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Andanzas y visiones espanolas / Wanderings and Spanish Visions
This is a reproduction of the original artefact. Generally these books are created from careful scans of the original. This allows us to preserve the book accurately and present it in the way the author intended. Since the original versions are generally quite old, there may occasionally be certain imperfections within these reproductions. We're happy to make these classics available again for future generations to enjoy!
336 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1988
About the author
Miguel de Unamuno
813 books1,121 followersMiguel de Unamuno y Jugo was born in the medieval centre of Bilbao, Basque Country, the son of Félix de Unamuno and Salomé Jugo. As a young man, he was interested in the Basque language, and competed for a teaching position in the Instituto de Bilbao, against Sabino Arana. The contest was finally won by the Basque scholar Resurrección María de Azcue.
Unamuno worked in all major genres: the essay, the novel, poetry and theatre, and, as a modernist, contributed greatly to dissolving the boundaries between genres. There is some debate as to whether Unamuno was in fact a member of the Generation of '98 (an ex post facto literary group of Spanish intellectuals and philosophers that was the creation of José Martínez Ruiz — a group that includes Antonio Machado, Azorín, Pío Baroja, Ramón del Valle-Inclán, Ramiro de Maeztu and Ángel Ganivet, among others).
In addition to his writing, Unamuno played an important role in the intellectual life of Spain. He served as rector of the University of Salamanca for two periods: from 1900 to 1924 and 1930 to 1936, during a time of great social and political upheaval. Unamuno was removed from his post by the government in 1924, to the protest of other Spanish intellectuals. He lived in exile until 1930, first banned to Fuerteventura (Canary Islands), from where he escaped to France. Unamuno returned after the fall of General Primo de Rivera's dictatorship and took up his rectorship again. It is said in Salamanca that the day he returned to the University, Unamuno began his lecture by saying "As we were saying yesterday, ...", as Fray Luis de León had done in the same place four centuries before, as though he had not been absent at all. After the fall of Rivera's dictatorship, Spain embarked on its second Republic, a short-lived attempt by the people of Spain to take democratic control of their own country. He was a candidate for the small intellectual party Al Servicio de la República.
The burgeoning Republic was eventually squashed when a military coup headed by General Francisco Franco caused the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War. Having begun his literary career as an internationalist, Unamuno gradually became a convinced Spanish nationalist, feeling that Spain's essential qualities would be destroyed if influenced too much by outside forces. Thus for a brief period he actually welcomed Franco's revolt as necessary to rescue Spain from radical influence. However, the harsh tactics employed by the Francoists in the struggle against their republican opponents caused him to oppose both the Republic and Franco.
As a result of his opposition to Franco, Unamuno was effectively removed for a second time from his University post. Also, in 1936 Unamuno had a brief public quarrel with the Nationalist general Millán Astray at the University in which he denounced both Astray and elements of the Francoist movement. He called the battle cry of the rightist Falange movement—"Long live death!"—repellent and suggested Astray wanted to see Spain crippled. One historian notes that his address was a "remarkable act of moral courage" and that he risked being lynched on the spot. Shortly afterwards, he was placed under house arrest, where he remained, broken-hearted, until his death ten weeks later.[1]
Unamuno worked in all major genres: the essay, the novel, poetry and theatre, and, as a modernist, contributed greatly to dissolving the boundaries between genres. There is some debate as to whether Unamuno was in fact a member of the Generation of '98 (an ex post facto literary group of Spanish intellectuals and philosophers that was the creation of José Martínez Ruiz — a group that includes Antonio Machado, Azorín, Pío Baroja, Ramón del Valle-Inclán, Ramiro de Maeztu and Ángel Ganivet, among others).
In addition to his writing, Unamuno played an important role in the intellectual life of Spain. He served as rector of the University of Salamanca for two periods: from 1900 to 1924 and 1930 to 1936, during a time of great social and political upheaval. Unamuno was removed from his post by the government in 1924, to the protest of other Spanish intellectuals. He lived in exile until 1930, first banned to Fuerteventura (Canary Islands), from where he escaped to France. Unamuno returned after the fall of General Primo de Rivera's dictatorship and took up his rectorship again. It is said in Salamanca that the day he returned to the University, Unamuno began his lecture by saying "As we were saying yesterday, ...", as Fray Luis de León had done in the same place four centuries before, as though he had not been absent at all. After the fall of Rivera's dictatorship, Spain embarked on its second Republic, a short-lived attempt by the people of Spain to take democratic control of their own country. He was a candidate for the small intellectual party Al Servicio de la República.
The burgeoning Republic was eventually squashed when a military coup headed by General Francisco Franco caused the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War. Having begun his literary career as an internationalist, Unamuno gradually became a convinced Spanish nationalist, feeling that Spain's essential qualities would be destroyed if influenced too much by outside forces. Thus for a brief period he actually welcomed Franco's revolt as necessary to rescue Spain from radical influence. However, the harsh tactics employed by the Francoists in the struggle against their republican opponents caused him to oppose both the Republic and Franco.
As a result of his opposition to Franco, Unamuno was effectively removed for a second time from his University post. Also, in 1936 Unamuno had a brief public quarrel with the Nationalist general Millán Astray at the University in which he denounced both Astray and elements of the Francoist movement. He called the battle cry of the rightist Falange movement—"Long live death!"—repellent and suggested Astray wanted to see Spain crippled. One historian notes that his address was a "remarkable act of moral courage" and that he risked being lynched on the spot. Shortly afterwards, he was placed under house arrest, where he remained, broken-hearted, until his death ten weeks later.[1]
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
August 29, 2020
ESPAÑOL: Unamuno nos cuenta sus excursiones por distintos lugares de España y Portugal, en ensayos breves de 5-10 páginas, cada uno de ellos dedicado a una excursión o una ciudad concreta.
Un par de citas sabrosas del capítulo sobre Salamanca:
Traigo esto a cuento de las cartas que... recibo, en que este o aquel de mis lectores me invita... a que escriba sobre tal o cual asunto que a él le interesa, sin considerar si me interesa a mí o ha de interesar a mis lectores... "Sí, usted mucho de alardear de independencia de criterio y de franqueza -venía a decirme en una segunda carta uno de esos espontáneos corresponsales-, ¡pero qué poco ha dicho usted, nada, de lo que le indiqué que dijera!"
Más de uno me ha reprochado la personalidad de mis escritos; el que yo me ponga en ellos; el que siempre se me ve allí... Los únicos escritores perfectamente impersonales son los que carecen de toda personalidad, y entre ellos los puros eruditos y los meros informadores.
ENGLISH: Unamuno tells us about his hikes to different places in Spain and Portugal, in short essays of 5-10 pages, each of them dedicated to a specific hike or a city.
A couple of good quotes from the chapter on Salamanca:
I speak of this because of the letters that... I receive, where this or that one of my readers invites me... to write about this or that matter that interests him, regardless of whether it interests me or it would interest my readers... "Yes, you boast about your independence of judgment and your frankness -told me in a second letter one of those spontaneous correspondents- but you have said very little, nothing, of what I told you to say!"
More than one has reproached me for the personality of my writings; the fact that I put myself in them; the fact that I can be always seen there... The only perfectly impersonal writers are those who lack any personality, and among them the pure scholars and the mere informants.
Un par de citas sabrosas del capítulo sobre Salamanca:
Traigo esto a cuento de las cartas que... recibo, en que este o aquel de mis lectores me invita... a que escriba sobre tal o cual asunto que a él le interesa, sin considerar si me interesa a mí o ha de interesar a mis lectores... "Sí, usted mucho de alardear de independencia de criterio y de franqueza -venía a decirme en una segunda carta uno de esos espontáneos corresponsales-, ¡pero qué poco ha dicho usted, nada, de lo que le indiqué que dijera!"
Más de uno me ha reprochado la personalidad de mis escritos; el que yo me ponga en ellos; el que siempre se me ve allí... Los únicos escritores perfectamente impersonales son los que carecen de toda personalidad, y entre ellos los puros eruditos y los meros informadores.
ENGLISH: Unamuno tells us about his hikes to different places in Spain and Portugal, in short essays of 5-10 pages, each of them dedicated to a specific hike or a city.
A couple of good quotes from the chapter on Salamanca:
I speak of this because of the letters that... I receive, where this or that one of my readers invites me... to write about this or that matter that interests him, regardless of whether it interests me or it would interest my readers... "Yes, you boast about your independence of judgment and your frankness -told me in a second letter one of those spontaneous correspondents- but you have said very little, nothing, of what I told you to say!"
More than one has reproached me for the personality of my writings; the fact that I put myself in them; the fact that I can be always seen there... The only perfectly impersonal writers are those who lack any personality, and among them the pure scholars and the mere informants.
July 17, 2024
"Los cerros pedregosos que contemplaba desde Becedas —que está al pie de una elevada sierra— parecíanme escombros caídos del cielo y por donde trepaban verdes rebaños, grupos de encinas y de robles. Y en derredor de aquellos picos de Neila y de Gilbuena era un campo robusto y sonriente. A la hora aquella y en aquel día el paisaje perdía materialidad pareciendo como un mero revestimiento del espacio. O más bien que era una pintura, pero más al fresco que al óleo, y de todos modos sin barnizado, en que se ve la tela y su trama, el tejido sobre que se habla pintado el cuadro, acaso la túnica misma del Señor, que se entretuvo en adornarla con aquellos paisajes. Y se veían los brochazos del Señor, se notaba la huella de su pincel. ¡No era una oleografía, no!"
December 16, 2022
Acaso Cierto
February 10, 2014
Un librito de impresiones y viajes del genial Unamuno por lugares diversos de España, allá por los primeros años 20. Poca descripción y mucho pensamiento al hilo del lugar en que se encuentra en cada momento. Entre estos pensamientos abundan las referencias históricas y contemporáneas, pero en todo el libro se aprecia el amor por la patria y el conocimiento de las gentes de cada región, el respeto por las formas de ser de las gentes, por la humanidad del ser español. Interesante este librito, sino como libro estrictamente de viajes, sí como conjunto de impresiones del alma de nuestras gentes.
January 16, 2019
Me gusta más el Unamuno paisajista que el político
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews