안토니오 무뇨스 몰리나의 <폴란드 기병>

Abstract

The Polish Rider, published by the Spanish writer Antonio Muñoz Molina in 1991 has been acclaimed as the greatest Spanish novel since the demise of the late Generalissimo Francisco Franco. The story is about how the hero of the novel, Manuel, a simultaneous interpreter, falls in love with his teenage friend, Nadia and how they recall their pasts. The story recounts how he tracks down his family history, finds his identity and returns to his homeland, Spain. The protagonist describes what social turmoil the members of a family endured in a chronological order from the viewpoint of the present. The description encompasses the first Spanish Republic, Spanish-American War, the second Spanish Republic, Spanish Civil War, dictatorship by Generalissimo Franco, his death and transitional period, and the period of mature democracy in modern Spain. The work, although its theme is the restoration of one man’s identity, can be said to have shown the roots and tradition of Spain’s present democracy by conjuring up its tumultuous recent history.