Review of the book «Acropolis» by Rosa Chacel.
The novel Acrópolis, by Rosa Chacel, is the second part of an autobiographical trilogy that began with Barrio de Maravillas and will be completed with Ciencias Naturales. In this work, the author tells us about the lives of two young women from Madrid, Elena and Leticia, who go through the difficult stage of adolescence and youth in a turbulent historical and social context, which spans from the Spanish flu of 1918 to the proclamation of the Second Republic in 1931.
The novel has an experimental and avant-garde character, which is reflected in the use of various narrative techniques, such as interior monologue, stream of consciousness, collage and montage. The author seeks to create an “auditory novel”, in which the reader can hear the voices of the characters and their most intimate thoughts, as well as the echoes of the external reality that surrounds them. The title of the novel alludes to the Colina de los Chopos, an emblematic place of cultural Madrid in the 1920s, where the Residencia de Estudiantes was located and where the intellectuals of the Generation of ’27, to which Rosa Chacel belongs, met.
The novel is a complex and profound work that explores the themes of love, friendship, identity, freedom, art and politics from a feminine and critical perspective. The author offers us a lucid and sincere portrait of an era and a generation marked by illusions and frustrations, by hopes and disappointments. Acropolis is a novel that deserves to be read and claimed as one of the masterpieces of 20th century Spanish literature.
What makes Acropolis an exceptional novel is the richness of its prose and the depth of its exploration of the themes of love and identity. Chacel displays great skill in creating complex and realistic characters, and in exploring their deepest emotions and thoughts.
The novel is also a reflection of Chacel’s own life, who spent much of his youth in Athens and was a leading figure in the intellectual circles of the time. Through Andrea’s story, Chacel offers an intimate and personal look at his own experience of life and love.
In short, Acropolis is a masterpiece of Spanish literature, combining exquisite prose with a deep and emotional exploration of the themes of love and identity. The novel is a showcase of Rosa Chacel’s ability to create exciting and moving stories, which remain relevant and powerful today.
Source: https://algunoslibrosbuenos.com/acropolis
