Synopses & Reviews
An unforgettable tragicomic novel of sexual and political intrigue in 19th-century Spain One of the greatest nineteenth-century Spanish novels, The House of Ulloa follows pious Father Julián Alvarez, who is sent to a crumbling country estate to put in order the affairs of the marquis, an irresponsible libertine. When the sensitive priest discovers the moral decadence, cruelty, and corruption at his new home, his well-meaning but ineffectual attempts to prevent the fall of the House of Ulloa end in tragedy. Combining gothic elements with humor and social satire, The House of Ulloa is the finest achievement of Emilia Pardo Bazán, one of the most dynamic figures of her time.
Review
“An absolutely first-rate novelist . . . Bazáns genius lies in the way she mixes comedy, farce, realism and heightened-pitch hysteria with a dash of gothic. . . . People may travel by donkey in this book, but it could have been written yesterday.” —
The Guardian
Synopsis
A rich and unforgettable tragic-comic novel of sexual intrigue and political scheming, The House of Ulloa is one of the greatest works of nineteenth-century Spanish literature.
The House of Ulloa follows pure and pious Father Juli n Alvarez, who is sent to a remote country estate to put the affairs of the marquis, an irresponsible libertine, in order. When he discovers moral decadence, cruelty and corruption at his new home, Juli n's well-meaning but ineffectual attempts to prevent the fall of the House of Ulloa end in tragedy. Combining gothic elements with humour and social satire, The House of Ulloa is the finest achievement of Emilia Pardo Baz n, a prolific writer, feminist, traveller and intellectual, and one of the most dynamic figures of her time.
Brilliantly balancing biting satire and gothic undertones, and evoking a rich sense of place, this is a wonderful novel that deserves to be ranked with the other great books of the period.
The Countess Emilia Pardo Baz n was born in 1851 and married at sixteen. After separating from her husband, she embarked on an affair with novelist Benito P rez Gald s. The House of Ulloa (1886) is generally considered as her masterpiece among her many literary works.
Professor Paul O'Prey is Vice-Chancellor of the University of Roehampton, London.
Lucia Graves has translated works by Robert Graves, Ana s Nin, Katherine Mansfield and Carlos Ruiz Zaf n, and is the author of a memoir, A Woman Unknown, and a novel, The Memory House.
'An absolutely first-rate novelist ...] Baz n's genius lies in the way she mixes comedy, farce, realism and heightened-pitch hysteria with a dash of gothic ...] People may travel by donkey in this book, but it could have been written yesterday' - Nick Lezard, Guardian
'Pardo Baz n's mastery of social types and of the political currents that swirled around the liberal revolution are unsurpassed in Spanish literature ... O'Prey and Graves ... avoid awkward literalisms while nonetheless remaining true to the spirit of the original' New Criterion
About the Author
Emilia Pardo Bazán (18511921) was a prolific writer, a feminist, a traveler, and an intellectual who held a chair in literature at Madrid University from 1916 until her death.
Paul OPrey is the vice-chancellor of the University of Roehampton, London.
Lucia Graves is a literary translator and an author. Her translations include works by Robert Graves, Anaïs Nin, and Katherine Mansfield, as well as Carlos Ruiz Zafóns novel The Shadow of the Wind.