The Day of the Fox

by Norman Lewis

The Day of the Fox is set in Torre del Mar, a fishing village near Barcelona to which more than casual tourists come. For in the village, where life is hard, the nets close over more than fish. Costa, brutally shunned by the villagers because he was decorated by the Fascists over an ironically misconstrued manoeuver, battles the giant merou to pay off his sweetheart's city-bred debt. The greatest cruelty comes when he staggers to market and finds no buyer because the villagers believe he has betrayed the rebel Molina, a man who finds he no longer believes completely in his mission and who is boarding at Costa's house. In reality it is Paquita, the sens gypsy girl, who has stolen his wireless to obtain food, and who spits out the truth with her vomit as the hating young Lieutenant Calles, fanatical and ascetic, has her tortured. Costa, maddened by illness and agony, goes to Barcelona and finds Elena a reluctant prostitute -- he dumps her client out the window. The village eccentric, who loves nonconformists, helps Molina attempt escape; the pleasant but politically expedient police Colonel points out a regional law that will save Costa from the gallows and the ""day of the fox"" is over.

Genres: Spain, Fiction, Historical Fiction

259 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1955

About the author

Norman Lewis was a British writer renowned for his richly detailed travel writing, though his literary output also included twelve novels and several volumes of autobiography. Born in Enfield, Middlesex in 1908 to a Welsh family, Lewis was raised in a household steeped in spiritualism, a belief system embraced by his grieving parents following the deaths of his elder brothers. Despite these early influences, Lewis grew into a skeptic with a deeply observant eye, fascinated by cultures on the margins of the modern world.
His early adulthood was marked by various professions—including wedding photographer, umbrella wholesaler, and even motorcycle racer—before he served in the British Army during World War II. His wartime experiences in Algiers, Tunisia, and especially Naples provided the basis for one of his most celebrated books, Naples '44, widely praised as one of the finest firsthand accounts of the war. His writing blended keen observation with empathy and dry wit, traits that defined all of his travel works.
Lewis had a deep affinity for threatened cultures and traditional ways of life. His travels took him across Southeast Asia, Latin America, and the Mediterranean. Among his most important books are A Dragon Apparent, an evocative portrait of French Indochina before the Vietnam War; Golden Earth, on postwar Burma; An Empire of the East, set in Indonesia; and A Goddess in the Stones, about the tribal communities of India. In Sicily, he explored the culture and reach of the Mafia in The Honoured Society and In Sicily, offering insight without sensationalism.
In 1969, his article “Genocide in Brazil,” detailing atrocities committed against Indigenous tribes, led directly to the formation of Survival International, an organization committed to protecting tribal peoples worldwide. Lewis often cited this as the most meaningful achievement of his career, expressing lifelong concern for the destructive influence of missionary activity and modernization on indigenous societies.
Though Lewis also wrote fiction, his literary reputation rests primarily on his travel writing, which was widely admired for its moral clarity, understated style, and commitment to giving voice to overlooked communities. He remained an unshakable realist throughout his life, famously stating, “I do not believe in belief,” though he found deep joy in simply being alive.
Lewis died in 2003 in Essex, survived by his third wife Lesley and their son Gawaine, as well as five other children from previous marriages.

Reviews

[Paul Read · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Day of the Fox is in many ways a more interesting read than Voices of the Old Sea - Lewis' more known account of Spain in the 1940s. The Fox reads less contrived and more dated and therefore written without the gift of hindsight that Voices had. Day of The Fox takes over from where Lewis left off in Voices but In this book he turns biography into novel and brings the village and some of the characters alive in a way it was impossible with 'Voices'
Well written, humorous, evocative and in many ways more authentic, the book was finished much closer to the period it relates to: 1957.
The title takes it name from a local superstition about the sighting of a Fox that foretells mishap and bad luck. The story takes as its backdrop the demise of the fishing industry and the development of tourism in town (as in Voices). The plight of a single fisherman, a Republican bandit and a new Guardia Civil lieutenant - described by his colonel as - “ There were far too few of this kind for the purposes of the service, but, alas, too many for the good of humanity" - all create a stage whereby good and evil, luck and chance, survival and death are as predictable as the sea winds. Fascinating.

[Ela · Rating 2 out of 5]

’Costa, a man who contemplated suicide fairly often, fished alone always.’

A little story that started off well and kind of plateaued. Fairly enjoyable but inconsequential.’ The cast of characters bordered on misogynistic stereotypes. But then again, I bought this book for the sole reason that it was bright yellow so I guess I deserve what I get.

[Victoria Jackson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this by chance as it was in a holiday library and thoroughly enjoyed the plot and setting. Strong start introducing an enforced loaner fisherman who had fought on the "wrong side" in the Spanish civil war and had been decorated. This made him unpopular in his fishing village and he eked out a living isolated from the community. The subplots are interwoven and great pathos. He is immediately suspected to be an informer when illegal radio discovered. Characters well drawn.

[Luciana Perez-Uribe Guinassi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice plot and pace in this book. Especially enjoyed the portrayal of characters. You got to understand the characters and in a way, empathize with them.

Also, enjoyed how the author was able to show the influence society has over people's view of themselves, personal choices and the direction their life will ultimately take.

[Andrée · Rating 2 out of 5]

so dated that it was incomprehensible in parts

[Bob Peru · Rating 4 out of 5]

second tier graham greene.
which is to say not bad.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting novel about the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War in a tiny fishing village. Costa has been (mistakenly) decorated as a Nationalist war hero and has to bear the consequences. So what, in some circumstances, should make his life easier (being on the winning side) makes his life more difficult as most of the community were not Franco supporters. Life after the War - not easy for anyone.