Wang Xiaobo, un ensayista revolucionario (traducción y estudio de sus ensayos más representativos)

Abstract

The goal of this doctoral thesis is to highlight the importance and relevance of Chinese writer Wang Xiaobo (1952-1997), as well as to properly situate him within the context of contemporary Chinese literature. As a cult writer and true outsider in literary circles, Wang Xiaobo demonstrated a very peculiar style which gained him popularity in the nineties, even more so after his sudden death. Special emphasis is put on his essays, since they are considered essential in understanding this author. In order to delve into Wang Xiaobo’s personal and artistic development various considerations about sociocultural context, literary background and his work in general have been included. In the absence of professional translations of this author’s works in Spanish, a rendition of his most representative essays has thus been produced, following which a number of philological studies were made on formal and stylistic aspects contained within the selected texts, gaining a better understanding of the reasons why his literary production was so well received by readers. This work concludes with the confirmation that Wang Xiaobo’s distinctive craft results from a series of decisive life circumstances as well as from themes which remain fully relevant today in China (i.e. the drama of the Cultural Revolution and the role of the individual within society), knitted together into brilliant prose while making use of irreverent humor.