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Posts: 1827
Joined: Jul. 8 2003
From: Living in Granada, Andalucía
RE: Jason Websters Duende book (in reply to Jon Boyes)
Hi Jon,
I was given this book and thought it enjoyable if regarded as fiction. ie Young man goes in search of Flamenco in Valencia, well perhaps not the best place to start, but he manages to learn not only how to speak Spanish but play flamenco guitar in a matter of months to such an extent he joins a group of Gitanos and tours with their show and is taken out and about having all sorts of adventures, typical steretype 'Gypsy' activities, taking drugs, stealing cars etc.
He ends up in Granada and the plot gets a little thin, things happen with no explanation, he manages to meet PdL pissing behind a tree in the ALhambra. A story I have heard from many people, how many people were in the woods that night I wonder. Having seen PdL's 'condiciones' for performing and having been there that night it is very doubtful that PdL could not have found somewhere less public to piss.
For me it was an enjoyable read even if I got a bit exasperated about the implausibility of it all, like I said it's fiction masquerading as real life, yes its flamenco but not as we know it :)
OK, I get the message, thanks for that amusing run down Kate. I shall probably get it anyway, even if it is to be taken with a pinch of salt.
I wonder what the real story would be?
Probably along those lines of those idiots on current UK TV programmes that move out to Spain for a new life with no job planned, no language skills etc.
There was one programme recently where a couple set off for one of the Costas (Blanca I think) with just a van. The guy started busking outside a cafe full of tourists, and was suprised when he got carted off by the local police. Of course, not knowing the langauage, local laws and customs, etc, he didn't have a clue what was happening.
..and then there's all those people that go out and open bars ('get your genuine English grub here') only to discover that running a bar for 18 hours a day is actually hard work and not a holiday at all.
I read the book as well - Kate seemed to sum it up well. I did have a difficult time putting it down though and I finished it in 3 days or so. If anything you'll probably get a good chuckle out of it.
Kate, you summed the book up better that I could ever, a **** fairy tale of someone coming from an Oxford Uni, meeting an Irishman who advised him to take up the Guitar, thieving Cars in Madrid or wherever, shagging a dark dusky Flamenco dancer, getting threatened with a knife in Granada, for spying a drug deal with a Priest, Its crap, and people who believe in it, are the same as people who believe Christmas is about Christianity. Cheers Dave
RE: Jason Websters Duende book (in reply to Jon Boyes)
If you are after a really good read, I recommend Lucy McCauley's "Spain" in the "Travellers Tales" series.
This is an amazing collection of stories and anecdotes, first published in 1995 in USA.by O'Reilly and Associates Inc. 103A Morris Street, Sebastapol, CA 95472-9902, and sold in most good book shops (assuming it is still available)
Amongst them is one called "A night of duende" the story of a Camaron concert. There are other flamenco related tales and all are factual by people visiting Spain. I have read a lot of books, this one is excellent. It cost approximately $16 when I bought it (12 English pounds) and is worth every penny (cent) A Christmas present you won't part with (-;
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