San Camilo, 1936: The Eve, Feast, and Octave of St. Camillus of the Year 1936 in Madrid - Softcover

Cela, Camilo José

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0822311968 ISBN 13: 9780822311966

Publisher: Duke University Press Books, 1991

Synopsis

Widely regarded as one of the best works by the winner of the 1989 Nobel Prize for Literature, San Camilo, 1936 appears here for the first time in English translation. One of Spain’s most popular writers, Camilo José Cela is recognized for his experiments with language and with difficult subject matter. In San Camilo, 1936, first published in 1969, these concerns converge in a fascinating narrative that is as challenging as it is rewarding, as troubling as it is compelling.
A story of history as it happens, by turns confusing and startingly clear, echoing with news and rumors, defined by grand gestures and intimate pauses, the novel leads the reader into the ordinary life of extraordinary times. Beginning on the eve of the Spanish Civil War, San Camilo, 1936 follows a twenty-year-old student’s attempts to sort out his private affairs (sex, money, career) in the midst of the turmoil overtaking his country. In vivid and richly textured prose that distinguishes Cela’s work, the emotional reality of civil war takes on a vibrant immediacy that is humorous, tender, and ultimately transforming as a young man tries to come to terms with the historical moment he inhabits—and hopes to survive.
Readers new to Cela will find in this novel ample reason for the author’s growing reputation among audiences worldwide.

About this title

From the Back Cover:

"Cela continues to anticipate and outlast his peers. Few contemporary writers can match his range, verbal richness, and purity of means. Few have given better evidence of dwelling in awfulness while caressing beauty. No other artist--except Picasso--has tapped such energies at the age when most gentlemen tend their gardens. Camilo Jose Cela approaches dusk with a steadfast gaze that only a few writers of genius can turn upon the face of chaos." --Eduardo Gonzalez, "The Nobel Prize Annual 1989"

Language Notes:

Text: English
Original Language: Spanish

About this edition

• Publisher: Duke University Press Books
• Publication date: 1991
• ISBN 10: 0822311968
• ISBN 13: 9780822311966
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 327