La lluvia amarilla

[MichaelC]

I just finished reading La lluvia amarilla (The Yellow Rain; Julio Llamazares, 1988), a short novel about the last inhabitant of a dying village in the Spanish Pyrenees. It's a haunting and beautiful story, as the narrator reflects back on the days that the other families left the village, and as the winter wind and snow slowly destroy the remaining houses one by one.

It's not a "camino" book per se, but reading it I really felt like I was re-visiting some of the abandoned or semi-abandoned villages we saw along the way (San Antón, Foncebadón, et al.).

I highly recommend it for anyone who wants to revisit Spain this winter, and to gain a deeper understanding of some of the places we saw. Be warned, though: it is also an extremely sad story.

I can't vouch for the English translation, but the Spanish isn't complicated. It's on kindle, which has a pop-up Spanish to English dictionary to help with new words. It's definitely accessible to any intermediate readers.

 

[Sailor]

Thank you Mister Michael for the book recommendation, I will check it out. Happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas, y que la luz de Dios alumbre su camino.

 

[Icacos]

Thank you, @MichaelC, for letting us know about this book. It sounds like something I would want to read because I feel I 'should' as I owe it to the Spanish people to do so. But the book sounds so sad - as you say -that I'll have to gather up my resources before I tackle it. I found it hard enough walking through all those dying villages with their crumbling houses, villages inhabited only by older people - presumably because all the younger folk had moved away to try their chances elsewhere. Particularly the area where Tomás has his place, looks like at one time it was a thriving farming/ranching community, and now there's almost nothing there. So sad.

 

[Rebekah Scott]

This is one of the top-ten books I ever read, ever!
Highly recommended. The English translation is very good, the Spanish gives the full impact.

 

[t2andreo]

I just searched for the book online. It is available from Amazon. But, it is out of print and consequently EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE...yikes!

In fact, the cheapest price was USD $56.xx from 4 vendors online, according to Google Shopping.
Ouch! Anyone got an idea?

Just checked my local (Palm Beach County) library system. No joy! (sigh)

If anyone finds it for sale in English, please let us know. Does anyone know where it is available in Spanish? If the story is short enough, I might be inclined to try to read it to improve my SPanish comprehension. But that is an, 'in extremis' move.

How short of a short story is it, exactly? Do copyrights apply? Is a bookleg .pdf copy possible? How could this be facilitated?

Converting the English translation of the book from hard copy to e-book format (given that the book was written well before the spread of the internet and e-pubishing) could provide a viable revenue stream, to the author, or his estate.

What about it Rebekah, need something to do over the dreary winter months, after the Ditch Pigs are gone? Again, just thinking out loud ... so to speak / write...

I hope this helps the dialog...

 

[t2andreo]

Oops, just checked further, the Spanish version is available as a Kindle download from Amazon. They also sell it as an inexpensive paperback, but it is presently out of stock.

On Amazon, I searched for:

"la illuvia amarilla" (the title in Spanish)

I hope this helps...

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

the Spanish version is available as a Kindle download from Amazon. They also sell it as an inexpensive paperback, but it is presently out of stock.

Online versions in Spanish are at http://lelibros.online/libro/descargar-libro-la-lluvia-amarilla-en-pdf-epub-mobi-o-leer-online/

[Edit: Some of the links from the search below might be malware.]
For an online English version see this Google search (I didn't visit any of the sites listed): http://www.google.com/search?q="the+yellow+rain"+"julio+llamazares"+ainielle+costa+-review+pdf&hl=en

 

[Icacos]

The OP said it was available on Kindle......last paragraph.

 

[jmcarp]

Online versions in Spanish are at http://lelibros.online/libro/descargar-libro-la-lluvia-amarilla-en-pdf-epub-mobi-o-leer-online/
For an online English version see this Google search (I didn't visit any of the sites listed): http://www.google.com/search?q="the+yellow+rain"+"julio+llamazares"+ainielle+costa+-review+pdf&hl=en

I tried downloading the ebook in English from the above link, and my malware software prevented it, so beware if you attempt it.

 

[jmcarp]

This is one of the top-ten books I ever read, ever!
Highly recommended. The English translation is very good, the Spanish gives the full impact.

Coming from you, that's a strong recommendation. I need to find an English version, either Kindle or Nook, but neither Amazon nor B&N lists it in English. See my reply below for the link posted by someone else.

 

[MichaelC]

)If the story is short enough, I might be inclined to try to read it to improve my SPanish comprehension. But that is an, 'in extremis' move.

The book is about 160 pages. And as I’m always in favor of in extremis moves, I’d recommend giving it a try! My experience with Spanish novels is that I struggle with an author’s ‘voice’ for a couple pages, and then the reading becomes easier. If you understand Spanish structure, but lack a lot of vocabulary, I’d recommend giving it a shot on kindle. I uploaded two screenshots showing how the pop–up dictionary works. I’m surprised at how few people know about this feature; it’s opened up a whole new world of literature for me.

 

[Sailor]

I searched for the author [Julio Llamazares]. Julio was born in the town of Vegamián [Castilla y Leon, Spain]. He knows about "dying towns" firsthand. His town was destroyed, on All Saints Day, 1967 [everyone was ordered to vacate their homes and leave the town, he was only 12 years old] when it was flooded to build a lake [now known as Embarse or Pantano Del Porma, see attached map]. I believe that this, and subsequent events, including draining of the waters during the lake cleanup, provided good material for his books and movies. Note, the link is in Spanish, but there are some important photos of the town after the lake was drained for cleanup.

Article: Vegamian parecia Chernobil ---> http://www.diariodeleon.es/noticias/cultura/vegamian-parecia-chernobil_1067359.html

Map: Pantano Del Porma --->
https://www.google.com/maps/place/M...edffbede7!8m2!3d42.9345023!4d-5.2808632?hl=es

 

[Icacos]

Can't very well 'like' your post @Sailor (because of the content) but thank you for posting this.

 

[Paladina]

Many thanks for drawing attention to this book, which I’ve just ordered, and to the Kindle function, which I hope not to have to use.

 

[t2andreo]

Thank to all... I have some sense of direction... without las flechas amarillas...

 

[SusanSmyth]

I read La Lluvia Amarilla a year or so ago. A very haunting read indeed. The reader “tags along” as the narrator descends into loneliness-induced madness and despair. A must read.

 

[MTowers]

I just finished reading La lluvia amarilla (The Yellow Rain; Julio Llamazares, 1988), a short novel about the last inhabitant of a dying village in the Spanish Pyrenees. It's a haunting and beautiful story, as the narrator reflects back on the days that the other families left the village, and as the winter wind and snow slowly destroy the remaining houses one by one.

It's not a "camino" book per se, but reading it I really felt like I was re-visiting some of the abandoned or semi-abandoned villages we saw along the way (San Antón, Foncebadón, et al.).

I highly recommend it for anyone who wants to revisit Spain this winter, and to gain a deeper understanding of some of the places we saw. Be warned, though: it is also an extremely sad story.

I can't vouch for the English translation, but the Spanish isn't complicated. It's on kindle, which has a pop-up Spanish to English dictionary to help with new words. It's definitely accessible to any intermediate readers.

Hi, I have just ordered a copy of this book (in Spanish) from the book depositary in London. It cost just over £5 with free delivery in the UK. Looking forward to receiving I.

 

[Theatregal]

Just ordered La Lluvia Amarilla - really look forward to reading it. As I read about it I was reminded of a wonderful Canadian novel - Sweetland by Michael Crummey. Also about the last resident of a dying community - on a small Newfoundland island. A beautiful sad funny poetic book - themes of isolation and memories of the past.

 

[t2andreo]

I finally found a relatively affordable, but still expensive copy of the English translation via Amazon. I also discovered other books by Julio Llamazares. Only three have been translated into English.

One of these books is called Wolf Moon. It is about several former soldiers from the Republican side during the Spanish Civil War who are hiding out in the northern Spanish woods, after the war. Form the descriptions of the book I have found on the web, it may feature some Camino territory and places. So, worth a read...It was available inexpensively from Amazon in English. So, I ordered it too.

Once I read these books, I will likely donate them, either to my local library, which has no books by Julio Llamazares, OR at Pilgrim House in Santiago. We shall see...

Hope this helps.