books offer an unforgettable journey through the streets and neighbourhoods of Barcelona.
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Easy Reading by Cristina Morales
Set in present-day Barcelona, Easy Reading follows four women sharing a state-subsidised flat as they struggle against social and institutional control. Sharp and provocative, the novel offers a fascinating portrait of modern Barcelona from the perspective of characters rarely placed at the centre of literary fiction.
- Setting: Barcelona
- Publication: 2018
- Original title: Lectura fácil
- 448 pages
- Notable: Winner of the Premio Nacional de Narrativa and the Premio Herralde de Novela
Read the full book page: Easy Reading by Cristina Morales
Confessions by Jaume Cabré
Beginning in Barcelona’s Eixample and Gothic districts and moving across centuries of European history, Confessions follows a man haunted by the dark legacy of a musical instrument tied to violence and betrayal. Rich, ambitious, and emotionally powerful, it is an unforgettable novel for readers who enjoy literary fiction that combines mystery, music, history, and a love story.
- Setting: Barcelona
- Publication: 2011
- Original title: Jo confesso
- 672 pages
- Notable: Winner of the Premi de la Crítica de narrativa catalana. Jaume Cabré is one of the most renowned contemporary Catalan writers.
Read the full book page: Confessions by Jaume Cabré
Cathedral of the Sea by Ildefonso Falcones
Set in medieval Barcelona during the construction of the church of Santa Maria del Mar in the Ribera district, Cathedral of the Sea tells the story of a young man rising from poverty to wealth in a city shaped by ambition, faith, and social conflict. Immersive and highly readable, this bestselling novel is a good introduction to historical fiction set in Barcelona.
- Setting: Barcelona
- Publication: 2006
- Original title: La catedral del mar
- 624 pages
Read the full book page: Cathedral of the Sea by Ildefonso Falcones
The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
In post-Civil-War Barcelona, a boy discovers a mysterious novel in the hidden Cemetery of Forgotten Books and becomes drawn into a haunting literary mystery. This bestselling Gothic novel captures the melancholy of Barcelona like few others.
- Setting: Barcelona
- Publication: 2001
- Original title: La sombra del viento
- 487 pages
Read the full book page: The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
The City of Wonders by Eduardo Mendoza
Set in Barcelona between the world exhibitions of 1888 and 1929, The City of Wonders follows the rise of an ambitious opportunist through business, speculation, and crime. Both entertaining and insightful, this award-winning novel brilliantly portrays Barcelona’s transformation into a modern industrial metropolis.
- Setting: Barcelona
- Publication: 1986
- Original title: La ciudad de los prodigios
- 496 pages
- Notable: Winner of the Premio Planeta and the European Book Prize. Eduardo Mendoza is one of Spain’s most celebrated contemporary authors. He won many literary awards, including the Premio Cervantes.
Read the full book page: The City of Wonders by Eduardo Mendoza
General Escobar’s War by José Luis Olaizola
Set in wartime Barcelona, General Escobar’s War recounts the tragic fate of a Catholic officer who remains loyal to the Republican government during the Spanish Civil War. Thoughtful and deeply human, the novel offers a moving perspective on the moral complexities of the Spanish Civil War, one of the country’s darkest periods.
- Setting: Barcelona
- Publication: 1983
- Original title: La guerra del general Escobar
- 201 pages
- Notable: Winner of the Premio Planeta.
Read the full book page: General Escobar’s War by José Luis Olaizola
Southern Seas by Manuel Vázquez Montalbán
In post-Franco Barcelona, private detective Pepe Carvalho investigates the murder of a wealthy businessman. Combining crime fiction with social commentary, Southern Seas offers a vivid portrait of Barcelona during the turbulent years of political transition.
- Setting: Barcelona
- Publication: 1979
- Original title: Los Mares del Sur
- 224 pages
- Notable: Winner of the Premio Planeta.
Read the full book page: Southern Seas by Manuel Vázquez Montalbán
The Time of Cherries by Montserrat Roig
Returning to Barcelona after years abroad, Natàlia finds a city still marked by dictatorship yet slowly moving towards democracy in the final years of General Franco’s regime. Sensitive and reflective, this Catalan novel beautifully captures the atmosphere of 1970s Barcelona and the tensions between generations.
- Setting: Barcelona
- Publication: 1977
- Original title: El temps de les cireres
- 256 pages
- Notable: Winner of the Premi Sant Jordi.
Read the full book page: The Time of Cherries by Montserrat Roig
Last Evenings with Teresa by Juan Marsé
Set between the wealthy district of Sant Gervasi and the working-class neighbourhood of El Carmel, Last Evenings with Teresa explores a doomed romance across Barcelona’s social classes. Tragic and sharply observant, this classic Spanish novel remains one of the great literary portraits of Barcelona in the post-war years.
- Setting: Barcelona
- Publication: 1966
- Original title: Últimas tardes con Teresa
- 432 pages
- Notable: Juan Marsé was one of the most renowned Spanish writers. He won many literary awards, including the Premio Cervantes.
Read the full book page: Last Evenings with Teresa by Juan Marsé
Marks of Identity by Juan Goytisolo
When a man returns to Barcelona in the 1960s, after years of exile, memories of war and political repression force him to confront both his own past and the identity of Spain itself. Experimental and intellectually ambitious, Marks of Identity is a landmark novel of modern Spanish literature.
- Setting: Barcelona
- Publication: 1966
- Original title: Señas de identidad
- 352 pages
- Notable: Juan Goytisolo was a celebrated Spanish author. He won several literary awards, including the Premio Cervantes.
Read the full book page: Marks of Identity by Juan Goytisolo
The Grey Notebook by Josep Pla
Part memoir, part literary diary, The Grey Notebook evokes Barcelona and Catalonia in the years following the First World War through the eyes of a young aspiring writer. Elegant, observant, and quietly humorous, it offers readers an intimate portrait of everyday life in early twentieth-century Barcelona, during the years of the Spanish flu epidemic.
- Setting: Barcelona and Palafrugell
- Publication: 1966
- Original title: El quadern gris
- 656 pages
- Notable: The Grey Notebook is considered a classic of Catalan literature.
Read the full book page: The Grey Notebook by Josep Pla
In Diamond Square (The Time of the Doves) by Mercè Rodoreda
Beginning in Barcelona’s Gràcia district before the Spanish Civil War, this moving novel follows Natàlia as she struggles with love, poverty, motherhood, and survival in a changing city. Tender, lyrical, and deeply emotional, In Diamond Square is widely regarded as one of the masterpieces of Catalan literature.
- Setting: Barcelona
- Publication: 1962
- Original title: La plaça del diamant
- 208 pages
- Notable: Mercè Rodoreda was awarded the Premi D’Honor de les Lletres Catalanes.
Read the full book page: In Diamond Square (The Time of the Doves) by Mercè Rodoreda
Nada: A Novel by Carmen Laforet
Arriving in post-war Barcelona to study at university, a young woman discovers a city marked by poverty, repression, and emotional tension within her own family. Beautifully written and psychologically acute, Nada remains one of the essential Spanish novels about Barcelona under Franco.
- Setting: Barcelona
- Publication: 1945
- Original title: Nada
- 288 pages
- Notable: Winner of the Premio Nadal. Nada is widely considered as a classic of Spanish twentieth-century literature.
Read the full book page: Nada: A Novel by Carmen Laforet
Homage to Catalonia by George Orwell
In this classic memoir, George Orwell recounts his experiences fighting in the Spanish Civil War and witnessing political violence and division in Barcelona. Honest, vivid, and deeply influential, the book remains one of the finest accounts of revolutionary Barcelona and the tragedy of the Civil War.
- Setting: Barcelona, Alcubierre, Huesca, Lleida
- Publication: 1938
- 250 pages
- Notable: George Orwell was one of the most acclaimed English writers of the 20th century.
Read the full book page: Homage to Catalonia by George Orwell
Private Life by Josep Maria de Sagarra
Set in Barcelona during the final years before the Spanish Civil War, Private Life chronicles the decline of an aristocratic family against the backdrop of a rapidly changing society. Elegant, scandalous, and richly atmospheric, it offers a fascinating portrait of bourgeois Barcelona in the early twentieth century.
- Setting: Barcelona
- Publication: 1932
- Original title: Vida privada
- 496 pages
- Notable: Winner of the Premi Joan Crexells. Widely regarded as a classic of Catalan literature.
Read the full book page: Private Life by Josep Maria de Sagarra
