Ramón del Valle-Inclán (1866-1936), Galician novelist and playwright, whose style evolved from the brio of the early Short Stories (Vol I in this series) to the luxuriance of The Sonatas (Vol II) --- the life and loves of his Don Juan-like avatar, the Marqués de Bradomín. Next, the straight-forward historical novel The Carlist War chronicling the horrors of Spain's 19th century ideological civil conflict. Valle's crowning achievement (masterpiece of esperpento or nailing of truth through the grotesque) is The Iberian Arena (El Ruedo Ibérico), this choral novel touching on every aspect of Spanish society as it flays the follies and vices of the Court of Isabel II in 1868, year of her overthrow. Spain's greatest political novel of the 20th century.