Last Evenings with Teresa - by Juan Marsé Paperback

About the Book

Set in post-war Barcelona, Last Evenings with Teresa is a timeless story of desire and ambition by the winner of the Premio Cervantes. Winner of Spain's Premio Biblioteca Breve.

Book Synopsis

'One of Spain's most acclaimed writers' New York Times
'Spain's finest contemporary novelist' Guardian

A REDISCOVERED POST-WAR LOVE STORY FROM ONE OF SPAIN'S MOST ACCLAIMED AUTHORS.

1950s Barcelona. A rebellious daughter of a wealthy family meets an ambitious rogue at a party.

Teresa was born with every advantage in life - beautiful, rich, charming and clever. Another left-wing university student in the wealthy neighbourhood of San Gervasio.

Manolo has only ever existed on the margins. A poor immigrant from Murcia like him, stealing motorbikes for a living, could only ever dream of being with the daughter of the Catalan bourgeoisie - until now.

Juan Marsé's masterpiece is an unforgettable portrait of post-war Barcelona - a modern classic on the power of desire and love, ambition and hope against all odds.

'Juan Marsé's contribution to European fiction has been consistently remarkable' Times Literary Supplement

'A memorable panorama of 1950s Barcelona and its wild heroism' Lluís Izquierdo

'The best storyteller Spanish literature has given us in many decades' Ignacio Echevarría

'He has never written a single page where something interesting isn't happening' Eduardo Mendoza

From the Back Cover

'One of Spain's most acclaimed writers' New York Times

A REDISCOVERED POST-WAR LOVE STORY FROM ONE OF SPAIN'S MOST ACCLAIMED AUTHORS.

1950s Barcelona. A rebellious daughter of a wealthy family meets an ambitious rogue at a party.

Teresa was born with every advantage in life - beautiful, rich, charming and clever. Another left-wing university student in the wealthy neighbourhood of San Gervasio.

Manolo has only ever existed on the margins. A poor immigrant from Murcia like him, stealing motorbikes for a living, could only ever dream of being with the daughter of the Catalan bourgeoisie - until now.

Juan Marsé's masterpiece is an unforgettable portrait of post-war Barcelona - a modern classic on the power of desire and love, ambition and hope against all odds.

'Juan Marsé's contribution to European fiction has been consistently remarkable' Times Literary Supplement

'The best storyteller Spanish literature has given us in many decades' Ignacio Echevarría

'He has never written a single page where something interesting isn't happening' Eduardo Mendoza

Review Quotes

Last Evenings with Teresa has everything one can ask of a novel; it seems to have been written in a state of grace-- "Javier Cercas"

Between illusions and realities, with his own free creative will - the opposite of the recipe for a social novel - Juan Marsé offered a memorable panorama of 1950s Barcelona and its wild heroism-- "Lluís Izquierdo"

He has never written a single page where something interesting isn't happening-- "Eduardo Mendoza"

I consider Juan Marsé the best storyteller Spanish literature has given us in many decades-- "Ignacio Echevarría"

Juan Marsé's contribution to European fiction has been consistently remarkable-- "TLS"

One of Spain's most acclaimed writers-- "New York Times"

Spain's finest contemporary novelist-- "Guardian"

About the Author

Juan Marsé is one of Spain's most celebrated writers. Last Evenings with Teresa (1966), now in English translation for the first time, is considered his masterpiece. In 2009 he was awarded the Cervantes Prize, the Spanish-speaking world's most important literary honour. He died in 2020.