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...

• 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.