Poetic, romantic, and full of longing 🌆💔. Last Evenings with Teresa is a timeless story of passion, class divides, and unfulfilled dreams. Juan Marsé’s writing is lyrical and evocative, with complex characters and atmospheric beauty. I adored the emotional intensity and the richly drawn setting. Perfect for fans of classic love stories with depth.

First published in 1966 Juan Marsé"s novel Last Evenings with Teresa is finally published in English- Nick Caistor's translation is excellent.

This is a fascinating read exploring the societal /cultural barriers differences between the lives in Barcelona in the mid 1950s- a time of revolution and oppression.

This is the story of the "interloper", Manolo Reyes, the son of a cleaner working in an Andalusian palace; raised in the surroundings of semi-opulence. After the denial of 'escape ' by a visiting French bourgeois family, he decides to leave the south and move to Barcelona where his older brother lives- a life of petty crime begins. Up in the hills of Monte Carmelo, he struggles to get by and works under the watchful eye of the 'Cardinal'.

A chance encounter whilst 'gate-crashing' takes him into the world of Teresa Serrat- a young woman of privilege fighting against her family with the ideals of beating the divisions in society and over throwing the regime with her university friends- the ideals of the young and privileged- the señoritos.

Manolo befriends Teresa"s 'servant" , Maruja, and begins a journey into this 'other world' ; one that he desires to escape from the daily struggle. When tragedy strikes, Manolo and Teresa's worlds grow closer- she under the misunderstanding that he is some type of activist.

Marsé pulls you into the world of Manolo - the poverty of the outreaches of Barcelona and Teresa- the entitlement of the rich within the city and coast.

Emotions towards Manolo as a character constantly change - he will divide readers but equally is Teresa using him as means of rebellion against her family- a curiosity.

This is novel that is clearly a social commentary of the time. What becomes of the two characters and Manolo's desire for change is what keeps the book a powerful read. An image of James Dean ( Rebel without a Cause ) kept appearing - there was a film made of the book in 1984.

Marsé is regarded as one of Spain's top novelists and this book is certainly part of a legacy that confirms this.