Manual de estilo Chicago-Deusto ed. by Javier Torres Ripa (review)

In the preface of the original 1906 edition of the Chicago Manual of Style, we read that its objective was to become “the embodiment of traditions, the crystallization of usages, the blended product of the reflections of many minds” (v). Certainly, after fifteen new editions and more than one hundred years of insight, this iconic style manual has seen its share of changes due to the very traditions, usages, and collaborative thought referenced above. In 2013, the University of Chicago Press combined its efforts with La Universidad de Deusto to produce the first edition of its style manual in Spanish under the title Manual de estilo Chicago-Deusto. This welcome publication—the next in a growing collection of new materials for professional writing in Spanish—recognizes the centrality of the Spanish language in scholarly publication in the United States and throughout the world.

A writer searching for entirely new guidelines in the Manual de estilo Chicago-Deusto will not find them. Most sections of the work are translations of the sixteenth edition of the Chicago Manual of Style in English. In its opening pages, we read: “[L]a sistemática es igual que la original y se mantiene la organización interna, pero los contenidos se han acomodado a la práctica del sector editorial de la cultura de los países de lengua española” (xiii). Many of the adaptations and reasons for deviating (or not) from the content of the English version are outlined in a very detailed and informative preface (xiii–xvi), which is followed by an acknowledgments section (xvii–xix) that reveals the depth of collaboration that went into this impressive 956-page publication. Similar to the English version, the Manual de estilo Chicago-Deusto is organized into three clearly divided sections (“El proceso de edición” [3–193], “Estilo y uso lingüístico” [195–620], and “Documentación” [621–769]). There is also an intriguing discussion of indexes (771–822) and three appendices: one on technology and digital publishing (823–55), a second that provides a useful glossary of terms related to the materials in the manual (857–73), and another that offers an extensive list of Latin phrases (875–96). Moreover, the bibliography (897–921) is much more than a mere list of works cited. Divided into topics, it becomes a valuable resource for further investigation into the subjects addressed in the manual. Finally, the index is well organized to provide easy access to specific areas of interest. Javier Torres Ripa (editor), together with an impressive team of translators, professors, and professional editors, has done tremendous work on this edition, creating a practical resource for both students and professionals writing in Spanish.

A careful study of the Manual de estilo Chicago-Deusto will reveal its attention to critical style differences between Spanish and English. However, as the editor recognizes: “En ocasiones, se mantienen también criterios anglosajones, entendiendo que el inglés es la principal lengua de referencia en el mundo científico y, por tanto, conviene tener en cuenta determinados aspectos que le son peculiares” (xiii). Although readers may occasionally sense the tension between typical style norms for Spanish and English, I feel that the overall balance between these sometimes competing objectives is exceptional. From a cultural perspective, the very exposition of the struggle between Spanish and English style standards is significant in its recognition of the import of establishing such norms and the deeper issues of identity that they expose. I commend the editor’s active engagement with these details and willingness to compare and contrast stylistic differences, thus revealing, even if inadvertently, diverse ways of articulating worldviews through language.

On the opening page of the section titled “El uso lingüístico,” the manual correctly notes that “[e]n el caso de la lengua española, y a diferencia del inglés, existen instituciones encargadas de establecer la norma en cuestiones de ortografía y gramática” (239). Generally, the Manual de...