Podcast Summary: Hoy por Hoy – Los sketches de La Biblioteca de Hoy por Hoy | Esto con Franco no pasaba
Date: November 21, 2025
Host: Àngels Barceló
Key contributors: Sketch ensemble (library staff voices)
Notable guest mention: Aroa Moreno Durán
Main Theme
This episode features a comedic sketch set within the fictional "Biblioteca Antonio Martín de Asensio" as part of Hoy por Hoy's ongoing satirical exploration of contemporary Spanish society and culture. The sketch lampoons the avalanche of book publishing, the diversity of genres today, and the never-ending efforts of librarians to keep up, all while slyly nodding to Spain’s political past ("Esto con Franco no pasaba" – "this didn’t happen under Franco").
Key Discussion Points & Insights
The Frenetic Pace of the Modern Library
- Multitude of Books: The sketch opens with librarians bemoaning the overwhelming number of new publications, feeling swamped and behind despite their best efforts.
- “No doy abasto con tanto libro. Es que me paso el día ordenando y clasificando. Es que se publica mucho. Se publica por encima de nuestras posibilidades.” (00:20)
- Genre Saturation: The characters cite the flood of political essays, feminist works, LGTBIQ+ literature, and autofiction—humorously observing that it's hard to know what to read.
- “No solo políticos, también de temática feminista. Y los LGTBIQ y autoficción. Me encanta que la gente me cuente su vida. Vamos. Es que claro, una ya no sabe qué leer...” (00:35)
Social Commentary Delivered With Irony
- Autoayuda (Self-help): One character jokes about the popularity of self-help books, linking it sardonically to societal confusion.
- “No coge libros de autoayuda... De eso sí que se publican y se compran. Es que hay tanta gente con un golpe en la cabeza.” (00:30)
- Representation in Literature: Librarians note the prevalence and quality of literature by women, highlighting ongoing shifts in the literary landscape.
- “Hay mucha literatura y buena literatura escrita por mujeres.” (00:45)
Political Undertones and Guest Reference
- Featured Author: Introduction of Aroa Moreno Durán, who presents a new novel about the last people executed by the Franco regime. The staff debate her political alignment, riffing on assumptions based on her previous works and lampooning the tendency to conflate author background with subject matter.
- “Bueno, de hecho, la invitada de hoy es Aroa Moreno Durán con una nueva novela sobre los últimos fusilados del franquismo.” (00:50)
- —“Esa es comunista.”
—“No, Vamos a ver, mezclemos las cosas. Ella escribió La hija del comunista, pero eso no quiere decir que lo sea.”* (00:54)
Running Gag: Nostalgia for Authoritarian Simplicity
- The phrase “Esto con Franco no pasaba” ("This didn’t happen with Franco") is a tongue-in-cheek refrain, poking fun at the tendency to attribute modern complexities to the end of dictatorship-era ‘order’, highlighting the laziness and mythmaking of such nostalgia.
- “En fin, esto con Franco no pasa. Español, cállese ya.” (00:58)
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- “Se publica por encima de nuestras posibilidades.” — Library staff, on the overproduction of books (00:23)
- “De eso sí que se publican y se compran. Es que hay tanta gente con un golpe en la cabeza.” — On self-help books and their readers (00:32)
- “Me encanta que la gente me cuente su vida. Vamos. Es que claro, una ya no sabe qué leer...” — On autofiction’s popularity (00:38)
- “Bueno, de hecho, la invitada de hoy es Aroa Moreno Durán con una nueva novela sobre los últimos fusilados del franquismo. Esa es comunista.”
—“No, Vamos a ver, mezclemos las cosas. Ella escribió La hija del comunista, pero eso no quiere decir que lo sea.” — Playful confusion about author’s politics (00:51-00:56)
- “Esto con Franco no pasa. Español, cállese ya.” — Satirical punchline lampooning nostalgia for the past (00:58)
Timestamps for Important Segments
- 00:01 – Sketch begins: Busy day at the Biblioteca Antonio Martín de Asensio
- 00:20 – Discussion about the overwhelming quantity of new books
- 00:30 – Genre overload: self-help, political essays, feminist literature, autofiction
- 00:45 – Observation on women’s contribution to literature
- 00:50–00:56 – Introduction of Aroa Moreno Durán & jokes about political labeling
- 00:58 – Satirical refrain: “Esto con Franco no pasaba”
Overall Tone & Atmosphere
The sketch wields witty banter, sardonic self-awareness, and timely cultural references. It’s playful, understated, and unmistakably contemporary, while using nostalgia and generational differences as comedic fuel.
For listeners new to Hoy por Hoy’s “Biblioteca” sketches, this episode is a clever, humorous snapshot of Spain’s literary and political culture, deftly balancing lampoon and affection for its subject matter.
