Nada: A Novel (Modern Library Torchbearers)

Heading to Barcelona, I bought this to get perspective on my destination. I was quite thoughtful and thought-provoking.

FAST delivery which was great because I needed it for a class.

Carmen Laforet wrote with a quiet beauty. Not really poetic, just an understated elegance. Even the more dramatic or violent scenes have a quieter feeling than you'd expect. Quite impressive for a woman who was in her early twenties when she wrote this book.The story is said to be somewhat autobiographical. Andrea, aged eighteen, goes to live with her grandmother, aunts, and uncles in Barcelona so she can attend the university. The family lives in greatly reduced circumstances after the Spanish Civil War and the death of the family patriarch. In his intro, Mario Vargas Llosa calls this story a "detailed autopsy of a girl imprisoned in a hungry, half-crazed family on Calle de Aribau." That pretty much sums up the story, although I'd say some of the family members have progressed beyond half-crazed to full-blown madness.There are secrets revealed and high drama closer to the end of the book, but mostly it is about Andrea's attempts to escape from the loony bin she's living in by walking the streets of Barcelona and spending time with her friends from the university.This edition is a new translation by Edith Grossman. I am really falling in love with her translation skills. Some translations have a stilted feeling, but Grossman's just flow so smoothly and beautifully.

Depressing but vivid novel opens a window into a grim period of Spanish history.

Great condition

This is one of my favorite books. It's surprising to me that it is not that well-known in the US. If you have read, or just familiar with The Catcher in the Rye, you will enjoy this book.

I had to read this book first for a class but loved it so much I wanted a copy of my own. Carmen Laforet is an extremely talented author and a great read if you enjoy works from the posguerra period in Spain. I found it easier to read than some works by other posguerra authors (Spanish is my second language so I sometimes struggle with some vocabulary).

Wonderful book! It’s a great condition as described. Fast shipper!

Una buena translación pero está perdiendo el capítulo final que está presente en la copia original español.

Una de las mejores novelas que he leído

Liked the style !

If you want a Spanish edition make sure you check the information. A title in Spanish does not mean the book is in Spanish

Roman passionnant. Très bien écrit qui se lit finalement assez bien par des hispanisants moyens. Je le conseille pour connaitre l'ambiance qui régnait après la guerre à Barcelone