COME ON UP

These short stories chronicle the romantic, intellectual, and economic frustrations of disparate characters in Barcelona.

The stories in Catalan writer Nopca’s English-language debut often take an intimate view of their characters. For some, that involves venturing in the minutiae of a relationship; for others, it’s about taking a deep dive into the characters' literary and artistic tastes. The first story, “An Intersectional Conservationist at Heart,” establishes the milieu very quickly; it focuses on a handful of meetings between a journalist and a poet and academic. Despite the story’s weighty title and the literary allusions found within—including mentions of V.S. Naipaul and Harold Pinter—Nopca is less focused on intellectual credibility than on the missed connections, petty rivalries, and ethical lapses his characters must contend with. These stories don’t focus only on intellectuals, however: “Àngels Quintana and Fèlix Palme Have Problems” tells the story of a couple working in bars and hotels who find themselves out of work after they hit 40 in youth-obsessed Barcelona. Bars also play a significant role in “The Neighbor Ladies,” whose immigrant protagonist, Jia, begins to question his chosen vocation as a bar owner after learning the tragic life story of a hard-drinking woman who regularly asks him for “gin tonic.” The highlight of the collection is “Swiss Army Knife,” about a middle-aged couple whose fondness for reading the literature of the countries they visit drives a rift between them. Gradually, the real-life Swiss writer Peter Stamm takes on a greater and greater significance for both of them, leading to a conclusion that’s both deadpan comedic and harrowingly bleak. These stories can occasionally feel a little too witty, but their moments of wry humor and human interaction are frequently rewarding.

From intellectual satire to slapstick comedy, this book covers plenty of emotional terrain.