NadaOne of the most important literary works of post-Civil War Spain, Nada is the semiautobiographical story of an orphaned young woman who leaves her small town to attend university in war-ravaged Barcelona. Edith Grossman’s vital new translation captures Carmen Laforet’s feverish energy, powerful imagery, and subtle humor. Nada, which includes an illuminating Introduction by Mario Vargas Llosa, is one of the great novels of twentieth-century Europe. “Laforet vividly conveys the strangeness of Barcelona in the 1940s, a city that has survived civil war only to find itself muted by Franco’s dictatorship…The spirit of sly resistance that Laforet’s novel expresses, its heroine’s determination to escape provincial poverty and to immerse herself in ‘lights, noises, the entire tide of life,’ has lost none of its power of persuasion.” — The New York Times Book Review “That this complex, mature and wise novel was written by someone in her early 20s is extraordinary….But after six decades, this first novel has lost none of its power and originality, and we are fortunate to have it in this fine translation.”-- The Washington Post, chosen as a Washington Post Best Book of the Year “Nada does indeeed recall Sartre and Camus, but it is fresher and more vibrant than either, and with its call to intuition and feelings rather than intellect, it cuts deeper….[A] mesmerizing new translation….a beautiful evocation of the tidal wave of late adolescent feeling….[Laforet] wrote Nada when she was only 23, yet the book resonates with frightening maturity, sadness and depth…a work of genius.” — Los Angeles Times “A brilliantly subtle book whose power lies in what goes unsaid…”Nada” is a skillfully written, multifaceted novel, and its eerie relevance to today’s political climate and social attitudes is difficult to ignore.” -- The San Francisco Chronicle “Laforet’s moody and sepulchral debut novel…has been given new life by acclaimed translator Grossman….Andrea’s narration is gorgeously expressive, rippling with emotion and meaning…fans of European lit will welcome this Spanish Gothic to the States with open arms and a half-exasperated, “What took you so long?”–Publisher’s Weekly (starred review) “This Modern Library edition should be a keeper.” — Milwaukee Journal Sentinel “Carmen Laforet finds new life with this beautiful translation…dazzling in its approach…Laforet’s talent in addressing complex familial and social issues us nothing short of amazing…her wiser-than-thou nature and clever handling of bitter dialogue [are] the mark of a truly gifted writer…..a timeless work of art.” -- The Fredericksburg Free Lance Star “Nada is neither moralist, nor prolix, unlike most other Spanish literature of the time and before. This is a modern voice, philosophically and stylistically, talking to us in freedom from the darkest hours of the victory of fascism….remarkably sophisticated.” -- The Independent “[A] remarkable achievement…Nada’s work is sui generis, a gothic horror story which deserves the widest possible readership.” — The Sunday Herald “Edith Grossman’s translation makes the rich, dense descriptions....sound perfectly natural in English; not a beat is missed, not an adjective misplaced. Let us hope that her fine, readable version will enable Nada to achieve, in the English-reading world, the perennial popularity of a great twentieth-century novel.” -- TLS |
What people are saying - Write a review
Review: Nada
User Review - Darshan Elena - GoodreadsWhat a brilliant little novel. It documents a young woman's experience of poverty, depression, and sexism at the onset of the Spanish Civil War. Laforet's prose is masterful, poetic and disturbing. Read full review
Contents
Section 1 | 3 |
Section 2 | 10 |
Section 3 | 20 |
Section 4 | 30 |
Section 5 | 42 |
Section 6 | 51 |
Section 7 | 61 |
Section 8 | 73 |
Section 14 | 130 |
Section 15 | 136 |
Section 16 | 149 |
Section 17 | 160 |
Section 18 | 174 |
Section 19 | 189 |
Section 20 | 201 |
Section 21 | 214 |
Section 9 | 83 |
Section 10 | 91 |
Section 11 | 100 |
Section 12 | 109 |
Section 13 | 120 |
Section 22 | 223 |
Section 23 | 230 |
Section 24 | 236 |
Section 25 | 242 |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
afternoon Andrea Angustias's Antonia asked Aunt Angustias baby balcony Barcelona beautiful became Calle de Aribau Carmen Laforet centimos chica child corner crazy dark daugh Don Jeronimo door dreams dressed Edith Grossman Ena's mother everything eyes face father feel felt gave girl Gloria grandmother Granny Guixols hair hands happy head hear heard imagine Iturdiaga Jaime Juan Juan's knew laugh leaning leave light listening looked maid Mama Mario Vargas Llosa morning moved nervous never niece night nougat painted pesetas piano Pons realized remember rilled Roman Roman's room seemed shoulder shouted silence sleep smell smile Spanish Civil War stairs stood stopped strange street streetcar Suddenly talk tell things thought told took trembling Trueno turned uncle understand voice walked watched woman Xochipilli
Bibliographic information
| Title | Nada Modern Library Classics Modern Library |
| Author | Carmen Laforet |
| Translated by | Edith Grossman |
| Contributor | Mario Vargas Llosa |
| Edition | reprint |
| Publisher | Modern Library, 2008 |
| ISBN | 0812975839, 9780812975833 |
| Length | 244 pages |
| Subjects | › Fiction / Literary |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |