Ramón Menéndez Pidal by Steven Hess (review)

Book Reviews273 to redeem this very life through political and class struggle, making a definitive choice." (p. 72) Instead of a film-by-film-approach (which often mitigates against making important connections) or the "major themes and symbols" approach (which often mitigates against making important distinctions), in Chapter Seven and Eight ("Teorema" and "The Theater of the Word") Pia Friedrich outlines broad concerns and then amplifies or conditions her generalizations by focusing on particular elements and their interaction. The final Chapter Nine, "Dismal Enthusiasm," (Tetro entusiasmo) constitutes an analysis of the last poetic composition of Pasolini. The critical sophistication of this monograph goes beyond most good biographical or earlier studies of Pasolini's works and for this reason the few typographical errors (La for Le p. 7 line 13; and foraad p. 20 line 21; footnote number 8 not printed p. 47 line 8; that for tht p. 102 line 37; and Filmcritica for Film critica p. 125 line 8) should be corrected before a second edition goes to press. Pia Friedrich provides the reader with an advanced critical monograph: she provides organization and depth of interpretation; she proves herself an accomplished and skillful translator; she demonstrates how effects are achieved and explores Pasolini's thematic concerns with precision. Pier Paolo Pasolini is an excellent book — as valuable for the fascinating questions it raises as for the job it does. PHILIP J. SPARTANO The University of Utah Steven Hess. Ramón Menéndez Pidal. Twayne's World Author Series 651. Boston, 1982. 145 p. This volume surveys the life and work of Ramón Menéndez Pidal (1869-1968), Spain's leading humanist of this century. The opening chapter is a biography (1-22). Far from definitive, it neverthelesschronicles publications, lectures, trips, academic appointments and honors; especially interesting are those sections devoted to the impact of the Spanish Civil War and its aftermath. In the remaining chapters Hess scrutinizes RMP's massive output. Chapter 2 (23-47) describes his techniques of reconstructing epics, lyrics, and ballads only fragmentarily preserved in the written tradition of the Spanish Middle Ages. Hess next turns to RMP's contributions to Romance linguistics (48-65). RMP limited his linguistic activities to Hispano-Romance. I miss in the discussion of substrata reference to the important pieces on the so-called "sufijos átonos" (1905, 1953), studies which led to a monograph by Jerry R. Craddock (1969) and a major article by Yakov Malkiel (1972). No mention is made of RMP's etymological writings. These omissions result from Hess' decision to concentrate on RMP's books and to discuss only articles reprinted in the Colección Austral. Chapter 4 (66-85) analyzes RMP's treatmentof medieval Spanish historiography and of Spanish history. Hess observes that to no small extent a strong nationalism and a feeling for the political andcultural hegemony of Castile colors much ofRMP's historical writings and his pronouncements (channeled through the press) on twentieth-century Spain's political vicissitudes. He surmises that the views expressed in the essay Los españoles en la historia (1947) played a major role in the softening of the Franco regime's attitude toward RMP, whom the Nationalists had 274ROCKY MOUNTAIN REVIEW perceived as a Republican sympathizer. The chapter closes with an assessment of his last book, El Padre Las Casas: Su doble personalidad (1963) , a personal and highly polemical attempt to discredit Fray Bartolomé, whose Brevísima relación de la destrucción de las Indias was allegedly responsible for the rise of the leyenda negra which pictured Spain as an inhumane colonial power. Chapter 5 (86-101) reviews RMP's varied contributions to literary criticism. Chapter 6 ( 102-115) introduces some of RMP's best-known students andsummarizes French and British criticism of his theories on the origins of Spanish lyric and epic poetry. A brief concluding segment (116-119), Notes, and a Bibliography of primary and secondary sources, as well as of Festschriften in honor of RMP round out this book. (Add to the list of homage volumes Revista de la Universidad de Madrid, 18 (1969), and 19 (1970) — Homenaje a Menéndez Pidal.) Hess has written a useful introduction for the non-specialist. He successfully emphasizes...