Álvaro Retana, who called himself the "most handsome writer in the world", always knew that the important thing was to be talked about, especially if it was in a bad way. Master of the ironic and frivolous pen, of homoeroticism and farce, was one of the great Spanish writers of the first half of the 20th century, who has fallen into oblivion over the years. It is an unforgivable injustice that this new edition of The "crazy" women of high standing and The fire of Lesbos, for the first time in a single volume, aims to repair.
With its balanced doses of humor and casualness, Retana's novels were very well received in the 1920s and 1930s, showing a Spain that breathed the air of modernity coming from other European countries. The protagonists of these sitcoms —whose names were mostly hidden by well-known people in the author's circle—were decadent aesthetes, sycophantic artists, gallant writers, and, above all, libertine aristocrats who tested the prevailing moral codes. A mirage of freedom that would vanish with the outbreak of the Civil War and Franco's dictatorship.
The "crazy" women of high standing and The fire of Lesbos are two novels that provide an insightful portrayal of the gay, lesbian and bisexual scene during the Roaring Twenties. Both works feature a succession of crazy scenes where the most diverse ambassadors of the third sex, drag queens who cause a sensation in Madrid theatres and marquises deceived by their girlfriends and lovers; characters who were precursors of the camp and festive aesthetic from authors such as Eduardo Mendicutti and Luis Antonio de Villena, and filmmakers such as Pedro Almodóvar. As Dimas Prychyslyy concludes in the prologue to this edition, "every legend deserves to be embellished. Retana, without a doubt, has been one for a long time."
About Álvaro Retana
Álvaro Retana (1890-1970) was the son of the politician, diplomat, and writer Wenceslao Retana and Adela Ramírez de Arellano. He is considered the best author of erotic novels of the early 20th century. He was also a journalist, couturier, draftsman, costume designer, and poet, as well as a scholar of popular genres and an innovator in Spanish stage design. Casual and frivolous, his more than sixty novels feature most of the so-called sexual "transgressions" of the time, such as sadomasochistic relationships, homosexual and bisexual relationships, threesomes, and foursomes. During the dictatorship of Primo de Rivera, and following the ensuing persecution of erotic writers, he was prosecuted and imprisoned. He remained in Madrid during the Civil War, where he continued his literary career and collaborated in the entertainment world. He was sentenced to death in 1939, although his sentence was commuted and he was released in 1948. He was never able to write erotic novels again, nor did he see his designs performed in theaters. Until the end of his life, he fought against censorship and social conventions.
Book details:
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Written by: Álvaro Retana
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Prologue: Dimas Prychyslyy
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Editorial: Two Mustaches
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Year of publication: 03/2024
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Language: Spanish
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Binding: Soft cover
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Pages: 160
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Weight: 420 g
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Dimensions: 14 x 2 x 21 cm
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ISBN: 9788412765748
