María de Zayas and Her Tales of Desire, Death and Disillusion
María de Zayas and Her Tales of Desire, Death and Disillusion by Margaret R. Greer, published by Boydell & Brewer, Limited on July 8, 2025, offers a comprehensive introduction to the influential early modern feminist writer. This edition, comprising 242 pages in English, delves into Zayas’s life and her contributions to literature, particularly her notable collections of short stories, Exemplary Tales of Love and Tales of Disillusion. The book situates Zayas within her socio-political and economic context, addressing the significance of women’s literacy during her time.
Readers will find an exploration of Zayas’s narrative techniques, including her use of sexual desire, violence, and humor. The text examines identity construction in her tales, focusing on themes of gender, class, family, and race, as well as her treatment of religion, magic, and the supernatural. The final chapters analyze Zayas’s status as a proto-feminist and her reception in both Spain and beyond, providing various critical perspectives on her work. This scholarly examination contributes to the understanding of women’s roles in literature and society during the early modern period.
Official synopsis Publisher
Who doubts, my reader, that you will be amazed that a woman has the audacity not only to write a book, but to send it for printing, which is the crucible in which the purity of genius is tested’?
A pioneer of early modern feminism, María de Zayas y Sotomayor wrote poetry, drama and prose but is best known for two page-turning collections of short stories: Exemplary Tales of Love (1637) and Tales of Disillusion (1647). This book provides an engaging introduction to Zayas and her work. It begins by relating what we know of her life, placing her in her socio-political and economic context and addressing the issue of women’s literacy. Following chapters examine her use of sexual desire, violence and humour in her tales; her narrative structures; and her oral style. The book then turns to identity construction in her tales and in society, analysing questions of gender, class, family and ‘race’, and to her treatment of religion, magic and the supernatural. The final chapters explore Zayas’s status as a proto-feminist; her early modern reception in Spain and elsewhere; and various critical readings of her work.
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