Summer Sonata

Sonata de estío is the first of the four short novels that make up the tetralogy of the “Sonatas” by the famous author Ramón María del Valle-Inclán. Published in 1902, this novel immerses us in a narrative that is framed within literary modernism, being considered one of the most outstanding within this movement in Spanish literature.
The novel is set in a time of decadence of the old regime, showing a protagonist, the Marquis of Bradomín, who embodies the archetype of “decadent hidalgo”, a mature, sterile, and aristocratic man who is trapped in the nostalgia of a past time. Through his eyes, the reader is transported to an exotic and enveloping landscape, specifically, to Mexico during the colonial era.
Sonata de estío is characterized by a rich style, full of sensory images and exuberant rhetoric, where Valle-Inclán’s prose is transformed into poetry. The author paints with words a reality tinged with subjectivity, where the most hidden and mysterious nuances are highlighted. The descriptions of Mexican landscapes, people, customs and rituals are of extraordinary beauty and precision, turning the narrative into a true symphony of images and sensations.
Beyond its plot, Sonata de estío is a reflection on beauty, passion, death and decadence, and how these themes are intertwined in life and art. With his rich and detailed prose, Valle-Inclán creates a narrative that is both a tribute to the beauty of the past and an elegy for its loss.