Chapters 53-57: 0.00—Rural & urban militancy. 6:25—Students & professors. 9:22—Leonor & Edelmira. 10:50—A passionate embrace. 12:01—Martin & Raphael. 14:25—Letter to Leonor. 15:23—On to the revolution. 16:57: Comedy & cowardice. 21:17—Interlude.

Chapter 58: 21:45—Loss of faith. 25:09—“La sociabilidad chilena.” 26:54—Secular Chile. 33:28—The bloodiest moment. 37:06—R.I.P. Rafael. 39:33—Rebels routed. 41:59—The larger picture. 44:10—Fragmentation of elites. 47:26—Chile in the global economy. 49:01—A regional conflict. 53:13—Why the small picture? 56:10—Interlude.

Chapters 59-65: 56:38—In Leonor’s bedchamber. 1:00:40—Martin jailed. 1:06:54—Exile & execution. 1:08:36—The prisoner. 1:10:00—Escapism. 1:17:24—Bathed in tears. 1:19:37—Epistolary epilogue. 1:22:58—Noble sentiments. 1:24:50—Los Almanes. 1:27:00—Remembering Rafael. 1:28:59—Interlude.

Conclusion: 1:29:29—Closing the book. 1:32:50—Characters’ fates. 1:36:50—Byronic Rafael. 1:39:15—The fate of the Molinas. 1:44:09—Don Dámaso, master-weaver. 1:48:55—Ruling class conflict. 1:57:04—Requisite reading. 2:04:24—Closing.

Text: Alberto Blest Gana, Martin Rivas. Translated by Tess O'Dwyer. Oxford Univ. Press, 2000.

Interludes: Frederic Chopin, Waltz No. 1 in E-Flat, Op. 18, "Grande valse brillante," performed by Arthur Rubenstein, 1954 ((Internet Archive).

Image: Alberto Blest Gana, 1860, (Biblioteca Nacional Digital de Chile).

Sound effects: Pixabay.

Click here for transcript

Contact me: jimjneilson@gmail.com

Chapters 23-28: 0:00—Learning about lace. 8:53—Novel patterns. 9:56—Looking the part. 11:24—Dark eyes upon her. 15:10—A mysterious force. 16:59—Hopeless love. 19:49—Lover’s revenge. 21:11—Augustin & Matilde. 22:14—Bewildering emotions. 25:15—Coitus interrupted. 28:57—Dark passions. 31:39—A storybook hero. 32:33—Greed & blackmail. 33:44—Interlude.

Chapters 29-37: 33:56—Moist with dew. 37:08—Animal spirits. 40:46—Rafael & Matilde. 41:20—Melancholic voluptuousness. 42:31—Marriage & money. 44:28—The prototypical lowbrow. 46:33—Amador at the door. 50:10—Martin to the rescue. 50:51—The businessman. 55:32—Martin the savior. 58:16—Independence Day. 1:00:48—Making a spectacle. 1:02:17—Interlude.

Chapters 38-52: 1:02:29—Temerity & severity. 1:05:03—Suffering sisters. 1:08:44—Blacks in Chile. 1:15:37—Doña Bernarda’s rage. 1:17:56—Edelmira, bride-to-be. 1:19:10—Wedding gifts. 1:20:46—A message from Matilde. 1:22:12—Reeking of the would-be. 1:23:51—Her proletariat pride. 126:10—Victims & villains. 1:27:41—Blest Gana’s background. 1:29:14—Doña Bernada’s parting words. 1:30:02—Cutting the stems. 1:31:15—Sin & forgiveness. 1:34:47—Rafael’s retreat. 1:36:04—Joyous revery. 1:36:49—A glimpse of paradise. 1:39:51—Aiding Edelmira. 1:43:07—Suspecting Martin. 1:44:41—Singular haughtiness & majestic arrogance. 1:48:14—A tearful Martin. 1:49:07—Martin retreats, Leonor regrets, Rafeal returns, Edelmira remains. 1:50:21—Closing.

Text: Alberto Blest Gana, Martin Rivas. Translated by Tess O'Dwyer. Oxford Univ. Press, 2000.

Interludes: Frederic Chopin, Waltz No. 1 in E-Flat, Op. 18, "Grande valse brillante," performed by Arthur Rubenstein, 1954 ((Internet Archive).

Image: Alberto Blest Gana, 1860, (Biblioteca Nacional Digital de Chile).

Sound effects: Pixabay.

Click here for transcript

Contact me: jimjneilson@gmail.com

Chapters 9-11: 0:00—Waltz time. 3:38—Martin benched. 9:33—Leonor apologizes, sort of. 15:14—The clubbing. 23:16—Leonor’s adversary, Martin’s woe. 26:05—Interlude.

Chapters 12-14: 26:38—Light & dark. 31:40—Balzac’s influence. 34:33—Visiting the Molinas. 37:09—The image of reality. 39:11—Adelaida & Edelmira & Amador. 41:56—The life of the party. 43:16—The quadrille & the zamacueca. 44:58—Barrios Altos. 47:08—Having fun. 50:38—The would-be’s. 53:02—A forlorn dandy. 55:14—Martin & Edelmira. 56:44—Would-be revelry. 59:27—Roping him in. 1:00:08—Interlude.

Chapters 15-22: 1:00:41—Street of ashes. 1:02:48—California scheming. 1:05:54—Martin & Adelaida. 1:08:11—The ignorance of men. 1:10:15—An obstacle to progress. 1:13:48—Political rhetoric. 1:15:43—“I believe in love, Senorita.” 1:18:38—Rafael’s aimlessness. 1:19:16—Horse fodder. 1:20:01—Radical & reactionary, liberal & conservative. 1:22:01—Seeking status. 1:25:36—The hacienda. 1:32:17—Stendahl’s influence. 1:34:44—Adelaida & Agustin, Edelmira & Martin. 1:36:18—Romantic recap. 1:38:00—Closing.

Text: Alberto Blest Gana, Martin Rivas. Translated by Tess O'Dwyer. Oxford Univ. Press, 2000.

Interludes: Frederic Chopin, Waltz No. 1 in E-Flat, Op. 18, "Grande valse brillante," performed by Arthur Rubenstein, 1954 ((Internet Archive).

Image: Alberto Blest Gana, 1860, (Biblioteca Nacional Digital de Chile).

Additional music: Igor Stravinsky, "Ballet: Grande Valse Brillante," Les Sylphides, 1909, performed by Orchestre de la Societe des Concerts du Conservatoire, 1958 (Internet Archive);

"La Belle Carolina," The York Quadrilles, 1819, performed at the Royal College of Music, London, 17 May 2021 (University of Southampton);

"La Palma," performed by Alfredo Antonini and His Viva America Orchestra, circa 1940 (Internet Archive).

Sound effects: Pixabay.

Click here for transcript

Contact me: jimjneilson@gmail.com