Miguel Delibes: homenaje académico y literario (review)

Abstract

Reviewed by: Miguel Delibes: homenaje académico y literario Jorge J. Muñoz Ogáyar Celma, María Pilar, ed. Miguel Delibes: homenaje académico y literario. Valladolid: Universidad de Valladolid, 2003. 214 pp. Miguel Delibes: homenaje académico y literario presents the reader with a dual approach to the persona of one of Spain’s most important novelists, Miguel Delibes. The first approach is biographical; the second is literary. The book itself is divided into these clearly differentiated, though at the same time complementary, parts. According to María Pilar Celma, the main reason for this book to exist is to show the perfect symbiosis between Delibes’ ethics and aesthetics. This symbiosis is not forced or in any way artificial, but it happens naturally in his novels. And it is within this context that Celma articulates this homage to the author. The first part is made up of four articles. These go from the purely biographical (Ramón García Domínguez’s “Miguel Delibes: vida y obra al unísono”) to a short chronology (“Cronología de Miguel Delibes”). There is also mention of Delibes’ legacy and his global importance. The second part encompasses eleven articles, each corresponding to a different novel by Delibes. They are arranged in chronological order (from La sombra del ciprés es alargada in 1948 until El hereje in 1998). This second half of the book is meant to present an informed reading of his novels as well as to serve as a valid source of information for anyone interested in Delibes’ work. This Homenaje is very informative. It goes straight to the point of what it wants to achieve, and does so in an erudite way. If an issue has to be mentioned, I find the second part of this work to be slightly arbitrary. The selection [End Page 91] of the novels included is flawless, but the selection of topics discussed from each one is a bit problematic. I mean this in the sense that, obviously due to the brevity of this study, many important themes at the core of Delibes’ narrative are left untouched, and the ones mentioned in this book follow no apparent coherent structure. However, this should not deter anyone from enjoying this book. Celma’s work is informative and well documented, maintaining the reader’s attention throughout. Also, it is clearly a labor of love: María Pilar Celma, by undertaking such a complex task as getting this book done, has proven herself to be equal to Miguel Delibes in that both her ethics and aesthetics melt together right through every page of this book. Jorge J. Muñoz Ogáyar Auburn University Copyright © 2011 Department of Romance Languages, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill