Introduction: Barcelona: Cultural readings of a city

The aim of this book is to provide an in-depth overview of Barcelona through texts written by a selected group of scholars who have devoted much time and energy to studying the city. We have drawn together published and unpublished work that best illuminates a wide-ranging selection of critical perspectives of Barcelona, ways of reading the city from complementary cultural approaches, stressing the negatives, but also the glowing aspects of the city. The book provides scholars, students, journalists, and visitors looking for a more comprehensive approach to Barcelona than tourist guides can deliver with an overview of the central issues about Barcelona. We have included both strictly scholarly and non-scholarly writings, thus enabling a wider range of perspectives.