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The Lady Bandit
90 classic titles celebrating 90 years of Penguin Books
Priests with shotguns, scheming lovers and a necrophiliac gravedigger haunt the fables of Emilia Pardo Bazán, the formidable Spanish aristocrat, intellectual and feminist. These stories paint a rich and variegated image of Old Spain – sometimes tender, often provocative, always entertaining. But if you decide to visit, beware the Lady Bandit, whose strong, rough hands might grab your neck, and squeeze and squeeze and squeeze . . .
Priests with shotguns, scheming lovers and a necrophiliac gravedigger haunt the fables of Emilia Pardo Bazán, the formidable Spanish aristocrat, intellectual and feminist. These stories paint a rich and variegated image of Old Spain – sometimes tender, often provocative, always entertaining. But if you decide to visit, beware the Lady Bandit, whose strong, rough hands might grab your neck, and squeeze and squeeze and squeeze . . .
133 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1881
About the author
Emilia Pardo Bazán
967 books308 followersEmilia Pardo Bazán was a Galician author and scholar from Galicia. She is known for bringing naturalism to Spanish literature, for her detailed descriptions of reality, and for her role in feminist literature of her era.
Her first novel, Pascual López (1879), is a simple exercise in fantasy of no remarkable promise, though it contains good descriptive passages of romance. It was followed by a more striking story, Un viaje de novios (1881), in which a discreet attempt was made to introduce into Spain the methods of French realism. The book caused a sensation among the literary cliques, and this sensation was increased by the appearance of another naturalistic tale, La tribuna (1885), wherein the influence of Émile Zola is unmistakable. Meanwhile, the writer's reply to her critics was issued under the title of La cuestion palpitante (1883), a clever piece of rhetoric, but of no special value as regards criticism or dialectics.
The best of Emilia Pardo Bazán's work is embodied in Los pazos de Ulloa (1886), the painfully exact history of a decadent aristocratic family. A sequel, with the significant title of La madre naturaleza (1887), marks a further advance in the path of naturalism.
She was also a journalist, essayist and critic. She died in Madrid.
Her first novel, Pascual López (1879), is a simple exercise in fantasy of no remarkable promise, though it contains good descriptive passages of romance. It was followed by a more striking story, Un viaje de novios (1881), in which a discreet attempt was made to introduce into Spain the methods of French realism. The book caused a sensation among the literary cliques, and this sensation was increased by the appearance of another naturalistic tale, La tribuna (1885), wherein the influence of Émile Zola is unmistakable. Meanwhile, the writer's reply to her critics was issued under the title of La cuestion palpitante (1883), a clever piece of rhetoric, but of no special value as regards criticism or dialectics.
The best of Emilia Pardo Bazán's work is embodied in Los pazos de Ulloa (1886), the painfully exact history of a decadent aristocratic family. A sequel, with the significant title of La madre naturaleza (1887), marks a further advance in the path of naturalism.
She was also a journalist, essayist and critic. She died in Madrid.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
February 23, 2026
“He felt a sudden dull pain, a stab in the heart, which was love for what he was leaving even while detesting it. An incongruity in our makeup, foam from the sea of contradictions in which we swim!”
November 13, 2025
Enjoyed in the beginning, the stories seemed to feel shorter toward the end and yet somehow harder to get through? I enjoy her writing style and the shock factors to her short stories but wish some of them were longer :)
October 19, 2025
very well written short stories exploring small town life of Spain long ago, with feminist undertones and critical wit Bazán creates enticing stories that are easy to follow and fun to read however absurd it gets
June 17, 2026
Ten years ago, back in the early days of this blog, I read and loved The House of Ulloa, a feisty tale of contrasting values in which a virtuous chaplain finds himself embroiled in the exploits of a rough and ready marquis and those of his equally lively companions. The novel, a Penguin Classic, was written by Emilia Pardo Bazán, a key figure in the 19th-century Spanish literary scene. Now Penguin have issued The Lady Bandit, a collection of Pardo Bazán’s short stories, as part of their Archive series, and it’s a very welcome release, for me at least.
The House of Ulloa is an entertaining, picaresque romp, and there’s a similar feel to several of the sixteen short stories included in Bandit. Here we have darkly comic tales of fair-weather servants, trigger-happy priests and a notorious robber who finally meets her match. However, alongside the humour, Pardo Bazán also has an eye for the melancholic; many of these stories are genuinely poignant as relationships break down, lovers are parted and doting mothers are deceived. It’s an excellent collection, equally suited to new readers of this talented writer and existing fans.
The collection opens with The Pardon, a chilling story in which a mother, Antonia, fears the early release of her husband, currently in prison for the cold-blooded murder of his mother-in-law. It was Antonia’s testimony that led to her husband’s conviction; consequently, he intends to take his revenge on her whenever the opportunity arises. Pardo Bazán does a great job of dialling up the tension here; we know a reckoning is coming, but the question is when…
Such was Antonia’s absentmindedness that she didn’t even notice that the door of her ground-floor room stood ajar. Without letting go of the boy’s hand, she entered the confined area that served as living room, dining room, and kitchen, and stepped back, startled at seeing the oil lamp lit. A huge, black shape got up from the table, and the scream that was rising to the cleaning lady’s lips was stifled in her throat.
It was he. Antonia, motionless, glued to the floor, couldn’t actually see him yet, although his sinister image was mirrored in her wide-open eyes. (p. 9)
In First Prize, a wealthy marquis buys a lottery ticket, promising a share of the winnings to his faithful servants should they be lucky in the draw. However, when the servants hear they’ve scooped the top prize, all thoughts of loyalty to their employer go straight out of the window. In short, they are so eager to take advantage of their new wealth that they leave the manor immediately; only one servant remains, the cynical shepherd who scoffed at his peers for accepting a share in the ticket. It’s a poignant story in which the dismissive shepherd is ultimately rewarded for his loyalty as the narrative plays out.
In The Gravedigger, one of the most memorable tales in this collection, a young man is heartbroken when his fiancée, Puri, dies in the run-up to their wedding. Despite the doctor confirming that Puri died from natural causes, the girl’s fiancé worries that his frenzied attempts to kiss Puri during their final meeting may have triggered her decline.
On the night following Puri’s funeral, the grieving fiancé decides to visit his beloved’s grave to pray – and it is here, in the ghostly cemetery, that he encounters a shocking act of depravity, the like of which the town of Arfe has never seen.
From the moment that he got inside the cemetery to say farewell to his intended like the inamorato of Venice, he felt, without understanding the reason, a dread, a coldness, a feverish chill, a sensation that made his heart pound and brought a lump to his throat and paralyzed his legs. (pp. 42–43)
It’s an unnerving story – probably not for the fainthearted, but brilliantly portrayed.
To read the rest of my review, please visit:
https://jacquiwine.wordpress.com/2026...
The House of Ulloa is an entertaining, picaresque romp, and there’s a similar feel to several of the sixteen short stories included in Bandit. Here we have darkly comic tales of fair-weather servants, trigger-happy priests and a notorious robber who finally meets her match. However, alongside the humour, Pardo Bazán also has an eye for the melancholic; many of these stories are genuinely poignant as relationships break down, lovers are parted and doting mothers are deceived. It’s an excellent collection, equally suited to new readers of this talented writer and existing fans.
The collection opens with The Pardon, a chilling story in which a mother, Antonia, fears the early release of her husband, currently in prison for the cold-blooded murder of his mother-in-law. It was Antonia’s testimony that led to her husband’s conviction; consequently, he intends to take his revenge on her whenever the opportunity arises. Pardo Bazán does a great job of dialling up the tension here; we know a reckoning is coming, but the question is when…
Such was Antonia’s absentmindedness that she didn’t even notice that the door of her ground-floor room stood ajar. Without letting go of the boy’s hand, she entered the confined area that served as living room, dining room, and kitchen, and stepped back, startled at seeing the oil lamp lit. A huge, black shape got up from the table, and the scream that was rising to the cleaning lady’s lips was stifled in her throat.
It was he. Antonia, motionless, glued to the floor, couldn’t actually see him yet, although his sinister image was mirrored in her wide-open eyes. (p. 9)
In First Prize, a wealthy marquis buys a lottery ticket, promising a share of the winnings to his faithful servants should they be lucky in the draw. However, when the servants hear they’ve scooped the top prize, all thoughts of loyalty to their employer go straight out of the window. In short, they are so eager to take advantage of their new wealth that they leave the manor immediately; only one servant remains, the cynical shepherd who scoffed at his peers for accepting a share in the ticket. It’s a poignant story in which the dismissive shepherd is ultimately rewarded for his loyalty as the narrative plays out.
In The Gravedigger, one of the most memorable tales in this collection, a young man is heartbroken when his fiancée, Puri, dies in the run-up to their wedding. Despite the doctor confirming that Puri died from natural causes, the girl’s fiancé worries that his frenzied attempts to kiss Puri during their final meeting may have triggered her decline.
On the night following Puri’s funeral, the grieving fiancé decides to visit his beloved’s grave to pray – and it is here, in the ghostly cemetery, that he encounters a shocking act of depravity, the like of which the town of Arfe has never seen.
From the moment that he got inside the cemetery to say farewell to his intended like the inamorato of Venice, he felt, without understanding the reason, a dread, a coldness, a feverish chill, a sensation that made his heart pound and brought a lump to his throat and paralyzed his legs. (pp. 42–43)
It’s an unnerving story – probably not for the fainthearted, but brilliantly portrayed.
To read the rest of my review, please visit:
https://jacquiwine.wordpress.com/2026...
June 1, 2026
Archive #41
1.5
Truly disastrous attempt from me to get through this book. I will put my hands up and admit that I essentially gave up on reading this after struggling for weeks. Every time I thought about opening the book I felt a surge of dread. I can’t even properly explain what it is I hated so much. I found the stories trudging, off-putting and boring. The descriptions and dialogue seemed to take hours off my life. Sorry Emilia.
1.5
Truly disastrous attempt from me to get through this book. I will put my hands up and admit that I essentially gave up on reading this after struggling for weeks. Every time I thought about opening the book I felt a surge of dread. I can’t even properly explain what it is I hated so much. I found the stories trudging, off-putting and boring. The descriptions and dialogue seemed to take hours off my life. Sorry Emilia.
October 10, 2025
Too much!! who decided this, so lazy and useless like be fr. “LADY BANDIT” actually kms way better more beautiful titles. could have actually been a challenging/worthwhile read but the selection was soooooooo. And why start the book with the most shock factor pieces just for it to lead nowhere since the rest were MUCH less aggressive and disturbing. buzzwords “necrophilia” and “feminist” shut up
July 28, 2026
4/5🌟
All the stories were compelling and engaging to read. Some were mildly absurd others morbid, fascinating in their cleverness or wit. Easy bitesize stories that definitely will get you out of a reading slump.
My favourite stories of this collection:
- Torn Lace
- Scissors
- Don Carmelo’s Salvation
- From the beyond.
But again all the stories were quick to read and a relaxing time.
All the stories were compelling and engaging to read. Some were mildly absurd others morbid, fascinating in their cleverness or wit. Easy bitesize stories that definitely will get you out of a reading slump.
My favourite stories of this collection:
- Torn Lace
- Scissors
- Don Carmelo’s Salvation
- From the beyond.
But again all the stories were quick to read and a relaxing time.
July 1, 2025
Solid 4/5 ⭐️ such fun, raucous stories, I was throughly entertained!! Enjoyed this much more than I expected
August 8, 2025
A handful of stories were captivating, others faded quite instantly
October 24, 2025
An entertaining collection.
January 14, 2026
4.5 stars, really enjoyed
February 8, 2026
Enjoyed some of the stories, and some were very disturbing!
April 17, 2026
Very clever even when the endings were expected
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews