SOURCE: Swanson, Philip. “Concerning the Criticism of the Work of José Donoso.” Revista Interamericana de Bibliografia/Inter-American Review of Bibliography 33 (1983): 355-65.

In the following essay, Swanson reviews criticism on Donoso through the early 1980s.

The last decade or so has seen a proliferation of critical articles on José Donoso. During this period, differing critical attitudes have emerged and there is as yet no general consensus of opinion on the meaning of his fiction, or on the best ways to approach his work. It is proposed here to examine briefly some trends in Donoso criticism and to suggest some possible developments. My intention is to ignore merely introductory or expository criticism (e.g., that represented by such articles as those of Guillermo Carnero or Jaime Siles on El obsceno pájaro de la noche, or the general chapters on Donoso in books)¹ and to concentrate instead on what seem...