A vivid account of the literary culture of the Spanish-speaking Americas from the time of Columbus to Latin American Independence, this Very Short Introduction explores the origins of Latin American literature in Spanish and tells the story of how Spanish literary language developed and flourished in the New World. A leading scholar of colonial Latin American literature, Rolena Adorno examines the writings that debated the justice of the Spanish conquests, described the novelties of New World nature, expressed the creativity of Hispanic baroque culture in epic, lyric, and satirical poetry, and anticipated Latin American Independence. The works of Spanish, creole, and Amerindian authors highlighted here, including Bartolome de las Casas, Felipe Guaman Poma, Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz, and Andres Bello, have been chosen for the merits of their writings, their participation in the larger literary and cultural debates of their times, and their resonance among readers today. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

About the Author
Rolena Adorno is the Reuben Post Halleck Professor of Spanish at Yale University. Her books include The Polemics of Possession in Spanish American Narrative and Guaman Poma: Writing and Resistance in Colonial Peru. She is a member of the presidentially appointed National Council on the Humanities and a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Reviews
Adorno's supurb synopsis of the field in this volume ... will be a mandatory handbook for any undergraduate or graduate survey of colonial SPanish-American literature, and an essential aid to scholars approaching the field for the first time. * Lisa Voigt, BSS *



Book Information
ISBN 9780199755028
Author Rolena Adorno
Format Paperback
Page Count 168
Imprint Oxford University Press Inc
Publisher Oxford University Press Inc
Weight(grams) 132g
Dimensions(mm) 173mm * 121mm * 10mm