Usurpers [antikvár]

Translator's Introduction Francisco Ayala is without a doubt one of the great masters of Spanish prose. Born in the Andalusian city of Granada in 1906, he is the author of four novéis, nine volumes of short fiction, and countless books of social and literary criticism. Recently the first two volumes of his memoirs, for which he was awarded the National Prize for Literature in 1983, have been delighting Spanish readers. His unique contribution to the world of letters and ideas has long been recognized by both the general public and critics at home and abroad. As a writer of fiction, Ayala has frequently been described as a "classic in his own lifetime" Today, as an essayist and prophet in his own land after many years of exile, he addresses the conscience of his nation. Ayala did not always enjoy such a satisfactory relationship with the Spanish reading public, which was denied ali access to his works for several decades after the end of the Civil War in 1939. At that time the author, who had served the Spanish Republic in a number of ways (he was Secretary to its légation in Prague), was forced into exile. He had already earned himself a position of respect in the Spanish literary world, having published two novéis, a volume of vanguard short stories, and a m u