Pasarse de listo

The story opens with a witty lament about the summer exodus of Madrid’s self‑styled aristocracy. It sketches the absurd checklist of a proper holiday: spas in Germany or France, a seaside stint at Biarritz or Brighton, and finally a grand château abroad, or at least a pretended country house back home. Through a dry, almost catalog‑like narration, the narrator pokes fun at families who, lacking any real estate, simply “inhale” the sea breezes while pretending to be on a grand tour.

As the city empties, the remaining residents are labeled “unknown” – a polite way of saying they’re no longer part of the elite. The novel satirizes the pretensions of high society, from the frantic pursuit of fashionable bufo theatres to the moral crusades against them. With a blend of sharp social commentary and playful irony, it captures the hollow rituals of status‑obsessed summer life, inviting listeners to laugh at the farcical lengths people go to appear cultured.