A book a day: Emilia Pardo Bazán: Sunstroke

Emilia Pardo Bazán, always a protestor, denounced in these pages the hypocritical society of her time, which favoured men and practised a double sexual morality. The writer even criticised those progressive men who only supported the feminist cause in words.

The critical aspect of this work is perhaps its best aspect. It is well presented, as it is not pamphleteering; furthermore, it has been integrated into the story through the plot and the reflections of the protagonist and her friend Pardo. However, a successful intentionality does not save the whole. And, by the way, I would have liked Bazán to approach it without so many detours.

In the end, many scenes could have been condensed. Or, if we are to respect their original length, they could have focused on giving a better characterization of the characters. Bazán’s prose is also not free from a reprimand: it is too thick, especially by contemporary standards. It is true that he displays an exceptional command of language, it is true that it is sprinkled with substantial reflections and beautiful metaphors, it is true that the polyphony he manages to capture is a joy (he respects dialects or various class registers), but it is undeniable that this nineteenth-century finish seems somewhat outdated today. I insist: a successful intentionality does not save the whole.