Published in 1647, these ten tales are among the earliest
narratives in Western literature to focus on women's experiences
and points of view in love relationships.
The Disenchantments of Love, published in Spain in 1647 by Maria
de Zayas, is a stunning collection of stories about women's amorous
experiences in a patriarchal and imperialistic society during the
turbulent seventeenth century. Now available for the first time in
English translation, the ten exemplary novellas are set within an
encompassing frame story that continues from the first collection,
The Enchantments of Love: Amorous and Exemplary Novels, published
in 1637. Both collections of love stories were immediately popular
because of the novelty of their plots and the gender of their
author.
What is new in the disenchantments is the deliberately feminist
purpose stated in the rules for telling stories: only women are to
narrate "true cases intended to disenchant women about men's
deceptions", pointedly denying men the opportunity to dominate the
storytelling. In the frame, however, the subtly ironic commentaries
on the stories highlight the differences between masculine and
feminine points of view. The conclusion of the frame reiterates the
exemplary message that women are safe from men's physical and
psychological abuse only in the sisterhood of the convent.
These ten sensational and bizarre tales focus on the ways lovers
deceive women in order to "get their way", through magic, cross
dressing as women, and rape -- to the torture and murder of
innocent women at the hands of their protectors -- their fathers,
brothers, and husbands. The graphic depictions of women's mutilated
bodies are unprecedented in Westernliterature, as is the meticulous
description of domestic violence that has traditionally remained
private and hidden. A fascinating dimension of these fast-paced
narratives is what they suggest through omission, silence, and
ambiguous detail: the untold story that fires the reader's
imagination.
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!
Welcome to Loot.co.za!
Sign in / Register |Wishlists & Gift Vouchers |Help | Advanced search
