
A lively portrait opens the tale of a privileged young noble, raised in the splendor of a wealthy household and schooled by a seasoned cleric. Orphaned at twenty, he quickly discards the dull lessons of his first tutor, filling his mind with voracious reading and the restless curiosity of a restless soul. The narrative sketches his early years with a mix of humor and gentle irony, highlighting the clash between strict social expectations and his yearning for freedom.
Soon the restless knight sets off across Europe, chasing the glitter of Paris, the grandeur of London, and the cultural currents of Vienna and Budapest. His journeys are less about scholarly pursuit and more about indulgent pleasure, a whirlwind of parties, fashionable salons, and fleeting romances that reveal both his charm and his impulsive nature. The story captures the glittering world of turn‑of‑the‑century aristocracy through his eyes, blending wit with a subtle critique of idle privilege.
Listeners will be drawn into a vivid, almost fable‑like chronicle that balances light‑hearted adventure with a thoughtful look at the costs of unbridled indulgence.
Language
es
Duration
~8 hours (505K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Original publisher
Spain: Perlado, Páez y Compañía,1909.
Credits
Ramón Pajares Box and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/Canadian Libraries)
Release date
2022-01-08
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
Subjects

1843–1920
One of the great novelists of 19th-century Spain, he turned the streets, politics, and everyday lives of Madrid into vivid fiction. Best known for the vast Episodios nacionales and novels such as Fortunata y Jacinta, he wrote with warmth, sharp observation, and a deep feel for ordinary people.
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