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Publication
Barcelona: Proa, 1983 (4a reimpr. de la 2a ed. 1989), 354 p., 20,5 cm (A Tot Vent; 201)
Description
"Private Life holds up a mirror to the moral corruption in the interstices of the Barcelona high society Sagarra was born into. Boudoirs of demimonde tramps, card games dilapidating the fortunes of milquetoast aristocrats - and how they scheme to conceal them - fading manors of selfish scions, and back rooms provided by social-climbing seamstresses are portrayed in vivid, sordid, and literary detail. The novel, practically a roman-�-clef for its contemporaries, was a scandal in 1932. The 1960's edition was bowdlerized by Franco's censors. Part Lampedusa, part Genet, this translation will bring an essential piece of 20th-century European literature to the English-speaking public"--
Media reviews
'As intriguing as the lives of these characters and their connections to each other are, though, what really makes Private Life a compelling read are Sagarra’s vivid details of this crumbling society and his keen observations about it. Sure, they’re not always pretty . . . any novelist who
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begins with scene where a man wakes up to the sight of a stuffed dog isn’t going to marvel about how beautiful life can be. Still, thanks to Mary Ann Newman and her sparkling translation, Sagarra’s masterpiece is finally available in English.' Show Less
'Reading Private Life is to wander through a messy film set, spying on the various characters: there are elements of cohesion. At times Sagarra appears to be too amused to exert any control, occasionally he seems to be sober and about to slow the pace. It is very readable, slightly chaotic yet
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seductively atmospheric . . . a reader may wish that Sagarra’s very long novel could have continued for, at the very least, another 200 pages of mischief.' Show Less
Subjects
Language
Original publication date
1932-10-21
Physical description
354 p.; 21 cm
ISBN
8475880290 / 9788475880297