Bodies of Disorder

Exploring the themes of degeneration in early twentieth-century Spain, this book examines how Pío Baroja and Vicente Blasco Ibáñez engaged with contemporary anxieties about national decline and female representation. It highlights the tension between their portrayals of the degenerate female body and the agency of women readers. By aligning gender paradigms with degenerationism, it challenges traditional hierarchies in literature, suggesting a closer connection between Blasco and the 'Generation of 1898' than previously recognized, despite Baroja's critical stance.