Martín Rivas (Library of Latin America) - Softcover

Blest Gana, Alberto; O'Dwyer, Tess

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0195107144 ISBN 13: 9780195107142

Publisher: Oxford University Press, 2000

Synopsis

Widely acknowledged as the first Chilean novel, Martin Rivas (1862) by Alberto Blest Gana (1830-1920) is at once a passionate love story and an optimistic representation of Chilean nationhood. Written shortly after a decade of civil conflict, it is an indispensable source for understanding politics and society in nineteenth-century Chile.
The hero of the story is Martin Rivas, an impoverished but ambitious youngster from the northern mining region of Chile, who is entrusted by his late father to the household of a wealthy and influential member of the Santiago elite. While living there, he falls in love with his guardian's daughter. The tale of their tortuous but ultimately successful love affair represents the author's desire for reconciliation between Chile's antagonistic regional and class interests. Indeed, many critics have interpreted Martin Rivas as a blueprint for national unity that emphasizes consensus over conflict.
In addition to providing commentary about the mores of Chilean society, Blest Gana documents the enormous gap that existed between the rich and poor classes. An invaluable text for its portrayal of contemporary social, political, and class conditions, Martin Rivas illustrates the enriching influence that romanticism had on nineteenth-century Chilean literature.

About this title

From the Publisher:

This is the fourth Martin Rivas edition by Dr Jaime Concha, a chilean critic who teaches at the University of California, and builds upon his other editions (Editorial Ayacucho, and the Oxford University Press, English version), by adding notes that will certainly help the clear understanding of the text as originally intended by the author.

About the Author:

Alberto Blest Gana ; Tess O'Dwyer ;A24 Jaime Concha Professor of Latin American Literature University of California at San Diego

About this edition

• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Publication date: 2000
• ISBN 10: 0195107144
• ISBN 13: 9780195107142
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 448