Pequeñeces

Luis Coloma RoldánProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.8

Word count: 850K words
Chapters: 85

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Pequeñeces by Luis ColomaAuthor: Coloma, Luis, 1851-1915,Language: Spanish, Class: PQ: Language and Literatures: Romance literatures: French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Release Date: Dec 3, 2006

Editor's review

Pequeñeces is a novel by the Spanish writer Luis Coloma, originally written in Spanish; this edition is a public-domain electronic text provided by Project Gutenberg. Coloma was both a Jesuit and a novelist, and his work often carries a moral observer's eye; this book likewise excels at finely drawn depictions of social manners and character psychology, and its title itself points to the trivialities and social mores of everyday life. For readers learning Spanish, it offers an authentic sample of nineteenth-century literary language, useful for experiencing narrative rhythm, character dialogue, and the depiction of social scenes; for readers studying Spanish literature and social history, it can serve as supplementary reading for understanding the novelistic subjects and moral discourse of the period. Note that this is the original Spanish-language edition, without modern annotations or an introduction; the barrier to reading lies mainly in the language rather than the length. It is best approached with an appreciation for the depiction of social manners, without rushing to follow the plot.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Learners with intermediate or higher Spanish reading ability who wish to engage with original texts
Readers interested in nineteenth-century Spanish fiction and depictions of social customs
Researchers studying moral narrative and social-mores themes in Spanish literature
Readers who need a public-domain Spanish text for close reading or corpus building

Not a good fit for

Readers with no Spanish at all who can only read Chinese translations
Readers expecting modern scholarly introductions, detailed annotations, and textual collation
Readers who prefer fast-paced plotting and lack patience for depictions of social manners

Reading tips

Read the opening chapters first to get familiar with the author's narrative tone and the way characters are introduced, then decide whether to read closely or extensively.
Keep a notebook of vocabulary and sentence patterns, grouping and organizing recurring expressions of social manners to build language skills.
Read alongside general background material on nineteenth-century Spanish society to help understand the context of characters' words and actions.
If the focus is language learning, read aloud a fixed amount each day, balancing feel for the language with comprehension.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is there a Chinese translation of this book, and what language is this edition in?

This edition is a Spanish-language original e-book provided by Project Gutenberg, not a Chinese translation. If you need to read in Chinese, you will have to look for a translation separately; this edition is better suited to readers with some Spanish who wish to engage directly with the original text.

What does the title Pequeñeces mean?

In Spanish the word means "trifles, small matters," and the title points to the petty details of everyday life and the tangles of human relations. Grasping this layer of meaning helps in appreciating the book's approach, which excels at detailed depiction rather than grand plotting.

What is the background of the author, Coloma?

Luis Coloma (1851–1915) was a Spanish writer who was also a Jesuit; his fiction often carries a moral observer's perspective. When reading, note the judging tone toward characters' behavior in the narration, which is related to the author's background.

Will it be hard to read without annotations?

The difficulty lies mainly in the language rather than the structure of the text. This edition contains no modern annotations, so obstacles involving historical background or idioms must be looked up on your own. It is best to read through first to grasp the general meaning, mark difficult points, and address them together, rather than stopping over every word.

Comments

Find this book

This site is an index: you start “Search all sources” in your browser, and the entries it lists all point to third-party sites; please judge their availability yourself.

About the author

Luis Coloma Roldán Author · Spanish · 1851–1915

Luis Coloma Roldán (1851–1915) was a Spanish writer, journalist, and Jesuit, born in Jerez de la Frontera and died in Madrid. He is best known for his children's literature; his tale of Ratón Pérez (Perez the Mouse) became a beloved figure in the Spanish-speaking world. His novel Pequeñeces is noted for its social satire, while his biography Jeromín reflects his interest in historical figures. He also wrote The Story of Don John of Austria. In 1908 he was elected a member of the Royal Spanish Academy, a testament to his standing in the literary world. The library holds four of his works, including Chinese translations of the above-mentioned children's story and biography.