The so-called " Silver Age " of Spain ran from 1898 to the rise of Franco in 1939 and was characterized by intense urbanization, widespread class struggle and mobility, and a boom in mass culture. This book offers a close look at one... more
The so-called " Silver Age " of Spain ran from 1898 to the rise of Franco in 1939 and was characterized by intense urbanization, widespread class struggle and mobility, and a boom in mass culture. This book offers a close look at one manifestation of that mass culture: weekly collections of short, often pocket-sized books sold in urban kiosks at low prices. These series published a wide range of literature in a variety of genres and formats, but their role as disseminators of erotic and anarchist fiction led them to be censored by the Franco dictatorship. This book offers the most detailed scholarly analysis of kiosk literature to date, examining the kiosk phenomenon through the lens of contemporary interdisciplinary theories of urban space, visuality, celebrity, gender and sexuality, and the digital humanities.
Revista de Escritoras Ibéricas (2019), vol. 7, pp. 261-289. RESUMEN: Las cuatro novelas policiacas que Mercedes Ballesteros publicó con el pseudónimo de Rocq Morris en los primeros años del franquismo, en la colección de quiosco “La... more
Revista de Escritoras Ibéricas (2019), vol. 7, pp. 261-289.
RESUMEN: Las cuatro novelas policiacas que Mercedes Ballesteros publicó con
el pseudónimo de Rocq Morris en los primeros años del franquismo, en la colección
de quiosco “La Novela Ideal”, incluyen muchos de los estereotipos usados en
la narrativa criminal española de este periodo. En todas ellas, detectives aficionados,
que viven entre ricos, tratan de descubrir al asesino enfrentándose al rechazo
policial e incluso a la violencia física. De esta manera, la escritora ofrece historias
destinadas al ocio de los lectores donde los detectives siempre triunfan.
ABSTRACT: The four crime novels published by Mercedes Ballesteros under
the pen name of Rocq Morris in the first years of the Francoist dictatorship, in the
kiosk series “La Novela Ideal” include many of the stereotypes deployed by the
Spanish criminal narrative during this same period. In all of them, amateur detectives,
who live among wealthy people, attempt to discover the murderer despite
facing police rejection and even physical violence. In this way, Ballesteros offers
popular narratives intended for the leisure of the readers in which detectives always
succeed.
Actio Nova: Revista de Teoría de la Literatura y Literatura Comparada (2019), n.º 3, pp. 95-122 ABSTRACT This article analyses two kiosk novels published by the Spanish writer Josefina de la Torre during the decade of 1940: Villa... more
Actio Nova: Revista de Teoría de la Literatura y Literatura Comparada (2019), n.º 3, pp. 95-122
ABSTRACT
This article analyses two kiosk novels published by the Spanish writer Josefina de la Torre during the decade of 1940: Villa del Mar (1941) and El caserón del órgano (1944). It studies how she reproduces in them some of the most common features of the crime and horror subgenres, such as the detective as an adventure hero, the (false) haunted house and the incredibly evil murderer, to offer works intended for the leisure of the readers.
RESUMEN
Este artículo analiza dos novelas de quiosco publicadas en la década de 1940 por la escritora española Josefina de la Torre: Villa del Mar (1941) y El caserón del órgano (1944). Se estudia cómo reproduce en ellas varios de los rasgos más frecuentes en los subgéneros policiaco y de terror, sobre todo el detective como un héroe de aventuras, la (falsa) casa encantada y el asesino increíblemente malvado, para ofrecer unas obras destinadas al ocio de los lectores.
The so-called " Silver Age " of Spain ran from 1898 to the rise of Franco in 1939 and was characterized by intense urbanization, widespread class struggle and mobility, and a boom in mass culture. This book offers a close look... more
The so-called " Silver Age " of Spain ran from 1898 to the rise of Franco in 1939 and was characterized by intense urbanization, widespread class struggle and mobility, and a boom in mass culture. This book offers a close look at one manifestation of that mass culture: weekly collections of short, often pocket-sized books sold in urban kiosks at low prices. These series published a wide range of literature in a variety of genres and formats, but their role as disseminators of erotic and anarchist fiction led them to be censored by the Franco dictatorship. This book offers the most detailed scholarly analysis of kiosk literature to date, examining the kiosk phenomenon through the lens of contemporary interdisciplinary theories of urban space, visuality, celebrity, gender and sexuality, and the digital humanities.
