Tales of the Alhambra

Partly written by Irving in 1829 while living in the Alhambra, after travelling to Grenada to rest after writing his biography of Christopher Columbus, and eventually finished when he was Secretary to the American Legation in London. It was published in 1832.

It is a hard book to shelve, being a combination of non-fiction essays on history, on Irving's travels and explorations in the Alhambra, and of people he meets and interacts with; intermingled with retellings of Spanish folktales and legends of Moorish occupation of the Alhambra. The folktales are particularly Arabian Nights-esque, in that they often have moral outcomes based on the behaviour of the characters, and the stories are often interlinked.

Making it all the better, the edition I have contains thirty two “contemporary engravings” which have been colorised, all showing scenes of the Alhambra. They contribute a huge amount to the descriptions within the writing (although do not attempt to align in any specific way with the text).

For Irving to have been permitted to reside in the Alhambra itself, was somewhat an honour. A modern suite, intended for the use of the Governor was made available to him, but in the course of his wanderings he came across a locked door. Obtaining entry from the housekeeper (I suppose this is the best short description of her work) an apartment was discovered, previously fitted out for a planned royal visit (which it seems didn't occur). Irving undertook to move into this apartment to the dismay of those responsible for attending on him.

Upon his arrival in Grenada, literally at the gate of the fortress of Alhambra, Irving was approached by Mateo Jimmenez, who offered to guide him. After their initial meeting, Mateo becomes Irvings “valet, cicerone, guide, guard and historiographic squire” who ably assists him on his investigations and, of course, with introductions.

As the book flits from chapter to chapter we are introduced to the aspects of his stay, his explorations around the Alhambra and his meeting with various people who inhabit the slowly crumbling towers. It is their stories and folktales he captures in the fictional chapters.

A book of such appeal, in print for so long (mine is a 1994 copy printed in Granada itself - no doubt for the tourist trade) must have, over its years had a huge influence on tourism, and itself be responsible for the huge numbers of people who traipse through Grenada in search of the magic Irving writes about.

My first five star book of the year. *****