0:00—Irish migrants. 03:14—Navvies. 08:13—The Irish State Trials. 10:49—Thomas Frances Meagher. 13:11—Patrick O’Donoghue. 16:19—Irish struggle. 19:48—The famine. 22:06—Reporting on the famine. 26:04—Anglo-Saxons vs. Celts. 33:43—Interlude.

34:15—Marked with anxiety. 36:01—Class question. 39:39—Crime. 41:49—And punishment. 42:15—True crime. 47:15—Murder rate. 48:14—Bewildered outrage. 50:28—Transportation. 54:46—Globalism. 57:32—Interlude.

58:15—Colonial Affairs, India. 1:11:04—Duleep Singh. 1:13:44—The Singh sisters. 1:16:26—Distant and disparate lives. 1:19:34—The fruits of empire. 1:22:11—Threatening texts. 1:25:01—General cultivation. 1:27:41—Blaming the poor. 1:30:32—Anthropicide. 1:32:14—Closing.

Interludes: “A Little Bit of Heaven,” Lyrics: J. Keirn Brennan, Music: Ernest R. Ball, 1914; performed by John McCormack, 1915, John McCormack—Recordings 1911-1940 (Internet Archive); and Shanta Prasad, “Tabla,” Percussion Instruments of India, 2007 (Internet Archive).

Image: Robert Braithwate Mariineau, Kit’s Writing Lesson, 1852, detail (Wikipedia).

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Contact me: jimjneilson@gmail.com

0:00—Gaskell’s libel. 6:12—Edinburgh Review. 7:43—Too many books. 11:36—Classicism vs. capitalism. 19:45—Interlude.

20:24—A dangerous book. 22:16—Improvident workers. 28:15—Suffering masters. 29:30—Gentry vs. bourgeoisie. 33:58—Labor representatives. 35:57—Gregorian complaints. 39:10—Masters & operatives. 41:25—Gregorian fallacies. 43:23—Victorian mean girls. 48:21—Worker testimony. 50:27—Interlude.

51:06—Living conditions. 54:37—Soup quackery. 57:49—Concerned employers. 59:17—Meat on Sundays. 1:01:29—Environment & disease. 1:05:23—The dirty truth. 1:09L41—Physical uncleanliness & moral pollution. 1:11:04—Getting away with murder.1:12:29—Closing.

Interludes: Felix Mendelssohn, Piano Trio No 1 in D Minor, Op. 49, 1839, performed by the Claremont Trio (Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum).

Image: Robert Braithwaite Martineau, Kit’s Writing Lesson, 1852, detail (Wikipedia).

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0:00—Vivid truthfulness. 7:19—Victorian verisimilitude. 11:09—Couples coupling. 12:34—The long day closes. 14:44—The minor characters. 16:17—Mary, quite contrary. 18:30—The old stock fiction. 20:12—Interlude.

21:18—1848 in brief. 23:50—Russia in Circassia. 26:49—Britain in Persia. 27:53—Murder by a fanatic. 31:50—Arson & abortion. 34:21—Haitian prince & Cuban cigars. 35:48—Capsized captains. 38:10—Railway mania. 40:18—Mortality in the metropolis. 44:34—Helpful remedies. 47:47—Bad training. 49:15—Equine equivalents. 51:24—An unfit subject. 54:08—Interlude.

55:13—Much right feeling & much hurt. 57:33—The Railway King. 1:00:51—Shot & stabbed & robbed. 1:02:40—Mendacity & mendicity. 1:06:25—Dr. Bramwell, bigamist. 1:09:24—Mary Sullivan, murderess. 1:11:28—The (Dublin) World. 1:13:00—A Yankee & an Irishman in Harlem. 1:17:29—Nativist violence. 1:19:10—Frederick Douglass in Ireland. 1:28:55—Closing.

Interludes: “The Long Day Closes,” Lyrics: Henry Fothergill Chorley, Music: Arthur Sullivan, 1868, performed by St. .Neots Choral Society, 24 Jun. 2017 (public demo, St. Neots Choral Society).

Image: Robert Braithwaite Martineau, Kit’s Writing Lesson, 1852, detail (Wikipedia).

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0:00—Miraculous Mary Barton. 2:45—The Howitts. 5:00—Critical reception. 6:30—Convincing the Reader. 8:03--- Anonymity, respectability, femininity. I15:00—Chapman & Hall & Mudie’s & Routledge. 18:38—The right time. 20:17—Most wonderful transition. 24:28—A report from the front. 26:05—Interlude.

26:52—Precursors. 30:57—A happy conjunction. 32:25—Bookselling. 38:21—Exoticism & extermination. 41:48—Book review culture. 44:17—Victorian aesthetics. 48:15—Trials & transportation. 50:52—Naval intelligence. 53:43—Interlude.

54:30—Home news for expats. 55:45—Lord Brougham. 59:06—French imperialism. 1:00:30—Travels & travails. 1:03:39— Bulwer-Lytton & Thackeray. 1:05:41—Duchess derailed. 1:07:04—Defective drainage. 1:08:05—Congregated ruffianism on Cephalonia. 1:11:28—Rail accidents. 1:13:19—Nauseous details. 1:18:42—Interlude.

1:19:20—Dickens’s declaration. 1:21:42—Attacking the police. 1:23:15—An unfortunate woman. 1:24:23—Danger underground. 1:25:47—British in Brazil. 1:33:39—Closing.

Interludes: Beethoven, 5 Variations on Rule Britannia, 1803, performed by Rudolf Buchbinder, 1976 (Internet Archive).

Image: Robert Braithwate Mariineau, Kit’s Writing Lesson, 1852, detail (Wikipedia).

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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.

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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.

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Contact me: jimjneilson@gmail.com

Chapters 1-3: 0:00—Criollo, Castizo, Mestizo. 7:00—European culture. 9:20—The poor provincial. 12:03—Out of fashion. 13:49—Authorial comment. 15:41—Martin’s appearance. 18:08—Tarnished silver. 19:07—A rich vein. 22:46—Family separation. 25:15—A silver lining. 27:54—An ideal beauty. 30:41—Noble Leonor. 32:39—Ignoble Agustin. 34:42—The ruling class. 37:17—Interlude.

Chapters 4-8: 38:00—Lost in thought. 42:09—Class question. 50:54—The divine Leonor. 55:43—Cultural allusions. 58:38—Seeing the Encinas. 1:01:31—A fight at the opera. 1:03:21—A fight on the plaza. 1:04:33—Skipping classes. 1:07:27—Bourgeois salon. 1:09:09—Meeting Matilde. 1:11:04—Political parasites. 1:14:01—Radicals & oligarchs. 1:17:44—1848. 1:19:20—The Society of Equality. 1:21:23—Doña Francisca. 1:24:15—Marriage plans. 1:25:20—Martin’s feat. 1:26:27—So-called liberals. 1:29:12—“She doesn’t despise me!” 1:1:30:33—University education. 1:32:21---Befriending Rafael San Luis. 1:35:46—A shield of indifference. 1:37:04—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).

Click here for transcript

Contact me: jimjneilson@gmail.com

Thanks to N.C. State University Professor Greg Dawes for responding to a draft of my analysis of Martin Rivas.