Customer Reviews

La Regenta (Penguin Classics)

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Leopoldo Alas, aka "Clarín" falls into that curious category of authors whose literary output is, though exceedingly limited, nonetheless extremely important. A prolific journalist, and author of numerous short stories, he produced only two novels, one of which, _La Regenta_ is widely recognized as perhaps the best single work of fiction of 19th century Spain.

Clarín will remain forever overshadowed by his contemporary, Galdós, -- the acnowledged master of the era -- whose _Fortunata and Jacinta_ stands as the other great 1000 page novel of the period. Yet it is arguable whether or not any single work of Galdos' conveys quite the same epic sense of grandeur and beauty as Clarin's magnum opus.

Readers who delve into Clarin's novel will find themselves immersed in the lives of numerous members of the haute burgeoisie of Vetusta, including Ana Ozores -- the Regenta from whom the novel takes its title -- her good natured husband with a romantic penchant for "honor plays" of the Spanish, golden age theater, Mesias, the man who would be lover, and Fermin, the extremely conservative priest and confessor who steadfastly defends the doctrine of Papal infallibilty and strives to save her from the temptations of Mesias even as he himself becomes seduced by her beauty. A host of secondary characters completes the rich tapestry of Vetustan social life and helps create one of most lush and engrossing novels of the epoch.

_La Regenta_ stands in Spanish letters, second perhaps, only to Cervantes' _Don Quixote_. It equals anything Galdos produced, and, indeed, compares quite favorably to anything produced in Europe in that century. Along with Cervantes, Borges and García Marquez, Leopoldo Alas is without a doubt one of the Spanish speaking world's greatest novelists.

Funny, tragic, complex story about a woman and about a whole small city.
Wonderfuly written, with a trully great character, Fermin, and more than a hundred supporting roles.
Much better than Madame Bovary, or anythimg from Dickens, Zola, James.. (and much more amusing).

I've read it in Spanish and in English. The other reviewers sum it up well. Among 19th century novels, this ranks with Anna Karenina in its sweep, its depth, its style. As a stylist I'd put Clarin alongside Flaubert.