Global capitalism fails young Barcelona couples in this dynamic debut
"Heartbreaking and hilarious" --New York Times Book Review
"Nopca's stories, written with clarity and flair, are smart and modern, filled with sharply observed detail. They capture the unease of the times and the flux of contemporary life in Barcelona with wit, wisdom, moments of pure hilarity, and a mixture of sympathy and dark laughter." --Colm Tóibín, author of Brooklyn and House of Names
What happens when the hopes of a generation are dashed by austerity policies and underemployment? Come On Up is a group portrait of contemporary Barcelona, beaten by the economic crisis and divided by a secessionist movement. Always witty, often absurdist, these stories offer a mesmerizing glimpse into the daily lives of couples, families, and neighbors living the new normal of the 21st century.
A husband seeks revenge on his wife as they stalk author Peter Stamm; an out-of-work bartender fills his empty days by shoving bananas into the tailpipes of parked cars; a mysterious ritual, spied through a neighbor's window, arouses deadly spirits. Masterfully paced, the eleven mordant stories of Come On Up draw us into an embattled world whose past is unresolved and whose future is uncertain.
About the Author: Jordi Nopca is the author of two novels and the short story collection Come On Up. Named a "Young Catalan Writer to Watch" by Culture Trip, his books have received the Proa and Documenta Prizes. Nopca is also an award-winning journalist whose work has appeared in Time Out Barcelona and Words Without Borders. Based in Barcelona, Nopca is editor of the newspaper Ara and its literary supplement Ara Llegim. Come On Up is his first book of fiction to appear in English.
Mara Faye Lethem is an award-winning translator of numerous Catalan writers, including Jaume Cabré, Marta Orriols, Max Besora, Alicia Kopf, Jordi Nopca, Albert Sánchez Piñol, Toni Sala, and Irene Solà. Her translations have received two English PEN Awards and have been longlisted for the National Translation Award and the International DUBLIN Literary Award. They have also appeared in the Guardian, Tin House, Paris Review, Granta, Words Without Borders, A Public Space, McSweeney's, and elsewhere. She lives in Brooklyn and Barcelona.
