The Quest

Baroja, Pío, 1872-1956Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.7

Word count: 379K words
Chapters: 38

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.The Quest by Pío BarojaAuthor: Baroja, Pío, 1872-1956,Language: English, Class: PQ: Language and Literatures: Romance literatures: French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Release Date: Jul 1, 2005

Editor's review

The Quest is an English translation of a work by the Spanish writer Pío Baroja, released through Project Gutenberg. Baroja was a leading figure of Spain's Generation of '98 in the early twentieth century, and his writing often carries a reflective and searching quality. This edition presents the novel in English, giving English-language readers access to this Spanish author's fictional world. The great value of the Gutenberg edition is that it is free, searchable, and easy to read across devices, making it a suitable entry point for exploring lesser-known works of modern Spanish literature. It is not a plot-driven popular novel but rather a narrative of philosophical reflection and inner exploration of character. Read it slowly and attend to the states of mind behind the dialogue and descriptions of scenery. Because it is a public-domain ebook without a modern introduction or notes, readers will need to fill in the author's and era's background themselves.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in Spanish literature who want to broaden their reading range
Readers used to English public-domain ebooks who can accept an edition without notes
Readers who enjoy slow-paced novels with philosophical reflection and inner exploration of character
Students who need a free English text for supplementary course reading

Not a good fit for

Readers of popular fiction who want strong plots and fast pacing
Beginners who need detailed notes and background introductions
Readers unaccustomed to translations of late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century literature

Reading tips

First look up basic background on Baroja and the Generation of '98, then begin the text.
Read one or two chapters a day and note after reading how the characters' states of mind develop.
When you meet unfamiliar place names or historical references, skip them for now to keep the reading flowing.
Compare with other English translations of Baroja to get a sense of his narrative style.

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 this book an English original or a translation?

It is an English translation of a work by Pío Baroja, released by Project Gutenberg in English. It is a public-domain ebook without a modern translator's introduction or notes.

Will it be hard to read without notes?

It will be somewhat challenging. It helps to learn first about the author's era and the Generation of '98; while reading, don't get stuck on every historical detail—focus on the characters and the atmosphere.

Is it suitable as an introduction to Spanish literature?

It can serve as supplementary reading, but it is not the most typical starting point. If you are new to Spanish literature, begin with better-known works and use this book to broaden your view.

Comments

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About the author

Baroja, Pío, 1872-1956 Author

Pío Baroja (1872–1956) was a Spanish novelist associated with the Generation of '98. The library holds 23 of his works, including the trilogy The Struggle for Life—The Search, Weeds, and Red Dawn—as well as Zalacaín the Adventurer, With Pen and Sword: A Chronicle from 1820 to 1823, The Weather Vane, and Caesar or Nothing. His novels often set Madrid's lower depths as their backdrop, portraying the struggles of vagrants, artisans, prostitutes, and other marginal figures with a cool, observant eye, brisk pacing, natural dialogue, and strong realist color. Public information is limited, and his full biography and honors are not reflected in the library; yet the available works show his concern with individual survival under social pressure, his critical stance toward Spain's social ills, and a narrative style that has influenced later Spanish literature.