Published: March 09, 2012
Words: 27,621 (approximate)
Language: English
ISBN: 9781465786852

Short description

An entire story-cycle in miniature. One thousand years of the remarkable magical history of a secret region of Spain where few people venture even now. Join renowned writer Rhys Hughes in a fantastical exploration of this strange dreamlike place...

Extended description

An entire story-cycle in miniature. One thousand years of the remarkable magical history of a secret region of Spain where few people venture even now. Albarracín is a rose-red town tucked away in the mountains of Lower Aragon. Once the seat of an independent taifa during the dominance of the Caliphate of Cordoba, it remained saturated with ancient mystery long after the separated kingdoms of the peninsular were forged through conquest into the single nation we know today. In Albarracín still lurk the djinn of the wondrous past in their dusty bottles and the ghosts of heroes and villains locked in the crucibles of a rogue alchemist.

As Alarcon once wrote, “A happy time it was when our land still remained in peaceful possession of all the spider's webs, dust, woodworm, respect, faith, traditions, uses and abuses sanctified by the centuries!”

Above the roofs of the crumbling town serenely float the clouds; but these are not mindless puffs of vapour. On the contrary, they contro.. (Read more) An entire story-cycle in miniature. One thousand years of the remarkable magical history of a secret region of Spain where few people venture even now. Albarracín is a rose-red town tucked away in the mountains of Lower Aragon. Once the seat of an independent taifa during the dominance of the Caliphate of Cordoba, it remained saturated with ancient mystery long after the separated kingdoms of the peninsular were forged through conquest into the single nation we know today. In Albarracín still lurk the djinn of the wondrous past in their dusty bottles and the ghosts of heroes and villains locked in the crucibles of a rogue alchemist.

As Alarcon once wrote, “A happy time it was when our land still remained in peaceful possession of all the spider's webs, dust, woodworm, respect, faith, traditions, uses and abuses sanctified by the centuries!”

Above the roofs of the crumbling town serenely float the clouds; but these are not mindless puffs of vapour. On the contrary, they control the destinities of those who dwell below. In a modern world where the East is trying too hard to become the West, only Albarracín has successfully reversed the trend; for in this place the West always was the East; and the true flavour of Oriental magic remains bright on the tips of the swords, in the pulse of the hearts and on the rims of the cups of the men and gods who enter therein.
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Tags

comedy, fantasy, historical, humour, magic realism, irony, whimsy, wit

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Reviews

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Review by: A A Attanasio on July 23, 2012 :
In this marvelous collection of mythic fiction inspired by the author’s time in Aragon, Spain, we are deeply engaged. From the opening page, where cumulus clouds begin a conversation among themselves, we are captured by the writer’s communion with this land — as we journey from one millennium to the next in century-long strides. Hughes’s luminous and various stories are ever reframing our frame of reference — like the clouds-eye view he kicks-off with. Time travel, the Holy Grail, a genie and, God as well are characters in this fabulous collection. Rhys Hughes possesses the levity of the Trickster, a truth-teller in our absurd world.
(reviewed within a month of purchase)

Review by: Jason Rolfe on July 11, 2012 :
With Tucked Away in Aragon, author Rhys Hughes leads us to a place that both always has been and never quite was. The picturesque town of Albarracín, hidden “in the most obscure and depopulated corner of Spain” inspired the aforementioned collection. In the Author’s Foreword, Hughes says, “Almost as soon as I arrived I guessed I would write a cycle of stories set here, and I knew those stories would be very strange, fey and infused with the otherworldly character of old Albarracín.” Suffice to say, Hughes was right on both counts. "Tucked Away" tells the history of Albarracín as only Rhys Hughes can. It is a strange history filled with the warmth of wonder and magic, infused with character – perhaps the character of old Albarracín, as Hughes suggests – but also the character of a gifted Welsh storyteller who transports his readers to worlds unknown with charm, intelligence and unmitigated wit.

In the first tale, “The Shapes Down There” Hughes provides a glimpse of Albarracín from above, and an opinion of our world through the curious conversing of Cumulus humilis and Altocumulus clouds. “Clouds always have work to do…at least that’s the impression they like to give each other. The truth is that idle souls come in all shapes and sizes and can even be found in the heavens.” One particular Cumulus cloud, for example, prefers gazing at the ground. When asked what it is he sees, the young cloud replies, “Many shapes. I sometimes wonder if humanity possesses some sort of conscious will and arranges itself deliberately into startling representations of celestial objects,” to which the condescending Altocumulus replies, “Humanity is not really an integrated phenomenon but is composed of thousands or even millions of individual particles called ‘citizens.’ I don’t enjoy spoiling the poetry of your imagination with science but I studied sociology at college and know what I’m talking about.” The beauty of this story is in its ability to place the reader firmly in the clouds, allowing an objective view of the world below. It serves as an apology for the idle soul of the dreamer. Humanity, more often than not, takes itself far too seriously. We would be wise to take a moment to look for shapes in the clouds above.

The second tale, “The Spare Hermit” is a metaphysical masterpiece. It would be difficult to review it here without tainting the experience for future readers. It would be impossible to do this story the justice it deserves in a brief blurb. “The Spare Hermit” is a rare breed of story in that it invites interpretation. It opens the floor for debate and discussion. It would be easy to attach elucidation to this review, to provide one opinion of the author’s intent or the tale’s meaning, but doing so would detract from the magic meant for each new reader, and each new reader alone. “The Spare Hermit” is a treasure meant to be discovered, a luminous tale that in roughly thirteen pages reveals the sheer brilliance of its author.

"Tucked Away in Aragon" contains ten such stories, each one as important to the whole as the next. From the Author’s Foreword, through “Sangria in the Sangraal” to “Knossos in Its Glory” "Tucked Away" encapsulates everything extraordinary about the talented Rhys Hughes. Far from being a review of his book, one should consider this an invitation to enter the author’s boundless imagination. Having extolled the virtues of the first two tales, rest assured that the ensuing eight build upon the author’s faultless foundation creating a collection worthy of the term ‘literary gem.’ Anyone familiar with Hughes’ work will discover here a writer at the very peak of his power. Those of you who have never read Hughes before will be amazed and undoubtedly hooked.
(reviewed within a month of purchase)

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