The latest addition to my website is Eduardo Mendoza‘s El rey recibe [The King Receives]. This is apparently the first in a trilogy about Spain in the second half of the 20th century but, quite frankly, it does not work, not least because not much happens and the hero/narrator is, by his own admission, not very exciting. We follow Rufo in his career in Spain – journalist, editor of gossip magazine – and then in New York – unspecified job with Spanish Chamber of Commerce, his somewhat messy but not very interesting love life, his meeting with the Prince of Livonia and his wife and a few events in Spain and the US. Nothing really happens to him of much interest, his acquaintances, colleagues and family are no more interesting than he is. It has not been translated into any other language, so if you read Spanish, do not bother and if you do not read Spanish, do not look out for a translation.