A bestseller in its time with four published editions, Blanca Sol
(1889) was a highly controversial novel when it first appeared.
Thought by many to be a roman a clef about a well-known woman of
Lima's high society, Mercedes Cabello de Carbonera (1842-1909)
distanced herself from this criticism by making substantial changes
for the second edition and by including a prologue stating her
intentions of writing a realist novel, a social novel, inspired in
reality, but not a copy. With a well earned reputation as an
outspoken feminist writer and contributor to cultural journals in
Peru and abroad with essays such as -La influencia de la mujer en
la civilizacion- and -Necesidad de una industria para la mujer-,
Mercedes Cabello explores in Blanca Sol the consequences of social
climbing, adulation, vanity, and excessive narcissistic
infatuation, while also criticizing loveless marriage. The
eponymous protagonist wryly declares in this regard, -marriage
without love was nothing but prostitution accepted by society-. The
novel tells the story of Blanca Sol's move to social heights, and
then her descent into prostitution. Blanca marries a wealthy
simpleton to save her family from their lost fortune and maintain
her social position. While she lives the life of a socialite, her
husband goes into bankruptcy as a result of Blanca's lifestyle.
Faced with penury, six children to support, and a husband confined
in an insane asylum due to the combined effect of financial
insolvency and marital failure, Blanca Sol follows what she thinks
is the only road to maintain her past lifestyle: prostitution.
Defiant up to the very end, she seeks to take revenge despising
society -and scoffing at virtue and morality-. Blanca Sol presents
many of the themes Mercedes Cabello writes in her essays: pretense,
excessive materialism, marriage for convenience, and women's
education. The novel combines melodrama and realistic techniques to
portrait the vices of Blanca Sol and examine a society that, in the
eyes of the author, values gold above all. As Mazquiaran de
Rodriguez points out, many critics consider Blanca Sol to be -the
first naturalistic attempt at a novel to appear in Peru-. Mercedes
Cabello de Carbonera is also the author of the novels Sacrificio y
recompensa (1886); Los amores de Hortensia (Una historia
contemporanea) (1887); Eleodora (1887); Las consecuencias (1889);
El conspirador (1892). Additionally, she published the following
essays in book form: La novela moderna. Estudio filosofico (1892);
La Religion de la Humanidad. Carta al senor D. Juan Enrique
Lagarrigue (1893); El conde Leon Tolstoy (1894). This new critical
edition of Mercedes Cabello's novel -fully annotated, conveniently
priced, and easily available in the U.S.- is suited for courses on
19th century Latin American literature, women studies that focus on
Latin America, Latin American Studies, and literature and cultural
surveys on Latin America.
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
