Larra, Mariano Jose de

Larra, Mariano José de 

(full name, M. J. de Larra y Sánchez de Castro). Born Mar. 24, 1809, in Madrid; died there Feb. 13, 61837. Spanish writer, critic, and publicist.

Larra devoted a play, Macías (1834), and a historical novel, The Page of King Enrique the Feeble (1834), to the legendary Galician troubadour; both works played a major role in the creation of romantic literature in Spain. Following the traditions of costumbrismo, Larra wrote satirical essays (1828–33) criticizing contemporary social mores from the standpoint of the Enlightenment. He turned to sociopolitical lampoons in 1834–35. Larra’s writing fostered the development of critical realism in Spanish literature.

WORKS

Obras, [vols.] 1–4. Madrid, 1960.
Ensayos satíricos. Moscow, 1967.
In Russian translation:
Satiricheskie ocherki. Introduction by K. N. Derzhavin and Z. I. Plavskin. Moscow, 1956.

REFERENCES

Gómez Santos, M. “Figaro” o la vida de prisa. Madrid, 1956.
Atocha, S. de. Larra. Madrid, 1964.
Bellini, G. Larra e il suo tempo. Milan [1967].
Ullman, P. L. Mariano de Larra and Spanish Political Rhetoric. Madison, Wisc. [1971]. (Bibliography, pp. 403–13.)

Z. I. PLAVSKIN