Critical Essays on the Life and Work of Ruiz de Alarcón (review)

PARR, JAMES A. (editor). Critical Essays on the Life and Work of Ruiz de Alarcón. Madrid: Editorial Dos Continentes , 1972. Paper. 320 pp. $5.00. The work under review is a compilation of the fourteen studies which had appeared earlier in seven periodicals and one homenaje over a period of some thirty-six years (1928-1964). The one thing that they share is a treatment of some aspect of the life or work of Alarcón. The editor has arranged them in three groups: the man himself (four), his theater in general (five), and individual plays (five). He begins with a brief summary of the articles chosen and the reason for the choice and ends with a select bibliography and notes on the contributors. The notes to the articles, regardless of their position in the original printing, are all, rather inconveniently, placed together after the last selection. Lack of space permits only mention of the essays. Uneven in length, they are also uneven in quality and importance . The most significant, in my opinion, is the first one, Alatorre's careful demolition of the claim of Alarcón's mexicanidad, and the most useless, appropriately in last place, a study of the "genesis" of Las paredes oyen. The others range from those that contribute solidly to our knowledge or appreciation of Alcarón's work (Ashcom's "verbal and conceptual parallels" in his plays and Silverman's and Casalduero's analyses of his graciosos) to the more subjective (the respective explications of the character of Don Garcia by Riley and Soons). Fascinating is Professor Kennedy's array of possible allusions to Alarcón as lover, even though we are still missing that vital link, positive identification. Helpful are Hamilton's study of the spoken letter in Alarcón and Mrs. Espantoso-Foley's revelation of Alarcón's use of astrology for dramatic effect; interesting is Green's tracing of the concept of "sotto deforme aspetto, animo vile", but Miss Pollin does not, I think, win her case for Alarc ón's concern with religion. The "elementos autobiográficos e ideológicos" of Vázquez-Anona promises more than it delivers: unorganized, digressive, and confused as to what is Alarcón and what were stock allusions of the day. The articles seem to have been faithfully transcribed, and misprints are few and unimportant. No two editors are likely to agree absolutely on the choice of studies to be included in such a volume, but there is no good reason to quarrel with the selection here. It seems unfortunate, though, that Dorothy Schons, whose contribution to Alarconian documentation was significant , should be represented only by Anibal's remarks on her study. Granted that the study itself was not suitable for the purpose, her article on Alarcón's reputation (rather, lack of it) in Mexico is revealing. With the possible exception of those of Alatorre and Riley, the articles are available in any university library worthy of the name and, it is regrettable to say, usually in a format more pleasing to the eye than what appears to be the reproduction of a typescript. Nevertheless , for those to whom these studies are not accessible or who would like to have them all together and conveniently at hand, this is a useful and compact collection. Indiana Univ. WALTER POESSE¿*i%9t 39 ...