Dona Barbara (The University of Chicago Press)

Romulo Gallegos is best known for being Venezuela's first democratically elected president. But in his native land he is equally famous as a writer responsible for one of Venezuela's literary treasures, the novel "Dona Barbara". Published in 1929 and all but forgotten aby Anglophone readers, "Dona Barbara" is one of the first examples of magical realism, laying the groundwork for later authors such as Gabriel Garcia Marquez and Mario Vargas Llosa. Following the epic struggle between two cousins for an estate in Venezuela, "Dona Barbara" is an examination of the conflict between town and country, violence and intellect, male and female. Dona Barbara is a beautiful and mysterious woman - rumored to be a witch - with a ferocious power over men. When her cousin Santos Luzardo returns to the plains in order to reclaim his land and cattle, he reluctantly faces off against Dona Barbara, and their battle becomes simultaneously one of violence and seduction. All of the action is set against the stunning backdrop of the Venezuelan prairie, described in loving detail. Gallegos' plains are filled with dangerous ranchers, intrepid cowboys, and damsels in distress, all broadly and vividly drawn.A masterful novel with an important role in the inception of magical realism, "Dona Barbara" is a suspenseful tale that blends fantasy, adventure, and romance. Hailed as "the Bovary of the llano" by Larry McMurtry in his new foreword to this book, "Dona Barbara" is a magnetic and memorable heroine who has inspired numerous adaptations on the big and small screens, including a recent series on Telemundo.