Extraños compañeros de viaje: Cervantes y Mary Shelley

Abstract

Miguel de Cervantes y Mary Shelley parecen, a priori, dos extraños compañeros de viaje. Pese a las evidentes divergencias entre la narrativa de ambos autores, la autora inglesa mostró un notable interés por la vida y obra de Miguel de Cervantes a lo largo de toda su carrera. Este artículo pretende ofrecer un retrato preciso de los intereses cervantinos de la autora de "Frankenstein", rastreando con este fin la correspondencia personal de la autora inglesa, su producción narrativa, y finalmente, su contribución al cervantismo: la "Life of Cervantes" (1837) que Shelley publicaría en la "Cabinet Cyclopaedia" de Dyonisius Lardner.

Miguel de Cervantes and Mary Shelley do seem, at first sight, two strange bedfellows. Notwithstanding the evident differences between the narrative of both authors, the English novelist showed a notable interest for the life and works of Miguel de Cervantes throughout her literary career. This article intends to offer a precise portrait of the Cervantean interests of the author of "Frankenstein", tracing these through her personal correspondence, her narrative production, and finally, through her contribution to the realm of Cervantean studies: Shelley's "Life of Cervantes" (1837), published in Dyonisius Lardner's "Cabinet Cyclopaedia".