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278th out of 804 books
—
655 voters
Iberia
"Massive, beautiful...Unquestionably some of the best writing on Spain...The best that Mr. Michener has ever done on any subject...Stunning...Memorable."
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
Here, in the fresh, vivid prose that is James Michener's trademark, is the real Spain as he experiences it. He not only reveals the celebrated Spain of bullfights and warror kings, painters and proce...more
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
Here, in the fresh, vivid prose that is James Michener's trademark, is the real Spain as he experiences it. He not only reveals the celebrated Spain of bullfights and warror kings, painters and proce...more
Paperback, 960 pages
Published
October 12th 1984
by Fawcett
(first published 1968)
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I decided to dive into this over the holidays, as part of an ensuing and voracious quest to soak up as many dimensions of Spanish culture as possible. I've long been a very appreciative fan of Michener's historical epics - this tome is no Chesepeake, Hawaii or The Source, however, all of which offer exhaustive and near encyclopedic treatments of their respective subjects. This autobiographical work, drawing on Michener's personal experiences in the Iberian peninsula between the 1930s and 1960s,...more
This is a remarkable book, a statement I seem to make about all of JAM’s books. This book is different than the others of his that I have read. Instead of the exploration of a place and its history through the artifact of a fictional story with fictional characters running through it, this book is a travel book in which JAM describes the plazas, cathedrals, art museums, etc., of 13 locations plus others seen in side trips. Much of the history of Spain is revealed as we travel along with JAM, and...more
This was a beast to get through and I took some serious time off after I began reading. It was an epic novel which had me looking on the iphone/internet for more information on art and history than I could handle, since there was so much of interest. It is different than his other novels which have ficticious characters. It was simply a Michener travelogue. I can't believe one person could know so much about Spain and its' culture, let alone the fact that he has written many epic novels about ot...more
I love Michener, but I have tried this travelogue several times and I just cannot get into it.
I feel disappointed. Obviously, Michener had a love for Spain. I long to read a classic Michenerian historical fiction of Spain that walks me through the glories and horrors of it's years. Each time I pick up this book, that is what I seek. The rise and fall of the Spanish empire and how this history ties into the people and state of Spain today.
Unfortunately, for this work, Michener chose a travelogue...more
I feel disappointed. Obviously, Michener had a love for Spain. I long to read a classic Michenerian historical fiction of Spain that walks me through the glories and horrors of it's years. Each time I pick up this book, that is what I seek. The rise and fall of the Spanish empire and how this history ties into the people and state of Spain today.
Unfortunately, for this work, Michener chose a travelogue...more
I learned James Michener loves Iberia because it plays an integral part in the author's history of seamanship. Additionally, one should be aware that it was also pivotal in the descendance of humankind, as a 'safe haven' during neolithic times when the ice age had plunged our planet into a giant turmoil.
Cordoba and some southern parts... he is talking about the parts of Spain conquered by Islam. He talked already about some other stuff, like a rotten pheasant he ate at a restaurant and a great t...more
Cordoba and some southern parts... he is talking about the parts of Spain conquered by Islam. He talked already about some other stuff, like a rotten pheasant he ate at a restaurant and a great t...more
I thought this book all would be was Michener's travel through Spain, but no its more than half about the history, which is really boring to me, especially the way it was written into his travel by selection, so I could not get into the book. But I should have expected the history mixed in with his travel, since in all his fictional books about different locations it is basically a history of the location from the beginning of time on how the land was created to the present time.
I was a little disappointed that this book was more of a travel journal rather than his fiction-intertwined-with-fact books like Hawaii and Texas. Michener does a wonderful job of describing Spain's many regions and obviously loves the country. I enjoyed his interesting tidbits on historical events and comments on everyday life. This was written in the 60's so the cost of living was very skewed but entertaining.
Read this book in the early seventies long before I had done any serious traveling. Michener's in-depth exploration of the people, places and history of Spain kindled in me a deep and abiding desire to travel to Europe and the world. Not a typical Michener book, but a thoughtful presentation of an amazing country.
This is the only Michener book I've ever read that I didn't like. I thought I'd like it because I love Spain, but I didn't and gave up on it half way through. There was no real story. It's more like a travel log of all his travels in Spain. It's the only book I ever made the decision not to finish.
I'm not profligate with my five-star ratings, but this has long been a sort of bible to me. From the moment I decided I might like to live in Spain, it has guided and informed me. Over the years I've bought several copies and thumbed them till they fell apart. I have now had one leather-bound. I still refer to it.
I read this book while living in Washington D.C. for a summer. Honestly, at the end of my stay I felt I knew Spain better than I did our nation's capital. Michener wrote from his heart of this epochal land but without the grandstanding of his contemporary Hemingway.
Begins with a description of "the nautical oxen of Burriana," which is captivating. There is no doubt that Michener knows as much about Spain as any non-Spaniard. This 900 page chronicle is exhaustive, and almost exhausting. Written during the Franco dictatorship.
Rich in detail and covers a wide range of subjects, from history and art to food and economics, much of it communicated in the words of people the author met. And yet... even aside from being dated - I can only wonder just how much... the book was a bit of a slog and started to seem repetitive after a while. Michener does a wonderful job of evoking detail, but there are just too many of them. And at times I found myself wondering whether he believed the outlandish opinions he was quoting or not....more
Refreshening and enlightening. Michener offers the reader through his experiences with Spain an alternative perspective to world history, as oppossed to the pervasive Anglo-Saxon outlook.
However I found the religiosity of the people and the land unnerving and sometimes irritable.
On the whole one can summarize this book in one word: 'Estupendo!'
However I found the religiosity of the people and the land unnerving and sometimes irritable.
On the whole one can summarize this book in one word: 'Estupendo!'
A wonderful book! I read it about 25 years ago, then reread it last month and enjoyed it even more, as in the meantime, I've travelled the length and breadth of Spain. He's just so spot-on about everything concerning the country, and his love for all things Spanish just oozes from every page. He's one of that vanishing breed - travel writers in the mould of Herodotus & Co. He doesn't just breeze in and out of a country, making rapid value judgments and classifying the people into his own men...more
Sep 04, 2009
Patricia
is currently reading it
This book is written in such a way that I feel I'm actually IN THE BOOK. The only drawback (to me) is Mr. M practically counts every stone in every cathedral and discusses it. Otherwise, it is amazing.
to much name dropping but otherwise a good if outdated read. oh yes, the title is also misleading as Iberia refers to the Iberian peninsula ie Spain and Portugal, the book does not mention the later
If you are obsessed with Spain, read this puppy. Can be a little slow, but amazing historical and cultural information. Read this when traveling in Spain and was incredibly eye-opening.
I read this before traveling to Spain. Best travel writing I've ever read. Michener expounds on history, food, art, architecture, culture -- everything that informs good travel.
Much of the information here is dated because Michener published this in 1968 under Franco, but most will stand the test of time, despite Spain's furious race to modernity.
Unlike his other novels, this is more of an introduction to Spain. Very dated now, but was an excellent introduction to Spain for an American at the time.
Michener is loquacious, surely, but so much to be learned about Spain from ancient history through ~1970. A great travel companion while in Spain.
Sep 17, 2012
Bill Errecart
added it
Travelogue of Spain in the late 1950s- early 1960s Not something that would interest most people looking for a good Michener book.
While I generally enjoy James Michener's writing, this one was a bit of a slog. I enjoyed the vivid descriptions of his journies through Spain, peppered with colourful bits of Spanish history, but for me, where it fell down was the endless descriptions of artwork and architecture in Spanish cathedrals. A picture is worth a thousand words --- or in this case a few thousand!
The book ranges from poular destinations such as Pamplona for the running of the bulls and the pilgramage of Santiago de Comp...more
The book ranges from poular destinations such as Pamplona for the running of the bulls and the pilgramage of Santiago de Comp...more
So far I am enjoying it. I love to travel and Michener is a great travel guide. Also, I am going to Spain in March.
Information was his personal contacts with people in various parts of Spain back in the 1940's.
More travelogue than story of Spain (not Portugal). Great writing style.
I read it before I spent a year in Spain...need to go back to it again.
Wow I have been working on this book for a long time! It took me almost a year to finish - which says something. Michener wasn't as readable as I'm used to, although it got easier as I got used to it. This is a surprising, eye-opening account of Spain, the Spanish people, their lives, history, and traditions. It is non-fiction and follows Michener's travels through Spain. I loved the history. I want to visit Barcelona and the Mediterranean coast, and the Balearic Islands. I'm glad to learn about...more
good way to get a feel for spain before going there.
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Please recommend books set in Spain/Portugal | 7 | 4 | Feb 20, 2013 08:22am |
James Albert Michener is best known for his sweeping multi-generation historical fiction sagas, usually focusing on and titled after a particular geographical region. His first novel,
Tales of the South Pacific
, which inspired the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical South Pacific, won the 1948 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.
Toward the end of his life, he created the Journey Prize, awarded annually for th...more
More about James A. Michener...
Toward the end of his life, he created the Journey Prize, awarded annually for th...more
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Was Michener good in this book?
John
Sep 05, 2009 06:00am