
Set against the rugged cliffs and pine‑covered hills of a remote Galician village, the story opens with a vivid portrait of the landscape: the waning sun turning pine trunks into bronze pillars, a winding, storm‑scarred path that bears the marks of winter’s floods. Through these striking images, the narrator introduces a community caught between the stubborn rhythms of traditional life and the encroaching forces of industry, hinting at the tension that will shape the lives of its inhabitants.
At the heart of the tale lies an enigmatic swan that glides across the mist‑filled waters of Vilamorta, becoming a silent witness to love, ambition, and the quiet struggles of the townsfolk. The author weaves together the raw detail of naturalism with the lyrical yearning of romanticism, inviting listeners to explore how beauty and hardship coexist in a world where old customs confront new possibilities. The first act sets a tone of thoughtful observation, promising a richly layered journey through the souls of a place both timeless and on the brink of change.
Language
es
Duration
~5 hours (318K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Original publisher
Madrid: Librería de Fernando Fé, 1885.
Credits
Nahum Maso i Carcases and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This book was produced from scanned images of public domain material from the Google Books project.)
Release date
2023-08-22
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
Subjects

1852–1921
A pioneering Spanish novelist, critic, and essayist, she brought sharp social observation and fearless intelligence to everything she wrote. Her work helped open new ground for realism, naturalism, and feminist thought in Spanish literature.
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