SPAIN AUTHOR · SPANISH · FICTION
Pedro Antonio de Alarcón
Also known as: Pedro Antonio de Alarcón, Pedro Antonio de Alarcon
Pedro Antonio Joaquín Melitón de Alarcón y Ariza (Guadix, Granada, 10 de marzo de 1833 – Madrid, 19 de julio de 1891) fue un narrador español que perteneció al movimiento realista en el que destacó como uno de los artífices del fin de la prosa romántica. Fuente: Wikipedia
Most acclaimed
El sombrero de tres picos
1891
En un pueblo andaluz a comienzos del S.XIX., el tío Lucas es el astuto y malicioso dueño del molino y esposo de la bella Frasquita. De tantos encantos era portadora que con ellos atraía al molino a las gentes de cierto abolengo. El corregidor del pueblo, hombre veleidoso y libertino, se ha prendado de los atributos de la hermosa molinera y decide hacerla suya a toda costa. Para lograr su propósito, urde la patraña de hacer detener y comparecer a Lucas ante el alcalde del pueblo vecino con el pretexto pueril y con el fin de tenerlo tras las rejas hasta la mañana siguientes. Alarcón, desde una posición amable y todopoderosa, plantea un conflicto cómico que configura con toques impresionistas, entre el realismo y el sainete. La anécdota de esta obra discurre entre personajes plásticamente diseñados y busca su final sin esfuerzo, concluida por un autor omnisciente y burlón.
"The nail", and other stories
In this book, eight stories written by Pedro Antonio de Alarcon have been brought together in English for the first time. The nail in "The Nail" is found driven into a disinterred skull, and if some of the events are implausible and others incredible, it is also true that there is considerable suspense and mystery. "The Cornet" draws more heavily on historical reality, with its depiction of the horror of civil war and factual detail. Noteworthy for its first-person narration and rapid-fire dialogue, "The Cornet" paints an episode of fraternal love and the power of the will. "The Orderly," although set against the same Carlist War background, has more to do with a military "attitude" than a Carlist "War", and describes the transformation effected in one officer by one orderly. The War of Independence (1808-14) was fought against Napoleon and his attempt to place his brother Joseph on the Spanish throne. After years of horrendous carnage and the Duke of Wellington's victory at Vitoria, the "Little Corporal" renounced the Spanish crown. The War of Independence stories - "The French Sympathizer" and "The Mayor of Lapeza" - have been known to generations of Spanish readers, especially for their theme of patriotism. These two, together with "Long Live the Pope!" and "The Guardian Angel," extol the heroism and courage of the Spanish people. "The Foreigner," the story of a young Pole who had been conscripted into Napoleon's army, looks at Spain and two of her soldiers through the eyes of a Spanish muleteer.