Luna Benamor

Book excerpt: First published in 1909, ‘Luna Benamor’ is a collection of short stories by the renowned Spanish author Vicente Blasco Ibáñez. The titular tale tells of an impossible love story between a young Jewish woman and a Spanish consul in Gibraltar. The collection also includes ‘The Toad’, ‘Compassion’, ‘The Windfall’ and ‘The Last Lion’. Musings on society, politics, and the human condition are common themes throughout this classic collection. Vicente Blasco Ibáñez (1867-1928) was a Spanish journalist, novelist, and politician. Born in Valencia, Ibáñez was a militant Republican in his youth and made many enemies – on one occasion being shot at and almost killed. He was the founder of the republican newspaper El Pueblo and spent time in prison during 1896. Author of over 30 works, Ibáñez’s writing caught the attention of Hollywood and many of his novels went on to become celebrated films, including ‘Sangre y Arena’ (Blood and Sand), ‘Los Cuatro Jinetes del Apocalipsis’ (The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse) and spy story ‘Mare Nostrum’. Ibáñez died in France in 1928 and is buried in Valencia.