Widely acknowledged as the first Chilean novel, Martin Rivas (1862) by Alberto Blest Gana (1830-1920) is at once a passionate love story and an optimistic representation of Chilean nationhood. Written shortly after a decade of civil conflict, it is an indispensable source for understanding politics and society in nineteenth-century Chile. The hero of the story is Martin Rivas, an impoverished but ambitious youngster from the northern mining region of Chile, who is entrusted by his late father to the household of a wealthy and influential member of the Santiago elite. While living there, he falls in love with his guardian's daughter. The tale of their tortuous but ultimately successful love affair represents the author's desire for reconciliation between Chile's antagonistic regional and class interests. Indeed, many critics have interpreted Martin Rivas as a blueprint for national unity that emphasizes consensus over conflict. In addition to providing commentary about the mores of Chilean society, Blest Gana documents the enormous gap that existed between the rich and poor classes. An invaluable text for its portrayal of contemporary social, political, and class conditions, Martin Rivas illustrates the enriching influence that romanticism had on nineteenth-century Chilean literature.

This is the story of a youngster who is entrusted to the household of a member of the Santiago elite. While living there he falls in love with his guardian's daughter, and their love provides a commentary about the mores of Chilean society.

Martín Rivas (1862) is a novel by Alberto Blest Gana. Regarded as the first Chilean novel, Martín Rivas is a powerful story of romance, class, and national unity from an author who served for decades as a diplomat and ambassador for Chile. Inspired by the social realism of Honoré de Balzac, Blest Gana retains his European roots while remaining true to the emerging culture of his country. Martín Rivas has always feared the walls closing in. Born and raised in a poor mining community, he sees the limits placed on the lives of his friends and family. Generational poverty, instability, and bad health plague the workers of northern Chile, and he dreams of something more for his life. With his father's approval, Rivas travels to Santiago to take a job as a servant. Working in the home of a wealthy aristocrat, he does his best to acclimate himself to the manners and desires of the rich, but ultimately loses focus to his employer's beautiful daughter. Madly in love, he feels the walls inch closer once again. How will he reconcile his emotions with society's disapproval of relationships between members of opposing classes? How will he convince a man who controls his livelihood to allow him to court his own daughter? As he agonizes over his newly complicated reality, Rivas recalls how much he has overcome and wonders if it was worth the endless struggle. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Alberto Blest Gana's Martín Rivas is a classic of Chilean literature reimagined for modern readers.

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1918 edition. Excerpt: ... CHAPTER XL Let Us return to Dona Bernarda Coldero as she went back to her house after hearing from Don Damaso the revelation of the secret which her son had hidden from her. During her walk the irritation that this news had caused her increased, as may be well imagined. This revelation destroyed so many ambitious hopes, fostered by Amador, that, on seeing them vanish, her rancour against the deceit which had obliged her to relinquish them increased in proportion to the value that these hopes acquired when they were lost. It was thus that on entering her room she threw her mantle on a chair and called to her eldest daughter in a harsh voice. Adelaida came immediately. "Where is your brother ?" asked Dona Bernarda. "He is in his room," replied the girl. "Call him, I have to speak to you both." A few moments after they both arrived in the room where Dona Bernarda was waiting for them. Dona Bernarda looked at her son with an expression of concentrated rage., "So you have deceived me," she said, putting both her hands on her hips with a peculiar movement of her head. "I! Why? What is it?" replied Amador, who like all those who have a guilty conscience on account of a fault, suspected on the moment the meaning of this question, and he turned pale. "You don't know, then! Am I a fool that my children deceive me! Here is what is the matter. Is Adelaida married or not?" "But, mother, have I not been telling you all these last days that everything is arranged." "That for the arrangement! Have you nothing else to say? Truly! arranged treating us like negroes! What do you care if we have to wander in the street? Even little children will point us out." "Are things as bad as that?" said .Amador, dumfounded. Dona Bernarda was exasperated at this...

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