Written in nine chapters separated into three blocks, Narcís Oller's
The Madness is one of the first literary pieces of work to aim to
truly analyze the social and genetic causes and results of mental
illness. Told through the eyes of an anonymous "narrator" character,
The Madness tells the story of a young revolutionary called Daniel
Serrallonga and his gradual deterioration into madness and delusion. Set
against the backdrop of the political crisis that ripped Spain apart in
the mid to late 19th century and laid the foundations of the Spanish
Civil War, The Madness is a fascinating study of mental health within
both rural and urban Catalan society.
As relevant and entertaining now as it was when it was first published,
this lively translation brings this fantastic piece of literature to
new, modern audiences while drawing parallels with some of the 19th
century's greatest English language writers such as Charles Dickens and
Thomas Hardy.