In Praise of the Stepmother is an erotic novel by Peruvian writer Mario Vargas Llosa, winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2010. Published in 1988, it is about a sexually open couple whose fantasies lead them to the edge of morality.
 First edition (Spanish) | |
| Author | Mario Vargas Llosa |
|---|---|
| Original title | Elogio de la madrastra |
| Language | Spanish |
| Publisher | Arango |
Publication date | 1988 |
| Publication place | Peru |
| Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
| Pages | 198 |
| Preceded by | The Storyteller |
| Followed by | Death in the Andes |
The book is dedicated to Spanish film director Luis García Berlanga. The English translation published in 1990 was done by Helen Lane.
Story
editLucrecia and Rigoberto are an upper middle class married couple. On the outside, they look like an average Peruvian couple of their social class. However, they have a rich and open sexual relationship that enriches their life. Their openness with sexuality, however, turns dangerous when Lucrecia starts a relationship with her pre-teen stepson, Fonchito, which ultimately leads to the unraveling of the marriage.
Main themes
editThis is a book of the erotic novel genre that reflects on the meaning of happiness, sexual morality, and the loss of innocence. It incorporates essays and poetry into the narrative.[1] [2] It also has vivid descriptions and analysis of famous art representing erotic scenes, in particular from the Peruvian painter Fernando de Szyszlo and the Flemish master Jacob Jordaens.
Main characters
edit- Don Rigoberto – Husband of Lucrecia and father of Alfonsito (Fonchito),
- Doña Lucrecia – Second wife of Rigoberto and stepmother of Alfonsito,
- Alfonsito (Fonchito) – Son of Don Rigoberto,
- Justiniana – Domestic Employee
Related books
editIn 1997 Vargas Llosa published Notebooks of Don Rigoberto, a follow-up novel that also belongs to the erotic novel genre.[3] [4]
References
edit- ^ Hernán Sánchez: Erotismo, cultura y poder en "El elogio de la Madrastra" de Mario Vargas Llosa. Archived 2010-03-30 at the Wayback Machine Anales de literatura hispanoamericana, numero 23, Editorial Complutense, Madrid, 1994. Consultado el 1-10-2010
- ^ Lecturalia: Elogio de la madrastra. Consultado el 1-10-2010
- ^ Lecturalia: Los cuadernos de Don Rigoberto. Consultado el 1-10-2010
- ^ Sololiteratura: Los cuadernos de Don Rigoberto Archived 2010-10-13 at the Wayback Machine. Consultado el 1-10-2010
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