Alas, Leopoldo (‘Clarín’ Leopoldo Alas) (1852–1901), Spanish writer, especially known for his novels and short stories which are said to constitute the classic examples of their genre in 19th‐century Spanish literature. His more than 100 tales vary considerably in length and show great thematic richness. ‘Mi entierro’ (‘My burial’, 1886), ‘Cuento futuro’ (‘Future Tale’, 1893), ‘Tirso de Molina’ (‘Tirso de Molina’, 1901), and ‘La mosca sabia’ (‘The Learned Fly’, 1916), figure prominently among his fantastic tales. Despite the fact that he was a major defender of the folk tale as the source of the novel, he did not cultivate that genre himself.

— Carolina Fernandez

(lāōpōl'dō ä'läs) , 1852–1901, Spanish novelist, short-story writer, and literary critic who wrote under the pseudonym Clarín, b. Zamora. Although he began his literary career as a journalist, he later was a professor of law at the Univ. of Oviedo. He is best known for his naturalistic novel La Regenta (1884–85), an analysis of provincial life. His other works include another novel, Su único hijo [his only son] (1890), and several volumes of short stories.

Bibliography

See study by N. Valis, The Decadent Vision in Leopoldo Alas (1981).