Historical Fiction Pérez Galdós, Benito: Episodios nacionales, La Primera República [Spanish]

[Chris Jones]

Benito Pérez Galdós is generally regarded as the most prominent of 19th century Spanish novelists. His Episodios Nacionales are fictional accounts set against the background of the troubled history of 19th century Spain from the battle of Trafalgar (1805) to the disaster of 98' (1898) when Spain eventually lost Cuba and the Philippines, the last remainders of its once colossal colonial empire. The Episodios nacionales, written between 1872 and 1912, comprise 46 full-length novels divided into five series. Regrettably, Benito Pérez Galdós died (1920) before he had time to complete the last series.

Renowned literary critic Max Aub wrote the following about the Episodios nacionales:

"Perdiérase todo el material histórico de esos años, salvándose la obra de Galdós, no importaría. Ahí está completa, viva, real la vida de la nación durante los cien años que abarcó la garra del autor. Existen, para siempre, sus centenares y centenares de personajes históricos e imaginados, tan ciertos los unos como los otros. (…) Solo los más grandes en el mundo, y sobran dedos para contarlos, consiguieron otro tanto. Y aun más: le dejaría en la gloria novelera de su tiempo mano a mano con Tolstoi, porque, además de dar vida a seres para siempre presentes, supieron sacar a la luz el genio de su patria a través de sus luchas, glorias y desgracias. (…) Galdós ha hecho más por el conocimiento de España por los españoles –por el pueblo español– que todos los historiadores juntos."

La Primera República is the fourth "episodio" of the 5th series.

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