The following version of this book was used to create the guide: Thomson, Rupert. Barcelona Dreaming. Other Press LLC, 2021.

Rupert Thompson's novel Barcelona Dreaming is comprised of three sections, "The Giant of Sarrià," "The King of Castelldefels," and "The Carpenter of Monjuïc." Each section is narrated by a distinct first person narrator. All of the sections are set in various neighborhoods of Barcelona, Spain, yet none of the narrators are intimate relations of one another. Therefore, each of the three sections might be read as its own individual short story. At the same time, the sections function as parcels of one overarching narrative whole. The following summary employs a linear form and the present tense.

In "The Giant of Sarrià," first person narrator, Amy, lives alone in the Sarrià municipality of Barcelona. Her apartment is located not far from her gift shop, Trinket. Amy first moved to Barcelona after falling in love with her ex-husband, Pol. Not two years after their marriage, Amy ended their relationship, convinced that Pol was cheating. They split up six months after their daughter Mar's birth.

One night, Amy wakes up to the sound of someone crying in the distance. When she seeks out the source of the sound, she finds a young man crouching in a nearby car park. He asks her for help and she invites him into her apartment for tea. After he leaves, she wonders if she should have done more.

Not long later, the young man starts returning to Amy's apartment regularly. She learns that his name is Abdel. They begin an affair. Because Abdel is decades Amy's junior, being with him makes her feel both physically and psychologically younger. She tells her best friend, Montse, that the relationship has reawakened her to life's endless possibilities.

Then one night, while Amy and Abdel are walking home together, Amy's miserly neighbor, Senyor Artes, blocks their entry into the building. He spits at Abdel's feet, hurls racist epithets at him, and hits him in the face with his stick. Amy pushes Senyor Artes. He stumbles, inadvertently falling into the street where he is struck by an oncoming vehicle. When the driver gets out, Amy tells Abdel to leave so he will not be arrested. Senyor Artes dies in the taxi. Amy is called into the station for questioning and is charged with imprudent homicide. She is acquitted of all charges when her neighbor, Baltasar, testifies on her behalf.

In "The King of Castelldefels," Nacho lives in Castelldefels with his girlfriend, Cristiani, and her son, Ari. They have been together for seven years. She is the first long term relationship Nacho has had since his divorce from Montse. He thinks Cristiani is perfect for him because she seems to like who Nacho is and have no apparent interest in changing him.

When the famous soccer player Ronaldhino moves to town, Nacho is convinced that the star wants to be his friend. He and Ronnie start seeing each other around the neighborhood. Nacho becomes so engrossed in their unlikely friendship, that he neglects his familial concerns. With time, Cristiani becomes disgusted with Nacho's constant drunkenness, irresponsibility, and abuse.

While she is away on vacation, Nacho decides to pay her a surprise visit. When he shows up, Ari defends his mother and attacks Nacho. Nacho wakes up in the gutter, still drunk. After he finally returns home, he is surprised to find Ronnie in his house. Ronnie tells him he is leaving Barcelona to join the Milan team. Nacho feels more alone than ever.

In "The Carpenter of Montjuïc," Jordi lives and works as a translator in the Montjuïc municipality of Barcelona. Before meeting his neighbor, Vic, Jordi spends most of his time translating. He is particularly interested in a French novella he is working on called Giving. The novella's plot line is not exceptional, but its narrator intrigues Jordi.

As Jordi gets to know Vic, he becomes increasingly intrigued by Vic’s glamorous and enigmatic lifestyle. One night, Vic tells Jordi about a mystical chest of drawers he bought from an unnerving carpenter. The tale is so curious to Jordi, he finds himself relaying it as his own story to his close friend Mireia.

Jordi has been in love with Mireia for years, perpetually hoping that she will change her mind and agree to be with him. They spend a lot of time together, but Mireia has no interest in being anything other than Jordi's friend. One day, Mireia tells Jordi that she knows Vic. When she relays the circumstances behind their meeting, Jordi is unsettled. He later confronts Vic per Mireia's request, demanding that he leave Mireia alone. Vic becomes angry, insults Jordi, and disappears from his life.

After his fallings-out with Vic and Mireia, Jordi decides to change his life. He takes an editing position in London and moves away from Barcelona. In London, he runs into the mysterious carpenter from Vic's story, Daniel Federmann. Their exchange makes Jordi realize that he has been paying attention to the wrong things in his life for years.