History of Spanish Literature, vol. 3 (of 3) by George Ticknor

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History of Spanish Literature, vol. 3 (of 3) by George Ticknor

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By Nicholas Ortiz Posted on Dec 25, 2025

In Category - Justice Studies

Authors: Ticknor, George, 1791-1871 Published By : Ticknor, George, 1791-1871

Book Language: English

Hey, I just finished the final volume of George Ticknor's massive history of Spanish literature, and I have to tell you about it. Forget dry academic texts—this feels like listening to a brilliant, slightly obsessive professor who's spent his whole life collecting stories. The real mystery here isn't in the plot (it's history, after all), but in how Ticknor pieces together a nation's soul through its words. How do you capture the spirit of a whole culture, from epic poems to quiet sonnets? This book is his answer. It's a surprisingly personal tour through centuries of drama, faith, and revolution, all told through the writers who lived it. If you've ever wondered how literature shapes a country's identity, this is your backstage pass.

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ROMANTIC FICTION, CONTINUED.--STORIES IN THE GUSTO PICARESCO. Their Origin 55 Military Life 56 Contempt for honest Labor 56 Feeling of the lower Classes 57 The Pícaros 58 Lazarillo de Tórmes 58 Mateo Aleman 59 His Guzman de Alfarache 59 Spurious Second Part 61 Genuine Second Part 61 Andreas Perez 66 His Pícara Justina 67 Drama and Short Tales 67 Vicente Espinel 67 His Marcos de Obregon 68 Yañez y Rivera 71 His Alonso 71 Quevedo, Solorzano 72 Enriquez Gomez 73 Estevanillo Gonzalez 74 Success of Pícaro Stories 75 CHAPTER XXXV. ROMANTIC FICTION, CONTINUED.--SERIOUS AND HISTORICAL ROMANCES. Early Specimens 76 Juan de Flores 77 Nuñez de Reinoso 77 Luzindaro y Medusina 77 Hierónimo de Contreras 78 Relations with Italy and Algiers 79 Ginés Perez de Hita 79 His Guerras de Granada 79 Not imitated 84 La Cryselia de Lidaceli 86 Benito Remigio Noydens 86 Gonzalo de Céspedes 87 Cervantes, Lamarca 87 Dos Verdaderos Amigos 88 Valladares de Valdelomar 88 Grave Fictions discouraged 89 Cosmé de Texada 90 Christóval Lozano 91 Serious Fictions not successful 92 CHAPTER XXXVI. ROMANTIC FICTION, CONCLUDED.--TALES. Arise from the State of Society 93 Antonio de Villegas 93 His Story of Narvaez 94 Juan de Timoneda 96 His Patrañuelo 97 Cervantes, Hidalgo 99 Suarez, Figueroa 99 Salas Barbadillo 99 Eslava, Agreda 102 Liñan y Verdugo 103 Lope de Vega 103 Salazar, Lugo, Camerino 103 Changed Form of Tales 104 Tirso de Molina 104 Montalvan 105 Matias de los Reyes 106 Fernandez y Peralta 106 Montalvan 106 Céspedes y Meneses, Moya 107 Castro y Anaya 107 Mariana de Carbajal 107 María de Zayas 108 Mata, Castillo, Lozano 108 Solorzano 108 Alcalá, Villalpando, Prado 109 Isidro de Robles 109 Luis Velez de Guevara 110 Jacinto Polo 111 Marcos Garcia 112 Francisco Santos 113 Tales everywhere 117 Early Appearance of Romantic Fiction 118 Its early Decay 119 CHAPTER XXXVII. ELOQUENCE.--EPISTOLARY CORRESPONDENCE. Forensic Eloquence little cultivated 121 Courts of Justice 121 Cortes 121 Eloquence of the Pulpit 122 Luis de Leon 123 Luis de Granada 123 Cultismo in the Pulpit 127 Paravicino 127 Pulpit Eloquence fails 128 Letter-writers formal 128 Queen Isabella, Columbus 128 Guevara, Avila 129 Zurita and his Friends 129 Antonio Perez 130 Santa Teresa 135 Argensola, Lope de Vega 136 Quevedo, Cascales 136 Antonio, Solís 136 CHAPTER XXXVIII. HISTORICAL COMPOSITION. Fathers of Spanish History 138 Gerónimo de Zurita 138 Ambrosio de Morales 141 Diego de Mendoza 142 Ribadeneyra, Siguenza 142 Juan de Mariana 143 His Persecutions 146 His History of Spain 147 Prudencio Sandoval 151 Spanish Discoveries and Conquests 153 Antonio de Herrera 153 Bartolomé de Argensola 155 Garcilasso de la Vega, Inca 155 Francisco de Moncada 159 Coloma, Marquis of Espinar 160 Manuel Melo 161 Saavedra Faxardo 164 Antonio Solís 164 Character of Spanish History 167 CHAPTER XXXIX. DIDACTIC PROSE. Proverbs 169 Oldest 170 Marquis of Santillana 170 Garay, Valles, Nuñez 171 Mal Lara, Palmireno 172 Oudin, Sorapan, Cejudo 172 Juan de Yriarte 173 Great Number of Proverbs 173 Didactic Prose 174 Antonio de Torquemada 174 Christóval de Acosta 175 Luis de Granada 176 Juan de la Cruz 178 Santa Teresa 179 School of Spiritualists 180 Malon de Chaide 180 Agustin de Roxas 181 Suarez de Figueroa 183 Marquez, Vera y Zuñiga 184 Fernandez de Navarrete 184 Saavedra Faxardo 185 Quevedo, Antonio de Vega 186 Nieremberg, Benavente 186 Guzman, Dantisco 187 Andrada, Villalobos 188 Aleman, Faria y Sousa 188 Francisco de Andrade 189 Cultismo in Spanish Prose 190 Paravicino 191 Baltazar Gracian 191 Cultismo prevails 194 Juan de Zabaleta 194 Lozano, Heredia, Ramirez 195 Small Success of Didactic Prose 196 CHAPTER XL. CONCLUDING REMARKS ON THE PERIOD. Decay...

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Let's be clear: this isn't a novel. George Ticknor's third volume wraps up his life's work, picking up the story of Spanish letters after the Golden Age. He guides us through periods of political turmoil, the influence of French neoclassicism, and into the 19th century. Think of it less as a timeline of books and more as a grand conversation. Ticknor connects writers to their times, showing how a play, a poem, or a novel responded to the world around it.

Why You Should Read It

You read this for Ticknor's voice. He wasn't just a scholar in a library; he knew many of the authors he writes about in the later chapters personally. His insights feel lived-in. He gets excited about a rediscovered medieval ballad and offers sharp opinions on the Romantics. It turns a history book into something with personality and passion. You see how literature is never just entertainment—it's a record of a people's hopes, conflicts, and changing heart.

Final Verdict

This is for the curious reader who loves context. Perfect for anyone who's enjoyed Cervantes or Lorca and wants to understand the soil those geniuses grew from. It's also a fascinating read for writers, showing how artistic movements rise and fall. It's a serious book, but not a cold one. Ticknor is a generous and enthusiastic guide to one of the world's great literary traditions.

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