Spanish books · the top 40

The 40 most-looked-up Spanish books and where they are set

Novels, stories, plays, narrative poems and memoirs by Spanish authors, ranked by Spanish Wikipedia pageviews from August 2021 to July 2026. Places are where the story is set, not where it was written.

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Map: The 40 most-looked-up Spanish books and where they are set, ranked by Spanish Wikipedia pageviews, August 2021 – July 2026. A named town is a pin; an area the story is set in, where it names no town, is shaded; a book set wholly abroad or in no real place has no pin. 1. Don Quijote de la Mancha, Cervantes (1605): La Mancha; Barcelona. 2. Cantar de mio Cid, anonymous (c. 1200): Burgos; Valencia. 3. La vida de Lazarillo de Tormes, anonymous (1554): Salamanca; Toledo. 4. La Celestina, Fernando de Rojas (1499): an unnamed city. 5. Los renglones torcidos de Dios, Luca de Tena (1979): a psychiatric hospital, no place named. 6. La casa de Bernarda Alba, Lorca (1945): a village, Andalusia. 7. La sombra del viento, Ruiz Zafón (2001): Barcelona. 8. La vida es sueño, Calderón (1635): outside Spain. 9. Don Juan Tenorio, Zorrilla (1844): Sevilla. 10. Bodas de sangre, Lorca (1933): the countryside, Andalusia. 11. La Regenta, Clarín (1884): fictional Vetusta (Oviedo). 12. Fuenteovejuna, Lope de Vega (1619): Fuente Obejuna; Ciudad Real. 13. Platero y yo, Juan Ramón Jiménez (1914): Moguer. 14. La catedral del mar, Falcones (2006): Barcelona. 15. La fiesta del Chivo, Vargas Llosa (2000): outside Spain. 16. Amadís de Gaula, Rodríguez de Montalvo (1508): outside Spain. 17. El conde Lucanor, Don Juan Manuel (1335): no single setting. 18. Nada, Carmen Laforet (1945): Barcelona. 19. Niebla, Unamuno (1914): an unnamed city. 20. Luces de bohemia, Valle-Inclán (1920): Madrid. 21. La Reina del Sur, Pérez-Reverte (2002): El Puerto de Santa María; Melilla; + abroad. 22. Libro de buen amor, Juan Ruiz (14th c.): the Archpriest's wanderings. 23. Marianela, Galdós (1878): fictional Socartes, a mining village. 24. La familia de Pascual Duarte, Cela (1942): Torremejía; Badajoz. 25. El perro del hortelano, Lope de Vega (1618): outside Spain. 26. Fortunata y Jacinta, Galdós (1887): Madrid. 27. Soldados de Salamina, Cercas (2001): Catalonia; + abroad. 28. El burlador de Sevilla y convidado de piedra, Tirso de Molina (1630): Sevilla; Tarragona; + abroad. 29. Las chicas de alambre, Sierra i Fabra (1999): Barcelona; + abroad. 30. Los pazos de Ulloa, Pardo Bazán (1886): a manor house, Galicia; Santiago de Compostela. 31. Reina Roja, Gómez-Jurado (2018): Madrid. 32. El sí de las niñas, Moratín (1806): Alcalá de Henares. 33. Novelas ejemplares, Cervantes (1613): Sevilla; Toledo; Valladolid; Salamanca; + abroad. 34. La Araucana, Ercilla (1569): outside Spain. 35. Historia verdadera de la conquista de la Nueva España, Bernal Díaz (1632): outside Spain. 36. Yerma, Lorca (1934): a village in rural Spain. 37. La vida del Buscón, Quevedo (1626): Segovia; Alcalá de Henares; Madrid. 38. El juego del ángel, Ruiz Zafón (2008): Barcelona. 39. Leyendas, Bécquer (1871): Toledo; Soria; + abroad. 40. Los santos inocentes, Delibes (1981): an estate, Extremadura.
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The books behind the map

30 of the 40 are set wholly or partly in Spain. “Outside Spain” marks a book set wholly abroad; “+ abroad”, one largely set elsewhere.

  1. Don Quijote de la Mancha Cervantes 1605La Mancha; Barcelona
  2. Cantar de mio Cid anonymous c. 1200Burgos; Valencia
  3. La vida de Lazarillo de Tormes anonymous 1554Salamanca; Toledo
  4. La Celestina Fernando de Rojas 1499an unnamed city
  5. Los renglones torcidos de Dios Luca de Tena 1979a psychiatric hospital, no place named
  6. La casa de Bernarda Alba Lorca 1945a village, Andalusia
  7. La sombra del viento Ruiz Zafón 2001Barcelona
  8. La vida es sueño Calderón 1635outside Spain
  9. Don Juan Tenorio Zorrilla 1844Sevilla
  10. Bodas de sangre Lorca 1933the countryside, Andalusia
  11. La Regenta Clarín 1884fictional Vetusta (Oviedo)
  12. Fuenteovejuna Lope de Vega 1619Fuente Obejuna; Ciudad Real
  13. Platero y yo Juan Ramón Jiménez 1914Moguer
  14. La catedral del mar Falcones 2006Barcelona
  15. La fiesta del Chivo Vargas Llosa 2000outside Spain
  16. Amadís de Gaula Rodríguez de Montalvo 1508outside Spain
  17. El conde Lucanor Don Juan Manuel 1335no single setting
  18. Nada Carmen Laforet 1945Barcelona
  19. Niebla Unamuno 1914an unnamed city
  20. Luces de bohemia Valle-Inclán 1920Madrid
  21. La Reina del Sur Pérez-Reverte 2002El Puerto de Santa María; Melilla + abroad
  22. Libro de buen amor Juan Ruiz 14th c.the Archpriest's wanderings
  23. Marianela Galdós 1878fictional Socartes, a mining village
  24. La familia de Pascual Duarte Cela 1942Torremejía; Badajoz
  25. El perro del hortelano Lope de Vega 1618outside Spain
  26. Fortunata y Jacinta Galdós 1887Madrid
  27. Soldados de Salamina Cercas 2001Catalonia + abroad
  28. El burlador de Sevilla y convidado de piedra Tirso de Molina 1630Sevilla; Tarragona + abroad
  29. Las chicas de alambre Sierra i Fabra 1999Barcelona + abroad
  30. Los pazos de Ulloa Pardo Bazán 1886a manor house, Galicia; Santiago de Compostela
  31. Reina Roja Gómez-Jurado 2018Madrid
  32. El sí de las niñas Moratín 1806Alcalá de Henares
  33. Novelas ejemplares Cervantes 1613Sevilla; Toledo; Valladolid; Salamanca + abroad
  34. La Araucana Ercilla 1569outside Spain
  35. Historia verdadera de la conquista de la Nueva España Bernal Díaz 1632outside Spain
  36. Yerma Lorca 1934a village in rural Spain
  37. La vida del Buscón Quevedo 1626Segovia; Alcalá de Henares; Madrid
  38. El juego del ángel Ruiz Zafón 2008Barcelona
  39. Leyendas Bécquer 1871Toledo; Soria + abroad
  40. Los santos inocentes Delibes 1981an estate, Extremadura

How we placed them

Stories only, written in Spanish by Spanish authors: novels, stories, plays, narrative poems and memoirs. Poems, essays, letters, speeches, series, translations and books by authors from other countries are left out, 106 titles looked up more, among them Cien años de soledad, Pedro Páramo, Crónica de una muerte anunciada.

Each setting comes from the book's plot on Wikipedia, or for three plays their own text on Wikisource, checked against Wikidata. A pin is a named town; shading, a region where no town is named.

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