La recepción de la obra de los hermanos Goncourt en España

Abstract

Our first intention in this work will be to establish a repertory of translations into Spanish of the Goncourt brothers' works (Edmond, 1822--1896 and Jules, 1830--1870), which will enabled us to establish a catalogue of the Spanish editions of these authors' production which ranges from 1855 to 2001. The analysis of the diffusion and reception of the Goncourt brothers' works in Spain---considered two major figures in the evolution of the European novels at the end of the XIXth century---will allow us to consider the function of the "Goncourt translations" within the Spanish literary evolution at the end of the XIXth century. With this purpose in mind, we will follow the methodology created by Even_Zohar within the theory of poly-systems. Through the study of the translations of the Goncourt brothers' works, we shall demonstrate the extent to which these translations may initiate a tradition or form part of a previously existing one, and, in this respect, contribute in one way or another to a definite process of literary transformation. Our work is based on a dynamic concept of the existence of translated works, in as much as it enables the discovery of rules and patterns which direct them. In spite of having to face new literary sensibilities, along with a different organization of the book commercialization and, especially, of translated works, the Goncourt brothers' literary and artistic production raised expectation, and was considered as a standard which met with numerous supporters in Spain.