The enchantments of love : amorous and exemplary novels
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Bibliographic Information
The enchantments of love : amorous and exemplary novels
University of California Press, c1990
- Other Title
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Novelas amorosas y ejemplares
- Uniform Title
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Novelas amorosas y ejemplares
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Note
Translation of: Novelas amorosas y ejemplares
Includes bibliographical references
Description and Table of Contents
Description
An instant best-seller in Spain in 1637, "The Enchantments of Love" is a collection of shrewd and timeless tales in the tradition of Bocaccio's "Decameron" and Chaucer's "Canterbury Tales". Although some of the tales have appeared in English through the centuries, this delightful translation by H. Patsy Boyer is the first complete text. The structure of the book is provided by a series of lavish soirees at which five men and five women entertain with stories their ailing hostess, the lovely Lysis. Each of the ten tales explores some aspect of 'enchantment', or love, between a handsome gallant and a lovely lady. The sharp contrast between the women's and men's stories transmits a subtle, often ironic feminism. Their originality, frankness, and powerful style make them as readable today as they were 350 years ago. The women storytellers emphasize the perspective of female protagonists, all of whom are deceived or abused by their husbands or by suitors. Each is finally driven to perform some act of heroism before finding satisfaction in marriage, or a haven in the convent.
The men's stories all point to moral flaws in the characters' behavior: egotism, avarice, shortsightedness, lust, and unfaithfulness. Maria de Zayas portrays every theme from eroticism and brutal rape to the most exalted love. Her success with this book and its sequel, "The Disenchantments of Love" (1647), is well documented, although the details of her life are sadly lacking. Her bold treatment of the relationships between men and women challenged the literary conventions of her day, and her defense of women has earned her a reputation as a pioneering feminist.
by "Nielsen BookData"
