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Introduction: Defining and Delimiting the Spanish Gothic

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Spanish Gothic

Part of the book series: Palgrave Gothic ((PAGO))

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Abstract

This introductory chapter begins by proposing that, while it has become customary to think that the Gothic mode arrived late in Spain and did not resonate with its artists or audiences, the Gothic has been a permanent, ever-shifting fixture since the first Spanish translations of Gothic novels in the late-eighteenth century. The chapter traces the ancient origins of evil supernatural phenomena in Spain’s literary history, especially in the ‘novela cortesana’ (courtly novel), but argues for the need to concentrate on the times following the arrival of the Gothic novel in translation. It also discusses the possibilities opened by the term ‘Gothic’ (as opposed to the more common ‘fantastic’), sets up the cinematic context and lays out the general parameters and structure of the book.

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  1. Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, UK

    Xavier Aldana Reyes

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Aldana Reyes, X. (2017). Introduction: Defining and Delimiting the Spanish Gothic. In: Spanish Gothic. Palgrave Gothic. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-30601-2_1

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