First published in 1961, A New History of Spanish Literature has been a much-used resource for generations of students. The book has now been completely revised and updated to include extensive discussion of Spanish literature of the past thirty years. Richard E. Chandler and Kessel Schwartz, both longtime students of the literature, write authoritatively about every Spanish literary work of consequence. From the earliest extant writings though the literature of the 1980s, they draw on the latest scholarship. Unlike most literary histories, this one treats each genre fully in its own section, thus making it easy for the reader to follow the development of poetry, the drama, the novel, other prose fiction, and nonfiction prose. Students of the first edition have found this method particularly useful. However, this approach does not preclude study of the literature by period. A full index easily enables the reader to find all references to any individual author or book. Another noteworthy feature of the book, and one omitted from many books of this kind, is the comprehensive attention the authors accord nonfiction prose, including, for example, essays, philosophy, literary criticism, politics, and historiography. Encyclopedic in scope yet concise and eminently readable, the revised edition of A New History of Spanish Literature bids fair to be the standard reference well into the next century.

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Containing roughly 850 entries about Spanish-language literature throughout the world, this expansive work provides coverage of the varied countries, ethnicities, time periods, literary movements, and genres of these writings. Providing a thorough introduction to Spanish-language literature worldwide and across time is a tall order. However, World Literature in Spanish: An Encyclopedia contains roughly 850 entries on both major and minor authors, themes, genres, and topics of Spanish literature from the Middle Ages to the present day, affording an amazingly comprehensive reference collection in a single work. This encyclopedia describes the growing diversity within national borders, the increasing interdependence among nations, and the myriad impacts of Spanish literature across the globe. All countries that produce literature in Spanish in Europe, Africa, the Americas, and Asia are represented, covering both canonical authors and emerging contemporary writers and trends. Underrepresented writings—such as texts by women writers, queer and Afro-Hispanic texts, children's literature, and works on relevant but less studied topics such as sports and nationalism—also appear. While writings throughout the centuries are covered, those of the 20th and 21st centuries receive special consideration.

Although there are several annotated bibliographies of contemporary Spanish novelists, this book covers critical works published on the post civil war Spanish novel as a literary form. The volume cites books and articles, and each citation is accompanied by a descriptive and evaluative annotation. The work contains a section of entries on books and another on articles. Entries within each section are arranged alphabetically. Included are entries primarily for studies published in English or Spanish, though some in Catalan, French, Galician, and Italian are also cited. In the last decades, there has been an explosion of critical works on the post civil war Spanish novel. This proliferation of material causes serious problems for scholars conducting research on the subject. While there are bibliographies of particular novelists, this book deals with general studies of trends, topics, and comparative approaches. The volume primarily cites works published in English or Spanish, but it also includes some in Catalan, French, Galician, and Italian. The volume is divided into two sections—books and articles. Within each section, entries are arranged alphabetically. Each citation is accompanied by a descriptive and evaluative annotation. The annotations provide information about the topic, content, and methodology of the works cited and express an opinion of the works' value. The length of the annotations varies according to the importance of the topic. Author and title indexes add to the utility of the work.

The book constitutes the first attempt to provide an overview of the reception of foreign drama in Spain during the Franco dictatorship. John London analyses performance, stage design, translation, censorship, and critical reviews in relation to the works of many authors, including Noel Coward, Arthur Miller, Eugene Ionesco, and Samuel Beckett. He compares the original reception of these dramatists with the treatment they were given in Spain. However, his study is also a reassessment of the Spanish drama of the period. Dr London argues that only by tracing the reception of non-Spanish drama can we understand the praise lavished on playwrights such as Antonio Buero Vallejo and Alfonso Sastre, alongside the simultaneous rejection of Spanish avant-garde styles. A concluding reinterpretation of the early plays of Fernando Arrabal indicates the richness of an alternative route largely ignored in histories of Spanish theatre.