Synopses & Reviews
Ifigenia: Diario de una seorita que escribi porque se fastidiaba (Diary of a young lady who wrote because she was bored, 1924) is the first of two novels by the Venezuelan writer Teresa de la Parra (Paris, 1889-Madrid, 1936). Her second, much shorter novel, Las memorias de Mam Blanca (1929), was one of the few authored by a woman to be admitted to the Spanish American canon before the radical rereading of the tradition by feminists in the 1970s and 80s. Ifigenia, however, was long neglected, in part, due to the controversy it ignited when it first appeared and its subtle and even deceptive use of a first person narrative. Recently, the contemporary Mexican novelist Carmen Boullosa has described Ifigenia as one of the most convincing, intelligent, and seductive novels in the Spanish] language, and called its republication an elemental and necessary act of literary justice. In her own times, Teresa de la Parra mingled with the European and Latin American avant garde, but resisted its fascination while taking note of its lessons. Instead, she opted to respect the basic narrative rules of the 19th century, but used these to describe a very modern conflict: women's need for economic and intellectual independence, and the tragic and far from edifying fate reserved for those who fail to achieve it. Eugenia, the novel's young, naive, but ambitious, intelligent, and well-read protagonist/narrator, tells her own story, at first in a confidential letter to her best friend, and then, to the ever forgiving indulgence of Dear diary. The narration is by turns witty, even mockingly funny, presumptuously self-important, and poignant as it reveals the temptations and doubts of an all too inexperienced young woman pressured to choose among too few alternatives. Eugenia's confessional tale takes us on a mesmerizing tour through the confined universe of an upper class seorita in the Caracas of the early 1920s. At first her journey seems a safe and even promising one, but soon enough the reader discovers that her comparatively privileged world bears little resemblance to paradise. To grow, to mature, to understand, in this world mean to eschew ones better judgment, to become diminished, to live life as a string of renunciations. The title hints at sacrifice. To join this social order is to become a sacrificial victim, true, but the voice we listen to (socially constructed, like all voices) is compelling proof that everything urgently needs to be rethought. The novel itself forces us to rethink, and paradoxically does so by appearing to respect the very rules that suffocate its heroine. In this edition Elizabeth Garrels (MIT) provides a critical foreword and notes to assist the reader in discovering the richness and complexity of this longtime underestimated novel.
Synopsis
Ifigenia, or diary of a young lady who wrote because she was bored (1924) confirms beyond any doubts that its author, Teresa de la Parra (Pars 1989-Madrid 1936) ranks along the great modern novelists. Surprisingly her works take a marginal place in the literary canon, thus making their republishing a true act of literary justice, both towards the author and for today's readers sake. In her own times Teresa de la Parra mingled with the European and Latin American avant garde. Resisting the fascination but assimilating the lessons, she opted by respecting the Nineteenth Century basic narrative rules while using those resources to describe a very modern conflict: women's need for economic and intellectual independence, and the tragic and far from edifying fate reserved to those who do not obtain it. In doing so de la Parra found the gem every writer dreams of: her own voice, a unique and unmistakable style, authenticity. Ifigenia is one of the most convincing, intelligent and seductive novels written in Spanish. The main character and narrator, Eugenia, a strongly biased and colorful witness, tells her own story to a confident-reader in an unparalleled fresh and full of authenticity tone of voice. The narration, subtly along the pages, becomes a witty meditation on human nature, as well as a mesmerizing tour into the feminine universe. The main character becomes alive right from the very first page, and whispers into the reader's ear in a unique voice. At first her journey seems to be a safe one, but soon enough the world awaiting Eugenia unfolds to become anything but paradise. To grow, mature, understand, also means to become diminished, resign wisdom, partly die. The title hintssacrifice. But any insinuation in this wondrous novel glides along opposed walks. To join the social order is to become a sacrificial victim, true, but the voice we listen -so cultivated and social- proves that everything needs to be reconsidered. The novel itself becomes part of this renewal, and paradoxically it does so by abiding to the same rules that suffocate the main character. In this edition prof. Elizabeth Garrels' (MIT) critical foreword and notes focus in theses qualities, and highlight how, through a clever and talented kind of social critique, Ifigenia stands up as a truly classical book.