Los Ecos de las Montañas de José Zorilla y sus Fuentes de Inspiración: De Tennyson a Doré . [ The Ecos of the Mountains of José Zorilla and His Sources of Inspiration: From Tennyson to Doré .] (review)

Abstract

Reviewed by: Los Ecos de las Montañas de José Zorilla y sus Fuentes de Inspiración: De Tennyson a Doré. [The Ecos of the Mountains of José Zorilla and His Sources of Inspiration: From Tennyson to Doré.] Barbara D. Miller Juan Miguel Zarandona , Los Ecos de las Montañas de José Zorilla y sus Fuentes de Inspiración: De Tennyson a Doré. [The Ecos of the Mountains of José Zorilla and His Sources of Inspiration: From Tennyson to Doré.]Universidad de Valladolid Literature Series 63. Universidad de Valladolid, 2004. Pp. 232. ISBN: 84–8448–298–7. $18.15. As the anonymous prologuist of Juan Miguel Zarandona's second book notes, not only does it 'open a window to the less canonical [works of] José de Zorrilla,' but it also incorporates a range of fields including comparative literature (in the traditional [End Page 141] sense), translation, intercultural studies, interdisciplinary connections, literary bibliography and archetypal and mythic theories. The book is in Spanish, except for quotations in the original from Tennyson and translated passages from Zorrilla, as well as citations from some scholars and critics writing in English. As indicated by its title, the book's contents juxtapose intriguingly related works, not only of the Spanish and the English Victorian-Age poets laureate, but also those of their contemporary, French illustrator Gustave Doré. While Doré's work will be familiar to most Arthurians (not to mention Cervantes scholars), Zorrilla's best-known piece is the 1844 religious Romantic drama, 'Don Juan Tenorio,' a version of the legend deriving heavily from the more austere Tirso de Molina play (1630), and which differs from it primarily in its redemptive resolution. Thus a reader may note a priori irony in a Tennysonian-Arthurian work by Zorrilla, since a traditional chivalric stance must thematically oppose the D. Juan mythos. One of Zarandona's laudable cachés is brought to bear through his intense fascination with detail, including bibliographic items which create compelling biography. An example is the poet Zorrilla's self-deprecating comment that the Ecos in his judgment is 'el libro peor que en verso se ha publicado en España' ('The worst book of verse that has been published in Spain') (170). The superlative, however, is followed by explanations about this opinion, some of these as obvious as complaints on time-constraints and careless writing, and as Spanish as the inevitability of distraction from regional and local festivals. For as Zarandona points out, during the poem's production Zorrilla, as longstanding guest of his Catalonian patrons, could hardly have risked being unavailable to entertain others of their guests. This bit of data is typical of the book, in this case showing a culturally embedded factor that would not be assumed by the average twenty-first-century reader. A further example of Zarandona's verbal portraiture, his observation that Tennyson was tortured by the combination of an exceptionally 'thin skin,' and a genius-level perfectionism, does more than bring the poet into a realistic light. This tendency, broadly speaking, feeds into Zarandona's fierce admiration for all three artists, while showing that he does not allow his personal response to eclipse a well-rounded representation. Moreover, Zarandona's honesty shows clearly through his courageously enthusiastic praise of artists whom it is now politically fashionable to denigrate. The sections of bilingual, comparative translations (Spanish-English) from the Idylls and from the Ecos, tend toward the lengthy. In fact a non-specialist in nineteenth-century British literature could learn more about Tennyson here (presupposing the ability to read Castilian) than in any other way short of an extended reading of the Idylls in the historical and critical context provided by specialists. Moreover, with his translator's bent, Zarandona uncovers many nuances by comparing different (and even unknown) iterations of the poems. The translations themselves are of high quality, both in terms of close verbal correspondence to the originals and also of subtle understanding and poetics. The only downside for a reader about this aspect is the extraordinary length and detail, which can begin to seem overwhelming. Yet the insights afforded in this way can also add considerable interest. [End Page 142] If the book has any...