George Borrow Society

More on The Bible in Spain

The Bible In Spain is based on Borrow’s experiences during the four years he spent in Spain between 1836 to 1840 working as an agent for the British and Foreign Bible Society.

At the time Spain was very poor, dangerous, and almost unknown, and was being torn apart by a civil war between two factions of the Spanish royal family - this was Europe’s Wild West. Undeterred, Borrow travelled all over the country, mainly on foot or by horse, often staying at local inns and associating with assorted vagabonds, Gypsies, smugglers, brigands, and even a deluded Swiss treasure-hunter. He was imprisoned on several occasions and had numerous run-ins with the religious and political authorities. He mixed with all levels of society, from the Prime Minister to the beggar at his gate.

The book was largely written using the many long and detailed letters that Borrow sent back to the Bible Society, along with his diaries and notebooks, and is thus generally a faithful account of his time in Spain, which he later described as the happiest years of his life.

It is easy to see why the book was such a success when it was published in 1843, appearing at first sight to be an edifying tale of missionary good works while actually being a racy story of daring adventures and encounters with wild and bizarre characters, with Borrow himself adopting the persona of the unflappable English hero taking it all in his stride. It has been described as a travelogue written in the style of a picaresque novel. 

The book was reprinted four times in the first year and came out in a very popular pirated edition in the USA. Its success was such that it was one of the first books to be then brought out in a one-volume popular edition printed using the new steam-powered presses. It established Borrow’s reputation as a writer and gave him the financial independence he needed.