Cambridge Companion To The Spanish Novel, The

Description:
The Cambridge Companion to the Spanish Novel presents the development of the modern Spanish novel from 1600 to the present. Drawing on the combined legacies of Don Quijote and the traditions of the picaresque novel, these essays focus on the question of invention and experiment, on what constitutes the singular features of evolving fictional forms. It examines how the novel articulates the relationships between history and fiction, high and popular culture, art and ideology, and gender and society. Contributors highlight the role played by historical events and cultural contexts in the elaboration of the Spanish novel, which often takes a self-conscious stance toward literary tradition. Topics covered include the regional novel, women writers, and film and literature. This companionable survey, which includes a chronology and guide to further reading, conveys a vivid sense of the innovative techniques of the Spanish novel and of the debates surrounding it.

Review:
'Neither a straightforward reference work nor simply a collection of essays, the book blends strengths from each of these genres, offering a broad knowledge base combined with fully developed critical analysis. ... the Companion will serve its broad readership well as a stimulating introduction to the Spanish novel.' MLR

Table of Contents:
Introduction: mirror and text Harriet Turner and Adelaida Lopez de Martinez; Part I. Since Cervantes ...: 1. The legacy of Don Quijote and the picaresque novel Anthony J. Close; 2. The enlightenment and fictional form Rebecca Haidt; Part II. The Nineteenth Century: 3. The regional novel: evolution and consolation Alison Sinclair; 4. The Folletin: Spain looks to Europe Elisa Marti-Lopez; 5. The Realist Novel Harriet Turner; 6. History and fiction Geoffrey Ribbans; 7. Gender and beyond: nineteenth-century women Spanish writers Lou Charnon-Deutsch; 8. Decadence and innovation in fin de siglo Spain Noel M. Valis; Part III. The Twentieth Century: 9. From the generation of 1898 to the vanguard Roberta Johnson; 10. The testimonial novel and the novel of memory Gonzalo Sobejano; 11. Questioning the text Bradley Epps; 12. Women and fiction in post-Franco Spain Akiko Tsuchiya; 13. Cultural alliances: film and literature in the socialist period: 1982-1995 Isolina Ballesteros; 14. The novel beyond modernity Teresa Vilaros; 15. Writing about writing Randolph Pope.

Author Biography:
Harriet Turner is Professor of Hispanic Studies and director of International Affairs and Global Programs at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She has written widely on Spanish and Latin American literature. Adelaida Lopez de Martinez is Professor of Spanish and Women's Studies at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She has written widely on contemporary Spanish and Latin American literature.