Overview

In this discussion on 18th century Spanish America, Ruth Hill argues for a richer, more nuanced understanding of the relationship between Spain and its western colonies, then crafts a complex argument for reassessing our understanding of race and class distinctions at the time, with enormous implications for how we view conceptions of race and class today.

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9780826514929

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A must read for scholars interested not only in El lazarillo de ciegos caminantes but also in the material reality of the Enlightenment in colonial Spanish America. - Mariselle Melendez, Revista De Estudios Hispanicos

However, much of our critical understanding of this text will now have to be rethought in light of Ruth Hill's provocative new book. Hill's book not only brings into focus many previously unfathomed layers of Carrio's text but also provides a fascinating glimpse into the underworld of Bourbon officialdom - a world of sexual, social, and occupational intrigues in which racial and class identities were more complex than has generally been appreciated by literary critics. Hill argues that the proto-nationalist historiographic commonplace that has frequently been invoked in order to explain all of eighteenth-century Spanish American literary culture in terms of a conflict or rivalry between criollos and peninsulares is inadequate for an understanding not only of Carrio de Lavandera's text, but also for much of eighteenth-century Spanish American literature and culture more generally. Most immediately, however, there can be no doubt that Hill's new book stands as a model of scholarly erudit

????A study of great scope, depth and originality. It questions, challenges and surprises, and it cannot be disregarded by any contemporary scholar of Bourbon Spanish-America or of Lazarillo de ciegos caminantes.???? - Peter T. Bradley, Bulletin of Spanish Studies, 2008 ????However, much of our critical understanding of this text will now have to be rethought in light of Ruth Hill???'s provocative new book. Hill???'s book not only brings into focus many previously unfathomed layers of Carrio???'s text but also provides a fascinating glimpse into the underworld of Bourbon officialdom - a world of sexual, social, and occupational intrigues in which racial and class identities were more complex than has generally been appreciated by literary critics. Hill argues that the proto-nationalist historiographic commonplace that has frequently been invoked in order to explain all of eighteenth-century Spanish American literary culture in terms of a conflict or rivalry between criollos and peninsulares is inadequate for an understanding not only of Carrio de Lavandera???'s text, but also for much of eighteenth-century Spanish American literature and culture more generally. Most immediately, however, there can be no doubt that Hill???'s new book stands as a model of scholarly erudition, historicist methodology, archival research for literary scholars and that if makes important critical interventions that will set the parameters for all future discussions of Carrio???'s text and stimulate critical debate beyond.???? - Ralph Bauer, New York University, Resenas, Fall 2006 A must read for scholars interested not only in El lazarillo de ciegos caminantes but also in the material reality of the Enlightenment in colonial Spanish America. - Mariselle Melendez, Revista De Estudios Hispanicos Prof. Hill has delivered an extraordinarily rich piece of historical and literary scholarship. Hill offers original readings and throws new light on some of this canonical text's most hotly debated issues. Prof. Hill takes up the challenge of reading colonial writing through material culture... and she delivers masterfully.--Karen Stolley, Emory University However, much of our critical understanding of this text will now have to be rethought in light of Ruth Hill's provocative new book. Hill's book not only brings into focus many previously unfathomed layers of Carrio's text but also provides a fascinating glimpse into the underworld of Bourbon officialdom - a world of sexual, social, and occupational intrigues in which racial and class identities were more complex than has generally been appreciated by literary critics. Hill argues that the proto-nationalist historiographic commonplace that has frequently been invoked in order to explain all of eighteenth-century Spanish American literary culture in terms of a conflict or rivalry between criollos and peninsulares is inadequate for an understanding not only of Carrio de Lavandera's text, but also for much of eighteenth-century Spanish American literature and culture more generally. Most immediately, however, there can be no doubt that Hill's new book stands as a model of scholarly erudition, historicist methodology, archival research for literary scholars and that if makes important critical interventions that will set the parameters for all future discussions of Carrio's text and stimulate critical debate beyond.Resenas A study of great scope, depth and originality. It questions, challenges and surprises, and it cannot be disregarded by any contemporary scholar of Bourbon Spanish-America or of Lazarillo de ciegos caminantes.--Bulletin of Spanish Studies Richly detailed, amply documented, and wholly original, this book looks at eighteenth-century Spanish America through the dual prism of literature and history. The real focus, though, is race and class in the Spanish colonies . . . the entire field is richer and more interesting because of [Hill's] efforts.--The Virginia Quarterly Review A must read for scholars interested not only in El lazarillo de ciegos caminantes but also in the material reality of the Enlightenment in colonial Spanish America.---Mariselle Melendez, Revista De Estudios Hispanicos A must read for scholars interested not only in El lazarillo de ciegos caminantes but also in the material reality of the Enlightenment in colonial Spanish America.---Mariselle Melendez, Revista De Estudios Hispanicos

However, much of our critical understanding of this text will now have to be rethought in light of Ruth Hill's provocative new book. Hill's book not only brings into focus many previously unfathomed layers of Carrio's text but also provides a fascinating glimpse into the underworld of Bourbon officialdom - a world of sexual, social, and occupational intrigues in which racial and class identities were more complex than has generally been appreciated by literary critics. Hill argues that the proto-nationalist historiographic commonplace that has frequently been invoked in order to explain all of eighteenth-century Spanish American literary culture in terms of a conflict or rivalry between criollos and peninsulares is inadequate for an understanding not only of Carrio de Lavandera's text, but also for much of eighteenth-century Spanish American literature and culture more generally. Most immediately, however, there can be no doubt that Hill's new book stands as a model of scholarly erudition, historicist methodology, archival research for literary scholars and that if makes important critical interventions that will set the parameters for all future discussions of Carrio's text and stimulate critical debate beyond. Resenas

A study of great scope, depth and originality. It questions, challenges and surprises, and it cannot be disregarded by any contemporary scholar of Bourbon Spanish-America or of Lazarillo de ciegos caminantes. -- Bulletin of Spanish Studies

Author Information

Ruth Hill is a professor of Spanish and Andrew W. Mellon Chair in the Humanities at Vanderbilt University.

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