Introductions to Agustín Pérez Zaragoza’s “Galería fúnebre de espectros y sombras ensangrentadas”, and their French sources

Abstract

The paper studies the introductions to Galería fúnebre de espectros y sombras ensangrentadas (1831), a collection of stories published by Agustín Pérez Zaragoza and considered as the principal example of gothic fiction in Spain, as well as the introduction of its French model, Les ombres sanglantes (1820), by J.P.R. Cuisin. The analysis of these texts, written as a defense and vindication of the fiction that causes fear, illustrates the hesitant attitude of a 19th century critic toward the tales of terror and their popularity. Especially the Spanish author, confronted with the expectations of his readers and the pressure of censorship, feels the need to present his work as serving a moral and didactic purpose, and the strong emotions it provokes as instructive.