Upcoming: Fortunata and Jacinta read-along in October

At the start of the year, The Neglected Books Page posted on Fortunata and Jacinta as "The Greatest Novel You’ve Never Heard of." Please read that post about the book and follow the links provided—it's a great overview of the novel and introduction to Galdós. I seconded the enthusiasm for the novel and author and included a couple of excerpts. I somehow stumbled into the role of leading a read-along of the novel (I think it was "volunteered" for me), which I plan on starting in October. I'm posting in advance because (1) the book isn't currently in print in English, although it shouldn't be too hard to obtain a copy, and (2) it's a long novel.

I've read though my battered Penguin edition (pictured above) twice and agree with Neglected's recommendation of the translation by Agnes Moncy Gullón. I hope to provide some posts at the start that will help everyone joining in on the read-along. The Wikipedia page on the novel has a list of characters. I thought a post on the structure of the novel would be good and I'll post some additional links as it gets closer to October. If you have any ideas that would be helpful on enjoying the novel, please don't hesitate to let me know (either in comments or by e-mail—see my profile).

Some additional links on Galdós and the novel (more to come):

The Pérez Galdós Editions Project

Excerpts from a paper by Harriet Stevens Turner on Galdós (my excerpts focused on Galdós and his Torquemada novels, although there's some mention of Fortunata and Jacinta)

Speaking of the Torquemada novels, my posts on them are linked here.

the complete review's entry on Fortunata and Jacinta

Reading Fortunata and Jacinta is a significant commitment, but as Antonio Muñoz Molina said in a note for the PEN.org blog:

Reader: I am a novelist myself, and an avid fan of novels; this particular one taught me the glorious scope and the exhilarating freedom that a novel can provide, both as an art form to practice and as a reading experience to enjoy. You live in it. You move into it. You inhabit it. You get accustomed to it. It becomes part of the daily setting of your life, like your coffee mug or your computer or your dog. You scrape some extra minute to get back to it. You stay awake longer than you should to reach the end of a chapter. You walk the same streets the characters walk, overhear their conversations, visit the same cafés and street markets and bourgeois mansions and working-class slums and taverns.

I want to encourage you to join in, even if it's for only a hundred pages or more, so you can experience it with all of us. I look forward to all who join in!