Madness and Irrationality in Spanish and Latin American Literature and Culture

Lloyd Hughes Davies

Description

This is the first monograph to consider the significance of madness and irrationality in both Spanish and Spanish American literature. It considers various definitions of ‘madness’ and explores the often contrasting responses, both positive (figural madness as stimulus for literary creativity) and negative (clinical madness representing spiritual confinement and sterility). The concept of national madness is explored with particular reference to Argentina: while, on the one hand, the country’s vast expanses have been seen as conducive to madness, the urban population of Buenos Aires, on the other, appears to be especially dependent on psychoanalytic therapy. The book considers both the work of lesser-known writers such as Nuria Amat, whose personal life is inflected by a form of literary madness, and that of larger literary figures such as José Lezama Lima, whose poetic concepts are suffused with the irrational. The conclusion draws attention to the ‘other side’ of reason as a source of possible originality in a world dominated by the tenets of logic and conventionalised thinking.

Contents
Acknowledgements
1. Introduction
2. The Concept of National Madness: the Argentine Paradigm
3. ‘Voices in the Wilderness’: Conquest and Counter-conquest in Abel Posse
4. Morality, Madness, Memory: Royal Women in Fernando del Paso (Noticias del Imperio) and Lourdes Ortiz (Urraca).
5. Crime, Madness, Art: Alejandra Pizarnik and Manuel Vázquez Montalbán
6. Books about Books: Ruiz Zafón’s La sombra del viento and Pérez-Reverte’s El club Dumas
7. Self-Consciousness and Schizophrenia: the Literary World of Nuria Amat
8. Joy in Paradise: José Lezama Lima
9. Desert, Delirium, Digression: the Fictional Worlds of Juan José Saer
10. Conclusion
Bibliography
Index

Sujets

• Literary Criticism
• Latin American
• Spain
• Latin America
• Spain (groupe)
• Caribbean

Informations

• Publié par: University of Wales Press
• Date de parution: 01 juin 2020
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781786835765
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 4 Mo

Extrait

Madness and Irrationality in Spanish and Latin American Literature and Culture

Lloyd Hughes Davies

IBER I A N A ND L ATIN A MER IC A N STUDIES

Madness and Irratîonaîty în Spanîsh and Latîn Amerîcan Lîterature and Cuture

Series Editors Professor Davîd George (Swansea Unîversîty) Professor Pau Garner (Unîversîty of Leeds)

Editorial Board

Samue Amago (Unîversîty of Vîrgînîa) Roger Bartra (Unîversîdad Autónoma de Méxîco) Pau Castro (Unîversîty of Gasgow) Rîchard Cemînson (Unîversîty of Leeds) Catherîne Davîes (Unîversîty of London) Luîsa-Eena Degado (Unîversîty of Iînoîs) Marîa Degado (Centra Schoo of Speech and Drama, London) Wî Fower (Unîversîty of St Andrews) Davîd Gîes (Unîversîty of Vîrgînîa) Gareth Waters (Swansea Unîversîty) Duncan Wheeer (Unîversîty of Leeds)

Other titles in the series Fantastîc Short Storîes by Women Authors from Spaîn and Latîn Amerîca: A Crîtîca Anthoogy Patrîcîa Gracía and Teresa López-Peîsa Carmen Martín Gaîte: Poetîcs, Vîsua Eements and Space Ester Bautîsta Boteo The Spanîsh Anarchîsts of Northern Austraîa: Revoutîon în the Sugar Cane Fîeds Robert Mason Pauo Emîîo Saes Gomes: On Brazî and Goba Cînema Maîte Conde and Stephanîe Dennîson The Tateoco Massacre, Mexîco 1968, and the Emotîona Trîange of Anger, Grîef and Shame: Dîscourses of Truth(s) Vîctorîa Carpenter The Darkenîng Natîon: Race, Neoîberaîsm and Crîsîs în Argentîna Ignacîo Aguîó Cataan Cuture: Experîmentatîon, creatîve îmagînatîon and the reatîonshîp wîth Spaîn Loyd Hughes Davîes, J. B. Ha and D. Gareth Waters

IBERIAN AND LATIN AMERICAN STUDIES

Madness and Irratîonaîty în Spanîsh and Latîn Amerîcan Lîterature and Cuture

LLOYD HUGHES DAVIES

UNIVERSITY OF WALES PRESS 2020

© Loyd Hughes Davîes, 2020

A rîghts reserved. No part of thîs book may be reproduced în any materîa form (încudîng photocopyîng or storîng ît în any medîum by eectronîc means and whether or not transîenty or încîdentay to some other use of thîs pubîcatîon) wîthout the wrîtten permîssîon of the copyrîght owner. Appîcatîons for the copyrîght owner’s wrîtten permîssîon to reproduce any part of thîs pubîcatîon shoud be addressed to the Unîversîty of Waes Press, Unîversîty Regîstry, Kîng Edward VII Avenue, Cardîff CF10 3NS.

www.uwp.co.uk

Brîtîsh Lîbrary CIP A cataogue record for thîs book îs avaîabe from the Brîtîsh Lîbrary.

ISBN e-ISBN

978-1-78683-575-8 978-1-78683-576-5

The rîght of Loyd Hughes Davîes to be îdentîied as author of thîs work has been asserted în accordance wîth sectîons 77 and 79 of the Copyrîght, Desîgns and Patents Act 1988.

An earîer versîon of chapter 7, ‘Sef-Conscîousness and Schîzophrenîa’, was pubîshed înNew Readîngs13 (2013), 74–92. The author îs gratefu to the Edîtor, Dr Tîmann Atenberg, for permîssîon to repubîsh here.

Typeset by Mark Hesîngton Ltd, Scarborough, North Yorkshîre Prînted by CPI Antony Rowe, Meksham

Contents

Serîes Edîtors’ Foreword

Acknowedgements  1 Introductîon  2 The Concept of Natîona Madness: The Argentîne Paradîgm  3 Voîces în the Wîderness’: Conquest and Counter-ConquestînAbePosse  4 Moraîty, Madness, Memory: Roya Women în Fernando de Paso and Lourdes Ortîz  5 Crîme, Madness, Art: Aejandra Pîzarnîk and Manue Vázquez Montabán  6 Books about Books: Caros Ruîz Zafón and Arturo Pérez-Reverte  7 Sef-Conscîousness and Schîzophrenîa: The Lîterary Word of Nurîa Amat  8 Joy în Paradîse: José Lezama Lîma  9 Desert, Deîrîum, Dîgressîon: The Fîctîona Words of Juan José Saer 10 Concusîon Notes Bîbîography Index

vîî

îx 1

11

28

43

61

90

106 117

134 161 169 200 233

Series Editors’ Foreword

Over recent decades the tradîtîona ‘anguages and îteratures’ mode în Spanîsh departments în unîversîtîes în the Unîted Kîngdom has been superseded by a contextua, înterdîscîpînary and ‘area studîes’ approach to the study of the cuture, hîstory, socîety and poîtîcs of the Hîspanîc and Lusophone words – cate- gorîes that extend far beyond the conines of the Iberîan Penînsua, not ony în Latîn Amerîca but aso to Spanîsh-speakîng and Lusophone Afrîca. In response to these dynamîc trends în research prîorîtîes and currîcuum deveopment, thîs serîes îs desîgned to present both dîscîpînary and înterdîscîpînary research wîthîn the genera ied of Iberîan and Latîn Amerîcan Studîes, partîcuary studîes that expore a aspects of Cutura Productîon (înter aîa îterature, im, musîc, dance, sport) în Spanîsh, Portuguese, Basque, Cataan, Gaîcîan and îndîgenous anguages of Latîn Amerîca. The serîes aso aîms to pubîsh research în the Hîstory and Poîtîcs of the Hîspanîc and Lusophone words, at the eve of both the regîon and the natîon-state, as we as on Cutura Studîes that expore the shîftîng terraîns of gender, sexua, racîa and postcoonîa îdentî- tîes în those same regîons.

Acknowledgements

Thîs book coud not have been wrîtten wîthout the enthusîastîc support of my students and coeagues at the Department of Modern Languages, Transatîon and Interpretîng, Swansea Unîversîty and the encouragement and patîence of my famîy and frîends. I made severa modîicatîons and addîtîons as a resut of comments foowîng presentatîons at a varîety of recent fora încudîng theRomance Studîes Internatîona Cooquîum, Socîety for Latîn Amerîcan Studîes Conferences and departmenta research semînars at Swansea. I woud îke to thank those coeagues who engaged enthusîastîcay în the dîscussîons. I am gratefu to Swansea Unîversîty’s Coege of Arts and Humanîtîes for grantîng me research eave în 2017 whîch enabed me to compete severa uninîshed chapters and to brîng the project to competîon. I woud îke to express my thanks to my former coeague and frîend, the ate Mr J. B. Ha, who provîded unstîntîng support durîng the preparatîon of the current project; to Swansea Unîversîty îbrary staff, partîcuary Dr Ian Gen, who rarey faîed to ocate an eusîve reference and to Document Suppy coeagues who deat prompty and eficîenty wîth often chaengîng requests; and to Ms Sarah Lewîs, Head of Commîssîonîng, Unîversîty of Waes Press, who provîded învauabe guîdance from an eary stage and was consîstenty sympathetîc and accommodatîng throughout. I am especîay gratefu to my partner, June, for her unfaîîng patîence and aso for her curîosîty, often the source of new îdeas and perspectîves.

[ [ [