Calila: The Later Novels of Carmen Martn Gaite [Paperback]

Calila: The Later Novels of Carmen Martín Gaiteexplores the last six novels by Spain´s most honored contemporary woman writer. Its scholarship is enriched by the voice of Calila herself—as Brown called Martín Gaite, who was a dear friend—as they conversed and exchanged letters during the composition of the novels. The book opens with an introduction to Martín Gaite´s life and literature and ends with a consideration of her legacy. Each central chapter analyzes a later novel in its historical, biographical, and critical contexts. From the young adult fantasyCaperucita en Manhattan (Red Riding Hood in Manhattan)to the post-Transition epistolary masterpieceNubosidad variable (Variable Cloud),the Transition-era sagaLa Reina de las Nieves (The Farewell Angel),the Proustian reminiscenceLo raro es vivir (Living’s the Strange Thing),the narrative tapestryIrse de casa (Leaving Home),and the memoir of family secretsLos parentescos (Family Relations),these fascinating novels evoke themes that resonate today.
 This is the first comprehensive study of the later novels of Spain’s most honored contemporary woman writer. Brown shares unpublished letters and conversations with Carmen Martín Gaite—a dear friend whom she called Calila—to elucidate her last six novels, all of which explore themes that are highly relevant today.