The Barcelona Review

From The Barcelona Review's current issue, a true delight for Haneke fans in Nicholas Royle’s “Michael Haneke’s Films Ranked,” set against Peter Bradshaw’s Guardian list, with a narrator who could well be a Haneke character himself.
link: www.barcelonareview.com/114/e_nr.html

Issue 114 is now online. Some super fine fiction from England (Nicholas Royle, Jonathan Taylor); Scotland (Des Dillon) and the US. (Benjamin Clabault). Quiz: Pop Music in Fiction, and more. Take a wee break from all the madness, and dive in.
Be Good.
www.barcelonareview.com

Don't miss this super story about an ex-alcoholic salesman as he travels to a Walmart sales conference in Arkansas where his Uber driver becomes entangled in his life in a most curious way.
barcelonareview.com/113/e_mk.html

In this story, set under the time of Franco, the father of a family in the Basque Country decides that the family must now only speak Basque. The problem: their language has always been Spanish.
www.barcelonareview.com/113/e_mm.html

Sirât (2025) - Trailer (English Subs) YouTube video by My French Stories

Sirât: Ravers making their way through the harsh Saharan desert, along with a father (and his son) looking for his daughter. It’s a punch in the gut to watch, but an amazing film with a mesmerizing soundtrack. My pick for best film of the year. www.youtube.com/watch?v=AoDJ...

Enjoy this good story in which a neglected young boy is pulled awake by his beer-fueled father and the father’s friend to go on a boat trip where the drinking continues.
www.barcelonareview.com/113/e_dd.html

Don't miss this super story by Marco Kaye of an ex-alcoholic salesman as he travels to a Walmart sales conference in Arkansas where his Uber driver becomes entangled in his life in a most curious way.
barcelonareview.com/113/e_mk.html

Book Review: America, América by Greg Grandin
You will never view the Americas in quite the same way.
barcelonareview.com/113/rev.html

Book review: The Continental Divide, Stories
Highly recommended
www.barcelonareview.com/113/rev.html#a

Set in Western Herzegovina in the 90s, here you get a glimpse of an American teen on a visit to her ancestral country where the youth culture is dramatically different from her own. Discover the difference!
link: www.barcelonareview.com/113/e_bb.html

Issue 113 is now online. We have a great line-up with stories by Moira McCavana, Marco Kaye, Bergita Bugarija and Daniel Ditty, with a range of settings from the Basque Country to Western Herzegovina to Arkansas and the Susquehanna River in the US. And lots more!
www.barcelonareview.com

Condoleezza Rice, as George W. Bush’s national security advisor, was one of the proponents of the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Our protagonist has never forgiven her and, despite her age, and his, seeks revenge. It's a terrific short story; have a read.
www.barcelonareview.com/112/e_rs.html

Book review of The Book Lovers by Steve Aylett. Highly recommended.
www.barcelonareview.com/112/rev.html#a

Because sometimes you just need a little steampunk . . .
www.barcelonareview.com/112/e_sa.html

Issue 112 is now online, with stories that range from trad to transgressive to steampunk. It’s a dark issue, so be prepared. Quiz: Serial Killers in Literature. Book reviews: God-Disease by an chang joon and The Book Lovers by Steve Aylett. Dive in, if you dare!
www.barcelonareview.com

My message for the criminal-narcissist at today's protest in Barcelona. Was a rainy day but there was a turnout.

Oh, I will, too. It's a great series. Need a week to recover from this episode though.

Those who know the game knew this was coming, I guess, but I sure didn't and I mainly watched for Pedro Pascal. They say he'll come back in flashbacks, but that doesn't make me feel any better.

I just saw episode 2 of The Last of US, current season, and damn, just damn. Probably the most intense tv episode I've ever experienced.

Got a free chupito wearing this pin back in Spain.

Who’s In and Who’s Out at the Naval Academy’s Library? (Gift Article) An order by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s office resulted in a purge of books critical of racism but preserved volumes defending white power.

Maya Angelou Is Out but ‘Mein Kampf’ Stays at the Naval Academy Library
www.nytimes.com/2025/04/11/u...

The Makeup Artist Donald Trump Deported Under the Alien Enemies Act The President has invoked the law to send Venezuelans to prison in El Salvador without due process—and, in many cases, under false pretenses.

From the always wonderful Jonathan Blitzer: www.newyorker.com/news/annals-...

Cory Booker’s Senate Floor Speech Slamming Trump Hits 18 Hours and Counting The New Jersey senator criticized the president’s plans for Social Security, education, immigration and health care, saying the “nation is in crisis.” He began speaking Monday night. He was still goin...

Cory Booker Slams Trump’s Policies in Marathon Senate Floor Speech www.nytimes.com/2025/04/01/u...

Trump Aid Cuts End Contraception Access for Millions of Women The United States was a key supplier of contraceptives in many developing countries. The Trump administration has ended that support.

Millions of Women Will Lose Access to Contraception as a Result of Trump Aid Cuts www.nytimes.com/2025/04/01/h...

When people say 'politics is too divisive now,' what they really mean is 'I was more comfortable when certain groups suffered quietly.'

I’m a transgender writer.

I’m not your punching bag. Not your project. Not your scapegoat. Not your villain.

I’ve survived worse than your pearl clutching outrage—and I’m still loud, proud and here to stay.

My existence is not up for debate.

Pleased to present this poignant piece of flash fiction by US writer, Josephine Sloyan, where a suicidal young female recounts her struggle with a light touch that nicely plays with a hard topic.
link: www.barcelonareview.com/111/e_js.html

Last nights cartoon 🥲