DON BENITO PEREZ GALDOS. Vargas Llosa: «La vulgaridad de Pérez Galdós nos es muy atractiva hoy»? «The vulgarity of Pérez Galdós is very attractive to us today»?

Agustin Santana, 21.04.2022

Primero quiero disculparme ante el Nobel de Literatura de 2010 por escribir sobre su figura, aunque sea someramente, como tiene que ser, dada mi ignorancia y lejanía respecto de su nivel intelectual.

Como aficionado y amante de la música, de la literatura y en general de todas las artes, me ha sorprendido el titular tan contundente de Don Mario sobre la vulgaridad de Don Benito. 

Veo en el diccionario que vulgar es «lo que más abunda, que no tiene ningún rasgo o característica original o especial, un hombre vulgar, del montón»

Lamento tener que decirle, Don Mario,  que me he añurgado con la falta de afinidad y entendimiento que ha expresado en su célebre frase. Si hubiese sido otra persona la que anunció tan alegremente esa diatriba sobre Don Benito me habría dicho que no tiene mayor importancia, que seguramente le falta un chaparrón y por tanto no hay que tenerlo en cuenta.

Pero resulta que desde mi punto de vista aficionado me ha sorprendido la dureza de sus conclusiones y la condescendencia con la que explica su opinión sobre Don Benito. Creo humildemente que Don Benito representa como nadie al Madrid del siglo XIX, bullicioso, alegre, con dos guerras encima, con cambios de dicataduras a repúblicas. Un Madrid castigado por duros acontecimientos pero lleno de bares, de tabernas, de costumbres.

No me atrevo a sugerirle un libro pero le comento que el magnífico trabajo de Yolanda Arencibia «Galdós: una biografía» es un repaso exhaustivo por la vida y obra de Don Benito Pérez Galdós.

Con todos los respetos Don Mario termino diciendo que…… estás bonito,  arráyate un millo, y que es muy sano ir a pulpiar a la marea.

ENGLISH

First of all, I would like to apologise to the 2010 Nobel Literature Prize winner for writing about him, albeit briefly, as it should be, given my ignorance and distance from his intellectual level.
As a fan and lover of music, literature and all the arts in general, I was surprised by Don Mario’s blunt headline about the vulgarity of Don Benito. 
I see in the dictionary that vulgar is «that which is most abundant, which has no original or special trait or characteristic, a vulgar man, a common man».
I am sorry to have to tell you, Don Mario, that I was shocked by the lack of affinity and understanding that you expressed in your famous phrase. If it had been someone else who had so blithely announced that diatribe about Don Benito, he would have told me that it is of no great importance, that he is probably missing a shower and therefore should not be taken into account.
But it turns out that from my amateur point of view I was surprised by the harshness of his conclusions and the condescension with which he explains his opinion of Don Benito. I humbly believe that Don Benito represents like no one else the Madrid of the 19th century, bustling, cheerful, with two wars on top of it, with changes from dictatorships to republics. A Madrid punished by harsh events but full of bars, taverns and customs.
I do not dare to suggest a book, but I would like to comment that Yolanda Arencibia’s book «Galdós: a biography» is an exhaustive review of the life and work of Don Benito Pérez Galdós.
With all due respect, Don Mario, I would like to end by saying that you look beautiful, take a millet, and that it is very healthy to go to pulpiar a la marea.