Description
On the Nature and Character of the Novel
Book Summary
In this fundamental work, Juan Valera lays out his literary theory on the novel during a time of intense aesthetic debate. Defending art for art's sake and rejecting any moralizing criteria, the author positions himself against the prevailing realism and naturalism. For Valera, the true novel should not limit itself to narrating the common, but rather elevate reality through sentiment and imagination to create beauty. A classic and essential text for understanding the evolution of 19th-century Spanish literary thought and the keys to aesthetic idealism in the face of the secularization of culture.
What is it about?
The work is part of the 19th-century debate on the nature of the novel genre. Valera argues that if the novel were limited to recounting what usually happens, it would cease to be poetry and would not offer an ideal, nor even a worthy story. Opposing realist and naturalist authors, who undermined fantastic verisimilitude, the author proposes that art imitates nature and represents the real as a means, but its ultimate end is the creation of beauty. Thus, it is imagination, and not mere reality, that allows for the artistic redemption of the real. This essay reflects the sharp opposition between realism and idealism, in a context of crisis due to the secularization of culture and the search for the autonomy of art.
Main themes
- Aesthetic theory of the novel as an autonomous artistic genre.
- Defense of art for art's sake against moral or didactic criteria.
- Opposition between realism, naturalism, and literary idealism.
- The role of imagination and sentiment in the creation of beauty.
- Autonomy of art in the context of 19th-century cultural secularization.
Who is it recommended for?
This book is aimed at students and scholars of Spanish literature, especially those interested in 19th-century literary criticism and the debate between realism and idealism. It is also an essential read for those who wish to understand the foundations of Juan Valera's aesthetic thought and his influence on the theory of the novel. Likewise, it will be of great value to readers passionate about art history and the philosophy of aesthetics.
What this book offers
- A clear and direct view of the art for art's sake theory applied to the novel.
- Understanding of the ideological and literary context of 19th-century Spain.
- Arguments to analyze the tension between realism and idealism in literary creation.
- Access to a classic and brief text that condenses the thinking of one of the great Spanish authors.
Technical specifications
- Author: Valera, Juan
- Publisher: Linkgua Digital
- Language: Spanish
- Subject: Classic texts, Literature: history and criticism
- Collection: Thought
- Binding: Paperback
- Publication date: October 2010
- Number of pages: 36
- Weight: 53 g
Editorial review
This edition from Linkgua Digital recovers a brief but dense essay, essential for contextualizing the literary thought of Juan Valera. His defense of aesthetic idealism and the autonomy of art offers a contrasting perspective to the dominant realist currents of his time. It is a text of great academic utility for those who study the theory of the novel and the history of literary criticism in Spain, presented in an accessible paperback format.