Rice and Tartana

Rice and luxury. Social climbing. The illusion of wealth.

In Rice and Tartana, Vicente Blasco Ibáñez offers a sharp and vivid portrait of late 19th-century Valencian bourgeois society. The story centers on Doña Manuela, a determined widow obsessed with maintaining an appearance of wealth and elegance. Through extravagant spending, lavish parties, and the symbolic tartana carriage that represents her social pretensions, she pushes her family toward financial ruin while desperately trying to arrange advantageous marriages for her daughters. As reality closes in, the clash between illusion and truth exposes the vanity, ambition, and fragility of the rising middle class.

Written with Blasco Ibáñez’s characteristic realism and social insight, this early novel provides a compelling critique of materialism and social hypocrisy in provincial Spain.

• English translation of Arroz y Tartana (1894)
• The first novel in Blasco Ibáñez’s celebrated Valencian cycle

Available in multiple formats:

• Paperback & Hardcover: Elegant print editions presenting the complete, unabridged text, ideal for your bookshelf.
• Ebook: DRM-free EPUB compatible with Kindle, Kobo, Apple Books, and all major e-readers.
• Audiobook: Professionally narrated, complete and unabridged, perfect for immersive listening.

A compelling classic for readers who enjoy realistic social dramas and stories of family, ambition, and the pursuit of status.

About the Author

Vicente Blasco Ibáñez (1867–1928) was a Spanish novelist, journalist, and political activist. He achieved international fame with works such as The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse and Blood and Sand. Celebrated for his vivid realism, dramatic intensity, and bold social commentary, Blasco Ibáñez remains one of Spain’s most influential authors of the early 20th century.