True Love Book

Author: Ruiz
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2000-12-01
Features: This is a Spanish classic little known to Chinese readers, alongside Don Quixote and Celestina, it is hailed as "two towering peaks among the works of the most outstanding geniuses in Spanish literature." Published around 1342, it was once subjected to slander and criticism, but its remarkable artistic achievements were ultimately recognized by the world. The book consists of 1,728 sections (generally four lines per section, though some are not, with a portion exceeding four lines, ranging from seven to eight lines). It is broadly divided into two parts: the first part is a first-person narrative of the poet's several love experiences; the second part elaborates on the rivalry between Don Carnal and Donna Gualchosma. "Carnal" in Spanish means "flesh" or "carnal desire," while "Gualchosma" means "Lent." The struggle between "Mr. Carnal" and "Ms. Gualchosma" is essentially a battle between carnal desire and enjoyment versus Lenten fasting and asceticism.