Follows pure and pious Father Julian Alvarez, who is sent to a remote country estate to put the affairs of the marquis, an irresponsible libertine, in order. When he discovers moral decadence, cruelty and corruption at his new home, Julian's well-meaning but ineffectual attempts to prevent the fall of the House of Ulloa end in tragedy.

An unforgettable tragicomic novel of sexual and political intrigue in 19th-century Spain

One of the greatest nineteenth-century Spanish novels, The House of Ulloa follows pious Father Julián Alvarez, who is sent to a crumbling country estate to put in order the affairs of the marquis, an irresponsible libertine. When the sensitive priest discovers the moral decadence, cruelty, and corruption at his new home, his well-meaning but ineffectual attempts to prevent the fall of the House of Ulloa end in tragedy. Combining gothic elements with humor and social satire, The House of Ulloa is the finest achievement of Emilia Pardo Bazán, one of the most dynamic figures of her time.

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“An absolutely first-rate novelist . . . Bazán’s genius lies in the way she mixes comedy, farce, realism and heightened-pitch hysteria with a dash of gothic. . . . People may travel by donkey in this book, but it could have been written yesterday.” —The Guardian