Barcelona, Catalonia: A View from the Inside Review

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Barcelona, Catalonia: A View from the Inside ReviewTo kick off with, we Catalans have to face up to the fact that telling foreigners about Catalonia is never very straightforward. If people in other parts of Spain find understanding the concept of a country within a country difficult to grasp, then those on the other side of the Pyrenees or on the other side of the Atlantic will find it even more so.
That is the thankless task that Matthew Tree has been engaged in for many years through his work with many different media outlets, such as The Times of London and other more local publications, such as Catalonia Today or Barcelona INK.
Tree is well-known across Catalonia due to the depth of his integration. It is this complete absorption into the very essence of Catalonia, its history, language and institutions, which often gives him a much clearer view of the state of things in the country and an insight into its people.
In addition to his shorter articles, Tree has contributed to these various publications, the book also contains more in depth reflections, such as the paper he gave at the London School of Economics in 2008 or another he gave to an international symposium at the University of Lancaster in 2005, which provided an overview of Catalonia's history and literature.
It is true to say that Matthew Tree is not an impartial observer. Through his writing he makes a spirited case for Catalonia and the Catalan language and culture and his efforts to resist the encroachment of Spanish culture and language. That said, you will not find a relentless tirade of propaganda within the covers of his new book. Tree's views and opinions are always well reasoned and behind them lies a true passion to explain the reality of Catalonia's position to the outside world.
This London-born writer makes a special effort to breakdown stereotypes and point out things that may seem obvious to Catalans, but pass foreigners by. An example is the postgraduate Dutch student quoted in the book, who asks: "Is Catalan really a written language?". Another good example is Tree's description of the difficulties the speakers of Catalan find in La Franja, the border area where Catalonia and Aragon meet. He uses the case to demonstrate the fallacy of believing Spanish is a persecuted language within Catalonia.Barcelona, Catalonia: A View from the Inside OverviewA collection of Matthew Tree's incisive essays about life, language, and politics in Catalonia, as told through the eyes of a Catalan-speaking Englishman, or an English-speaking Catalan, depending on your vantage point, and his. Matthew's honesty and keen observations combined with his sharp wit and mastery of language (two languages!) give the reader a unique and compelling vision of Catalonia, rarely uncovered by the casual visitor, as he discusses what he promises is the next new state in Europe and its relationship with the state it currently belongs to. But Matthew does not limit himself to the purely political; he also gives us an insider's view of real life in Barcelona, from doctor's visits to shopping trips, through to finding one's own voice in another culture and language.

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