Kate O'Brien and Spanish Literary Culture

One of the most important Irish novelists of the twentieth century, Kate O'Brien (1897-1974) was also a pioneer of women's writing. In a career that spanned almost fifty years, nine novels, nine plays, two travelogues, and copious criticism, O'Brien rebelled against the narrow nationalism and restrictive Catholicism prevalent in independent Ireland. In this highly original approach to O'Brien's work, Davison traces the influence of three leading Spanish writers--Jacinto Benavente, Miguel de Cervantes, and Teresa of Avila. O'Brien's lifelong fascination with Spanish literature and culture offered an oblique way of resisting the Catholic and conservative imperatives of the Irish Free State. In a series of close comparative readings, Davison identifies the origin of O'Brien's creative disinhibition and ultimately situates her within a tradition of dissident Irish women writers.

Author: Jane Davison
Publisher: Syracuse University Press
Published: 10/18/2017
Pages: 216
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.68lbs
Size: 8.72h x 6.16w x 0.54d
ISBN: 9780815635352

About the Author
Jane Davison received her PhD from the University of Liverpool. Her research interests include Irish women's writing, travel writing, and literary modernism.