La Regenta

Published by Leopoldo Alas, alias “Clarín,” between 1884 and 1885, La Regenta is a foundational work of Spanish realism. This critical edition, led by scholars Maite Zubiaurre and Eilene Powell, offers a fresh feminist interpretation, exploring aspects often overlooked in traditional criticism.

The introduction sheds new light on three key themes: the powerful eroticism driving La Regenta and its protagonist, Ana Ozores; the sexualized nature of the spaces and landscapes that define characters and endure in readers' memories; and the novel's literary kinship—not just with works by Flaubert or Zola, but significantly with Eduardo López Bago's El cura. Caso de incesto (1885). This comparative reading provides a more comprehensive understanding of Ana Ozores' sexual idiosyncrasy and the cultural construction of female identity in 19th-century Spain.

Traditional criticism often presents Ana Ozores as a “nervous” or “pathological” figure, sometimes overshadowed by the city of Vetusta. This edition challenges that view, emphasizing an "Ana desnuda" (Naked Ana)—a character stripped of false attributions, embodying a vibrant, pagan sensuality. While the novel's plot may appear deceptively simple, its over thousand pages are propelled by an intense, continuous, and often erotic tension, driven by the characters' desires.

From Ana's sensual embrace of a tiger skin in her intimate chambers, symbolic of fin-de-siècle erotic imagery, to the scandalous public display of her bare feet during a Holy Week procession, La Regenta pulsates with a “burning sensuality.” This critical lens uncovers how the male gaze shapes perceptions of female beauty and desire, contrasting Ana's complex allure with the more overt sensuality of characters like Obdulia Fandiño.

The edition also addresses Clarín's nuanced yet sometimes misogynistic portrayal of women. While he idealizes Ana's childhood innocence, the entry of sexuality into her adult life is often presented as "contaminating," a reflection of societal fears and the "precocious Lolita" trope of the era. By situating La Regenta alongside contemporary works like El cura. Caso de incesto, this edition illuminates the prevailing discourse around female hysteria and its connection to mystical experiences (e.g., Santa Teresa), offering a richer understanding of Clarín's masterpiece not as an isolated text, but as a vibrant document in dialogue with its historical and cultural context.

Despite the evident constraints of misogyny that often cast Ana Ozores as a mere object of male desire, the novel hints at proto-feminist impulses. Ana finds pleasure for herself—in the touch of a tiger skin or cool sheets—and invites readers to share in her deeply sensual understanding of the world. Her yearning for enjoyment, her need for dreams fueled by passionate reading, and her commitment to the freedom of her imaginative childhood all contribute to her enduring allure.