He was probably in his 60s when he wrote most of this, travelling with his wife, but he writes a bit like a little boy, discovering rules and lists like an effervescent, naive American, or German-style logician. He says writing is hard for him, but he manages to write these tremendously long and simplistic books, possibly because he is so sequential and seldom cross-references or reduces facts. So yes, it is fascinating to learn second-hand that the famous cave paintings of bulls never depict a hunt or weapons. It was apparently love of the animals which inspired the paintings. And yes, Michener's descriptions of his resplendent picnics above Kabul and in a thick fog, telling personal ghost stories is very good. He's also a brave and strange man for running with bulls in his 60s, after being shamed by the sight of Hemingway's 72 year old mentor doing the same.But this is a book to browse, not to read. His naivete touches on childish self-assurance. So when he's not relaying other people's basic impressions, he's expressing surprise that Spaniards know so much more than Americans, given that they know the population figures for the U.S. And following his wife's insistence, he declares La Rambla in Barcelona "probably the best promenade I have ever seen." More like the most overrated -- a former and current red-light district, exceptionally wide, where cars still pass back and forth.I'll admit to jealousy about some of the sights which his fame and thoroughness lead him to visit. Maybe that's why I skipped the rest of his Barcelona and his long bull-fighting stories. Then again, he is so wedded to efficiency and fact, like his favourite bull-fighter, that his descriptions seem to depend on brief, childish superlatives, telling us their value on a scale of his own making, rather than showing us what he saw.More in updates...
Michener is, of course, a giant. Bridges at Toko-Ri was one of the first books I ever read. Somehow, I only read a few of his after that, Tales of the South Pacific, Chesapeake, and Texas. So, I’m no expert. But I can say this book taught me more about Spain than I learned visiting it or from a bunch of years of Spanish. Here is some of what Michener shows us:The Spanish system of surnames. Extremadura, poor, hard-scrabble region bordering Portugal, where Balboa, de Soto, Cortez, and Pizarro all came from. “Pundonor,” extreme, uniquely Spanish sense of honor, “duende,” highest form of praise, and “ambiente,” ambiance in the best sense. Famous–but not as Spaniards–the emperors Trajan and Hadrian, and the Borgias. The Transparente, the carved screen of near mystic beauty in the Toledo cathedral. Almond soup. The explosion during the Republican siege in 1936, heard forty miles away in Madrid that failed to flatten the Alcazar. Las Marismas and the Donana bird sanctuary. The magic of Seville. Bullfighters. El Escorial. The composers, Albeniz, Granados, Falla, and chief among them, Victoria. Architecture. Hemingway. The great painters, most especially Velasquez, and their works. Food. Legends. Kings and queens. Books and Barcelona. A brilliant chapter on Spain’s fighting Bulls. And yet, perhaps the best part of the book is the last chapter, on Santiago de Compostela and the history of the pilgrimage to it. All of this is here in exquisite detail. And what a picture! Region by region and city by city.That Michener had such knowledge of Spain, and that this was only one of many places he had such knowledge, is hard to comprehend. A magnificent, very satisfying work.
What do You think about Iberia (1984)?
Although it was very informative and covered a lot of ground in terms of Spanish history and culture, I found it rather ponderous at times and not as engaging as I expected. I much prefer Michener's fiction books. Loved Taipan and Noble House and expected to have a similar experience with Iberia. I had visited Spain and some of my Basque relatives in 2013. My daughter was in Spain the summer of 2014 on a Spanish in Spain course in Salamanca. I read the book with the intention of enriching my knowledge and experience of the country, and perhaps reliving my visit. I was therefore disappointed that it did not hold my interest more strongly.
—Linda Lombri
I've read many books on Spain in preparation for a three-month visit, and none is better than Michener's. Although written 50 years ago, it is timeless. (In fact, after reading so many books on the Spanish Civil War, it was fascinating to read Michener's take on Franco's Spain 30 years into his dictatorship.) Michener's love of the country is obvious, his desire to understand the culture impressive, his research exhaustive, and his storytelling engaging. The reader is left with an understanding of what a truly unique and remarkable country Spain is. Michener, a true Spaniard at heart, does Spain a great honor by sharing his duende with the rest of the world.I first read this book when I was seventeen. It was an assignment from my Spanish teacher to read over the Christmas holidays. I was daunted by the shear thickness of the book, but, book-lover that I am, decided to give it a go. I couldn't put it down. I vowed to travel to Spain one day, but saved the adventure for my retirement years - when I could travel at my leisure. I knew I would have a long itinerary based on what I had experienced with Michener. And now, forty years later, I am planning the long-awaited trip. I just finished reading Iberia for the second time and was captivated in a deeper way than I was in high school. Perhaps it's the reality of the impending trip, or perhaps as a writer of extended-travel books I better appreciate the luxury of detailed exploration and the pleasure gained by taking one's time and allowing things to happen. Even if you never travel to Spain, I recommend you read this book; you will feel as if you've been.
—Cynthia
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 Compostela, to less visited sites such as Teruel and the Extremadura. Well reseached, well written and generally engaging.
—Lindsey Wallis
