From Almodóvar’s coming-of-age Madrid to the sultry south and Andalucia. When I happened upon this book at Madrid’s Sunday flea market, I picked it up more for its cheap price than anything else. Taken as a whole the book is a bit rambling, something which Irving recognised when he republished it with edits after a ‘crude’ first edition had already hit bookshops. But it is as enchanting as the Alhambra itself. It’s like entering a world within a world within a world, as Irving shacks up in this abandoned palace overlooking the city of Granada and then goes on to create his own world within it. ‘The Mysterious Chambers’ is the best example of this for me, as, not content with already living within a fairytale, he discovers a hidden door that leads to sumptuous chambers once destined for Elizabetta of Farnese, wife of Phillip V (If that is to be believed, Irving was given to embellishments – who wouldn’t be in that setting?) and decides to set up camp there, moving from his furnished and serviced apartment in the habitable part of the grounds to this mysterious chamber that has been shuttered up for decades, maybe longer. If you are anything like me, reading stories with a strong sense of place immediately makes me want to visit them. After writing this, I was compelled to book a trip to Granada in May. I think everyone should do the same. Or failing that, read these magical tales.
First published in Tales of the Alhambra, Carey & Lea, 1832
A Personal Anthology 