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Pío Baroja
En Vidas literarias los más prestigiosos autores contemporáneos escriben la biografía de los clásicos de las letras hispanas. Cada libro ofrece el lector la vida y obra del escritor narrado en un estilo creativo, personal y literario. De este modo el lector disfrutará con la lectura de una obra única en su género al tiempo que obtendrá también el retrato del personaje biografiado y su obra más representativa.
192 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2001
2 people are currently reading
26 people want to read
About the author
Eduardo Mendoza
91 books1,112 followersEduardo Mendoza Garriga studied law in the first half of the 1960s and lived in New York between 1973 and 1982, working as interpreter for the United Nations.
He maintained an intense relationship with novelists Juan Benet and Juan García Hortelano, poet Pere Gimferrer and writer (and neighbour) Félix de Azúa.
In 1975 he published his very successful first novel, La verdad sobre el caso Savolta (The Truth about the Savolta Case), where he shows his ability to use different resources and styles. The novel is considered a precursor to the social change in the Spanish post-Franco society and the first novel of the transition to democracy. He describes the union fights from the beginning of the 20th century, showing the social, cultural and economic reality of the Barcelona at the time. A year later he was awarded the Critic Prize.
His most acclaimed novel is probably La ciudad de los prodigios (The City of Marvels, 1986), about the social and urban evolution of Barcelona between the Universal Expositions of 1888 and 1929. It was adapted to the screen by Mario Camus in 1999.
In 1996, he published his third major Barcelona novel, this time set in the 1940s, Una comedia ligera (A Light Comedy).
Also within Mendoza's work stands the saga of Ceferino, a peculiar character, a detective locked up in a mental hospital. The first of these novels, El misterio de la cripta embrujada (The Mystery of the Bewitched Crypt, 1979) is a parody with hilarious moments mixing detective stories with gothic narrative.
In the second novel of the saga, El laberinto de las aceitunas (The Labyrinth of the Olives, 1982) he confirms his talent as parodist; the novel is one of his most successful works. The third (and last) novel of the saga, La aventura del tocador de señoras (The Adventure of the Powder Room) was published in 2002.
The newspaper El País published two of his novels by instalments, Sin noticias de Gurb ( No Word from Gurb, 1990) and El último trayecto de Horacio Dos (The Last Journey of Horatio Dos, 2001).
In 1990, his work in Catalan Restauració made its debut. He later translated it into Spanish himself.
He maintained an intense relationship with novelists Juan Benet and Juan García Hortelano, poet Pere Gimferrer and writer (and neighbour) Félix de Azúa.
In 1975 he published his very successful first novel, La verdad sobre el caso Savolta (The Truth about the Savolta Case), where he shows his ability to use different resources and styles. The novel is considered a precursor to the social change in the Spanish post-Franco society and the first novel of the transition to democracy. He describes the union fights from the beginning of the 20th century, showing the social, cultural and economic reality of the Barcelona at the time. A year later he was awarded the Critic Prize.
His most acclaimed novel is probably La ciudad de los prodigios (The City of Marvels, 1986), about the social and urban evolution of Barcelona between the Universal Expositions of 1888 and 1929. It was adapted to the screen by Mario Camus in 1999.
In 1996, he published his third major Barcelona novel, this time set in the 1940s, Una comedia ligera (A Light Comedy).
Also within Mendoza's work stands the saga of Ceferino, a peculiar character, a detective locked up in a mental hospital. The first of these novels, El misterio de la cripta embrujada (The Mystery of the Bewitched Crypt, 1979) is a parody with hilarious moments mixing detective stories with gothic narrative.
In the second novel of the saga, El laberinto de las aceitunas (The Labyrinth of the Olives, 1982) he confirms his talent as parodist; the novel is one of his most successful works. The third (and last) novel of the saga, La aventura del tocador de señoras (The Adventure of the Powder Room) was published in 2002.
The newspaper El País published two of his novels by instalments, Sin noticias de Gurb ( No Word from Gurb, 1990) and El último trayecto de Horacio Dos (The Last Journey of Horatio Dos, 2001).
In 1990, his work in Catalan Restauració made its debut. He later translated it into Spanish himself.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
March 1, 2023
Interessant, hoewel geschreven met een voorkeur voor het paradoxale. Een boek dat voor de helft bestaat uit een beschouwing-biografie en voor de helft uit fragmenten uit Baroja's werk. Mendoza lijkt het soms een beetje moeilijk te hebben met zijn eigen voorliefde voor Baroja. Want hij vindt Baroja een warhoofd, een man die het leven uit de weg ging, die het al te makkelijk op een akkoordje gooide met de franquisten (en daarvoor zelfs een boek publiceerde over 'Joden, communisten en meer van dat slag'). Bijzondere aandacht gaat uit naar het kennelijk non-existente liefdesleven van Baroja. Mendoza probeert het oordeel over de schrijver Baroja te scheiden van dat over de mens, maar ook over het werk moet hij toegeven dat het vaak chaotisch is en dat het regelmatige gefilosofeer in het werk vaak onecht en overbodig is. De Baroja-liefhebber blijft een beetje in verwarring achter, want in veel opzichten heeft Mendoza wel gelijk.
August 14, 2021
Cuando inicié la lectura de este libro pensé encontrarme con la biografía de Pio Baroja escrita por Eduardo Mendoza, pero me encuentro con un texto literariamente muy bien escrito, donde el autor sintiéndose discípulo de su narrativa le hace un homenaje analizando la permanencia de sus obras en el tiempo y la razón por la cual está entre los clásicos hispanos que los lectores buscan sin ninguna pretensión académica.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews