| Pío Baroja |
Article Index for Pío |
Information AboutPío Baroja |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT PíO BAROJA | |
| 1872 births | |
| baroja, pio | |
| 1956 deaths | |
| basque writers | |
| spanish novelists | |
| SHOPPER'S DELIGHT | |
|
His first novel was ''La Casa de Aizgorri'' (''The House of Aizgorri'', 1900), which is part of a trilogy called ''La Tierra Vasca'' (''The Basque Country '', 1900–1909). This trilogy also includes ''El Mayorazgo de Labraz'' (''The Lord of Labraz'', 1903) which became one of his most popular novels in Spain. However, he is best known internationally by another trilogy entitled ''La Lucha por La Vida'' (''The Struggle for Life'', 1922–1924) which offers a vivid depiction of life in Madrid's slums. John Dos Passos greatly admired these works and wrote about them. Another major work, ''Memorias de un Hombre de Acción'' (''Memories of a Man of Action'', 1913–1931), offer a depiction of one of his ancestors who lived in the Basque region during the Carlist uprising in the 19th Century . However, some believe his masterpiece to be ''El arbol de la ciencia'' (1911) (Translated as ''Tree of Knowledge''), a pessimistic Bildungsroman that depicts the futility of the pursuit of knowledge and of life in general. The title is ironically symbolic: The more the chief protagonist Andres Hurtado learns about and experiences life, the more pessimistic he feels and the more futile his life seems. In keeping with Spanish literary tradition, Baroja often wrote in a pessimistic, picaresque style. His deft portrayal of the characters and settings brought the Basque region to life much as Benito Pérez Galdós ' works offered an insight into Madrid. Baroja's works were often lively, but could be lacking in plot, and are written in an abrupt, vivid, yet impersonal style. Ernest Hemingway was greatly influenced by Baroja, although this is not fully appreciated by English-speaking critics. WORKS AVAILABLE IN ENGLISH
EXTERNAL LINKS |