The Penguin Book of Spanish Short Stories

A vibrant collection of classic Spanish short stories and hidden gems alike, compiled by celebrated translator Margaret Jull Costa

A Penguin Classic

This exciting collection celebrates the Spanish short story, from its modern origins in the nineteenth century to the remarkable work being written today. Featuring over fifty stories selected by revered translator Margaret Jull Costa, it blends hidden gems and old favorites, surprising new voices and giants of Spain's literary culture, from Emilia Pardo Bazán and Leopoldo Alas, through Mercè Rodoreda and Manuel Rivas, to Javier Marías. Brimming with romance, horror, history, farce, strangeness and beauty, and showcasing alluring hairdressers, war defectors, vampiric mothers, and talismanic mandrake roots, the daring and entertaining assortment of tales in The Penguin Book of Spanish Short Stories will be a treasure trove for readers.

Penguin Classics is the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world, representing a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.Contents

Introduction by Margaret Jull Costa

Benito Pérez Galdós
The Novel on the Tram 

Emilia Pardo Bazán
The Talisman

Leopoldo Alas, ‘Clarín’
Duet for Two Coughs

Miguel de Unamuno
The Likeness

Ramón del Valle- Inclán
The Poor Wee Child

Pío Baroja
The Unknown

Azorín
The Reverse Side of the Tapestry

Eduardo Blanco Amor
The Biobardos

Josep Pla
Counterpoint

Rosa Chacel
The Genie of the Night and the Genie of the Day

Rafael Dieste
Light and Silence

Ramón J. Sender
The Boy 

Max Aub
Ingratitude

Mercè Rodoreda
Like Silk

Álvaro Cunqueiro
Jacinto’s Umbrella

Pere Calders
Feat of Arms

Alonso Zamora Vicente
On a Visit

Julián Ayesta
At the Beach

Miguel Delibes
On Such a Night

Carmen Laforet
The Return 

Ignacio Aldecoa
Come Twelve o’Clock

Ana María Matute
Conscience

Medardo Fraile
Berta’s Presence

Carmen Martín Gaite
Behind the Eyes 

Josefina Rodríguez Aldecoa
Madrid, Autumn, Saturday

Rafael Sánchez Ferlosio
The Recidivist

Juan Benet
Reichenau

Juan Marsé
The Street of the Sleeping Dragon

Esther Tusquets
Summer Orchestra

Álvaro Pombo
Luzmila

José María Merino
The Deserter

Marina Mayoral
Then He Began to Forget 

Cristina Fernández Cubas
A Fresh Start 

Juan José Millás
She’s Everywhere

Vicente Molina Foix
The Real Hairdresser

Soledad Puértolas
Traffic Jam

Carme Riera
The Return Home

Enrique Vila-Matas
Sea Swell 

Javier Marías
A Sense of Camaraderie

Bernardo Atxaga
Teresa, poverina mia

Quim Monzó
The Fullness of Summer

Paloma Díaz-Mas
In Search of a Photograph

Julio Llamazares
Balancing the World on His Chin

Manuel Rivas
The Butterfly’s Tongue

Carlos Castán
The Usher 

Teresa Solana
The Second Mrs Appleton 

Javier Cercas
Against Optimism 

Eloy Tizón
About the Wedding

Karmele Jaio
The Scream

Jesús Carrasco
10.10.10

Javier Montes
Hotel Life 

Harkaitz Cano
The Keys to the Apartment 

Eider Rodríguez
And Shortly After That, Now 

Elvira Navarro
Love 

Cristina García Morales
The Generation Gap 

Aixa de la Cruz
True Milk 

Copyright information

My Fellow Translators

Translator’s AcknowledgementsMargaret Jull Costa (editor, translator, and introducer) has translated the works of many Spanish and Portuguese writers, among them novelists: Javier Marías, José Saramago and Eça de Queiroz, and poets: Sophia de Mello Breyner Andresen, Mário de Sá-Carneiro, and Ana Luísa Amaral. She has received numerous prizes for her work, including an OBE for services to literature and the 2018 Premio Valle-Inclán for On the Edge by Rafael Chirbes.Contents

Introduction by Margaret Jull Costa

Benito Pérez Galdós
The Novel on the Tram 

Emilia Pardo Bazán
The Talisman

Leopoldo Alas, ‘Clarín’
Duet for Two Coughs

Miguel de Unamuno
The Likeness

Ramón del Valle- Inclán
The Poor Wee Child

Pío Baroja
The Unknown

Azorín
The Reverse Side of the Tapestry

Eduardo Blanco Amor
The Biobardos

Josep Pla
Counterpoint

Rosa Chacel
The Genie of the Night and the Genie of the Day

Rafael Dieste
Light and Silence

Ramón J. Sender
The Boy 

Max Aub
Ingratitude

Mercè Rodoreda
Like Silk

Álvaro Cunqueiro
Jacinto’s Umbrella

Pere Calders
Feat of Arms

Alonso Zamora Vicente
On a Visit

Julián Ayesta
At the Beach

Miguel Delibes
On Such a Night

Carmen Laforet
The Return 

Ignacio Aldecoa
Come Twelve o’Clock

Ana María Matute
Conscience

Medardo Fraile
Berta’s Presence

Carmen Martín Gaite
Behind the Eyes 

Josefina Rodríguez Aldecoa
Madrid, Autumn, Saturday

Rafael Sánchez Ferlosio
The Recidivist

Juan Benet
Reichenau

Juan Marsé
The Street of the Sleeping Dragon

Esther Tusquets
Summer Orchestra

Álvaro Pombo
Luzmila

José María Merino
The Deserter

Marina Mayoral
Then He Began to Forget 

Cristina Fernández Cubas
A Fresh Start 

Juan José Millás
She’s Everywhere

Vicente Molina Foix
The Real Hairdresser

Soledad Puértolas
Traffic Jam

Carme Riera
The Return Home

Enrique Vila-Matas
Sea Swell 

Javier Marías
A Sense of Camaraderie

Bernardo Atxaga
Teresa, poverina mia

Quim Monzó
The Fullness of Summer

Paloma Díaz-Mas
In Search of a Photograph

Julio Llamazares
Balancing the World on His Chin

Manuel Rivas
The Butterfly’s Tongue

Carlos Castán
The Usher 

Teresa Solana
The Second Mrs Appleton 

Javier Cercas
Against Optimism 

Eloy Tizón
About the Wedding

Karmele Jaio
The Scream

Jesús Carrasco
10.10.10

Javier Montes
Hotel Life 

Harkaitz Cano
The Keys to the Apartment 

Eider Rodríguez
And Shortly After That, Now 

Elvira Navarro
Love 

Cristina García Morales
The Generation Gap 

Aixa de la Cruz
True Milk 

Copyright information

My Fellow Translators

Translator’s Acknowledgements