Europe and Asia. Two great continents. Spain and India — two magnificent representatives of the variety of traditions and culture of their respective continents. Both with an equally large repertoire of literature which are true chronicles of the lives and works of the people they represent. In his book India in the Literature of Spain, Dr. Jardiel portrays India not as one finds it in travelogues or personal memoirs but as a country whose frequent, eloquent and time-old appearances in the true literature of Spain are noteworthy.

This book deals with Spanish literature from the very beginning, i.e., from the time the Romans and later the Arabs started chronicling their experiences into beautiful forms of poetry and prose. The author has given us glimpses of some of those memorable works as compared to books on literature which cover only a certain period of time missing out on vital links with the past.

Some of the themes dealt with were totally unknown in terms of their existence in the Spanish context. For instance, the play Gianguir (Jahangir) and the play by Jacinto Benavente A las puertas del cielo (At the Doors of Heaven) which contains elements of Hindu philosophy. These plays are a source of revelation for us as they constantly endeavour and succeed in dealing with aspects which have scarcely been elaborated upon before.

Certain sections show a profoundity which draws one’s attention once more to the uniqueness of the themes and a different aspect, overlooked before, in the oft dealt ones. For example, the section on “Mayavad” has a concise explanation and one is surprised to learn of its use in the literature of a country so far removed from ours in many aspects. The Mahabharata and the Sepoy Mutiny are subjects about which a lot has been said before but in this book they acquire a different and richer angle as dealt with in Spanish literature.

The book shows a general sympathy on the part of the Spanish authors towards the Indian ethos. Among the examples are Adelardo Fernandez Arias, whose books La India en llamas (India in Flames) and A través del país que Gandhi despertó (Through the Country that Gandhi Awoke) show us a genuine concern of the Spanish people who could see India’s plight as they themselves had suffered at the hands of Arab conquerers for many centuries. Quotations from the works of these authors are well selected and they vastly improve the quality of the text which at certain places lacks in other aspects.

The bibliography is extensive and pertinent and could prove to be very useful for future rosearen, but the index needs correction as many Spanish names have been grossly misspelt.

In an effort to be concise, the author could not deal evenly with all the sections as some of them appear to be properly researched whereas others are very brief. For instance, the sub-chapter on Sanskrit studies could have been amplified and a critical analysis could have been given on the given data. There are periods about which almost no information is provided. There is hardly any mention of the Neo-classical period, i.e., the 18th century. This may be either due to the fact that as Neo-classicism was a movement totally opposed to the Baroque and Romantic movements (in which a lot was written about India) the possibility of the existence of themes dealt with in these movements was negligible.

As far as the language is concerned, the English could have been much better.

The book has been very well divided into three main sections : Philosophy and Religión, History and Society and Language and Literature and then into chronologically ordered sub-chapters. It provides a panoramic vision of a theme which makes interesting reading and on the othe hand could serve as a basis for a totally new field of research.

Although it is a book raent for specialists, even a layman can enjoy certain sections. A Spanish versión would have been interesting and appropiate for the Spaniards and for those who are more familiar with this language than English, as they would be able to fully appreciate the works mentioned in the book.

On the whole, apart from the fact that there are some very good sections in this book and a few shortcomings, it is very innovative and unprecedented and as such a very good basis for further reference.