The Quest (1922)

By Pío Baroja and Isaac Goldberg

Book Overview

The Quest is a novel written by Pio Baroja and published in 1922. The story follows the journey of a young man named Andres Hurtado, who is searching for meaning and purpose in his life. He leaves his hometown in rural Spain and travels to Madrid, where he becomes involved with a group of artists and intellectuals. Through his experiences with this group, Andres begins to question his own beliefs and values, and he struggles to find his place in the world.As he continues on his quest, Andres encounters a variety of characters and situations that challenge his assumptions about life and society. He falls in love with a woman named Elena, who is married to a wealthy businessman, and he becomes involved in a plot to rob a bank. Along the way, Andres also grapples with issues of class, politics, and morality.Throughout the novel, Baroja explores themes of identity, alienation, and the search for meaning in a rapidly changing world. He also provides a vivid portrait of early 20th-century Spain, with its social and political upheavals, and its vibrant cultural scene.The Quest is considered one of Baroja's most important works, and it has been praised for its psychological depth, its social commentary, and its vivid prose. It is a timeless tale of one man's search for meaning and purpose in a complex and challenging world.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1437308066
• ISBN13: 9781437308068
• Release Date: November 2008
• Publisher: Kessinger Publishing
• Length: 300 Pages
• Weight: 0.89 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Pio's genuine masterpiece

As the first of his novel trilogy, "La lucha por la vida", Pio Baroja spawns the Forrest Gump-like character of Manuel Alcázar whose tribulations and improvisational spirit identify the trademark individual character of turn-of-the-20th-century Spain. "La Busca" ["The Search"] kicks off this saga with the main character dealing with hoodlums and the social unwanted. In the background of a saturnine misery, Manuel resorts to his creativity and good fortune to unwillingly climb the social ladder. His tendency to hesitate on decisions and his considerable aloofness turn out to be his greater allies. Manuel is the behind-the-scenes character, following events in the lowly suburbs of Madrid, coyly eyewitnessing the tension and survival among wanton groups. Baroja's work earmarks an era of historical disaster in the fading Spanish empire following the 1898 defeat to the emerging American empire. His story cranks the volume of the agonizing voices of helpless creatures underlining the scope of social and political disaster.