Misericordia

Por Benito Pérez Galdós

Las dotes de gran observador de Galdós se conjugan en Misericordia con su vigorosa capacidad para crear una ficción donde todo lo planteado va creciendo a partir de los personajes y de las acciones mismas. Misericordia nos traslada a la vida y los escenarios de los estratos más bajos del Madrid de entonces, en contraste con esa clase social acomodada pero venida a menos tan característica de la época.
Benina, vieja criada de doña Paca, mantiene a su arruinada señora gracias a lo que le ha ido sisando durante los años, pero también pidiendo limosna por las calles, haciendo creer a su señora que el dinero es fruto de su trabajo como cocinera en casa de un inventado sacerdote, don Romualdo. Asimismo, Benina sustenta a Obdulia, la neurótica hija de doña Paca, también empobrecida y con un marido alcohólico, y a un ex burgués y elegante pariente de ella que se ha arruinado totalmente, don Frasquito.

• Idioma: Español
• Editorial: Linkgua ediciones
• Fecha de lanzamiento: 9 jul 2014
• ISBN: 9788499533452

Benito Pérez Galdós

Benito Pérez Galdós (1843-1920) was a Spanish novelist. Born in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, he was the youngest of ten sons born to Lieutenant Colonel Don Sebastián Pérez and Doña Dolores Galdós. Educated at San Agustin school, he travelled to Madrid to study Law but failed to complete his studies. In 1865, Pérez Galdós began publishing articles on politics and the arts in La Nación. His literary career began in earnest with his 1868 Spanish translation of Charles Dickens’ Pickwick Papers. Inspired by the leading realist writers of his time, especially Balzac, Pérez Galdós published his first novel, La Fontana de Oro (1870). Over the next several decades, he would write dozens of literary works, totaling 31 fictional novels, 46 historical novels known as the National Episodes, 23 plays, and 20 volumes of shorter fiction and journalism. Nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature five times without winning, Pérez Galdós is considered the preeminent author of nineteenth century Spain and the nation’s second greatest novelist after Miguel de Cervantes. Doña Perfecta (1876), one of his finest works, has been adapted for film and television several times.

Comentarios para Misericordia

[beabatllori · Calificación: 5 de 5 estrellas]

For those of you who don't know it, Benito Pérez Galdós was possibly the most important novelist of the Realism in Spain - he's our very own Gustave Flaubert. You probably don't know this, because he very nearly received the Nobel prize, but ultimately didn't. Something to do with politics.

At any rate, some of his best novels draw a very interesting outline of the lives of the middle and lower classes in 19th century Madrid. This is one of them.

The story revolves around Benina, the old servant of an Andalusian lady who now lives on the verge of poverty. Benina loves her dearly, and uses every resource she has to make sure that she gets something to eat at the end of the day. To this purpose she walks up and down the poorest neighborhoods in Madrid, where her path crosses with a great variety of characters - many of which she ends up helping as well, with what little she has to offer.

Mind you, Benina's not a classical heroine. She doesn't practice charity in the name of religion, or pities herself for her misfortunes. She's a brave woman with a great sense of humor, and she does what she does because she's strong and street-smart, and somebody's got to take care of these poor bastards right?

Galdós was famous for having a special sensitivity for popular language, which was his strongest descriptive tool. This is specially true in this particular case. Benina talks in a very characteristic way - fast and amusing and so very local. It makes this book taste of Madrid, which I guess is the whole point of a Realist novel. 5/5.