Paula y Paulita

Paula y Paulita (1929), by Benjamín Jarnés (1888-1949), stands as a seminal work of the Spanish avant-garde, solidifying his reputation as its foremost novelist. This edition, expertly prepared by Juan Herrero-Senes, brings to light a novel that is both a vibrant narrative and a profound philosophical reflection on human vitality and the construction of identity.

Set over four years of gestation and divided into two compelling parts, the novel centers on the protagonist Julio's attempts to navigate desire, the power of the body, and the artificiality of his surroundings while at a spa. Jarnés's prose, lauded for its meticulous craftsmanship and surprising metaphors, rejects the "intellectualism" of early avant-garde trends, advocating instead for an "erotic experience with the real" as a primary mode of knowledge and aesthetic engagement.

Through characters like Julio and the enigmatic millionaire Mister Brook, who contemplates ending his life, *Paula y Paulita* explores the impulses that constitute human existence. It's a journey from *ennui* and abstraction back to the sensual and material world, where the body, emotions, and the pursuit of love become essential tools for understanding reality. Jarnés, a key figure in the "Generación del 27," provides not just a literary work but a manifesto for a "vitalist" approach to life and art.

This Stockcero edition is an indispensable resource for advanced courses in Spanish Modernism, the Avant-Garde, Narrative Theory, and 20th-century Cultural Studies, offering a unique blend of narrative experimentation and philosophical inquiry into the challenges of forging a meaningful existence in a rapidly changing world.