Regenta exhibits the same fascinating combination of exceptional humor, seriousness, and moral integrity as the other masterpiece of Spanish literature, Don Quixote.
Clarín’s Regenta is the most important Spanish novel of the 19th century and is placed alongside Flaubert’s Madame Bovary in the library of masterpieces of world literature.
INSTITUTO CERVANTES TRANSLATION AWARD 2004
Volume I
In the gloomy and suffocating setting of a provincial town in 19th-century Spain, La Regenta seeks happiness through religion, marriage, and ultimately adultery. The search will prove futile, barren, and destructive.
A master of realism, Clarín composes a vivid and satirical portrait of the society of his time, while incisively exploring the inner lives of his characters.
