Laiglesia González, Álvaro de

b. 1922, San Sebastián; d. 1981, Manchester (England)

   Writer

   Gaining fame as a comic writer in the tremendismo movement of the 1940s, in which brutal realism and gratuitous violence predominated, Laiglesia served many years as the director of the weekly newspaper La Codorniz. He published more than thirty novels and collections of short stories, as well as collaborating on theatrical pieces, all in a comic vein. His writings are characterized by a humorous, agile style, and often ironically satirize social mores. Several pieces incorporate unconventional subject matter that ranges from Spain's tourism industry, heavily regulated during the Franco regime, to life in the hereafter. All of his works have enjoyed wide popular success, often having three or four printings the first year and going into some twenty editions. Laiglesia's career as a writer began early as he sent off narratives to children's magazines, and soon thereafter expanded to articles submitted to a humour periodical published in the Nationalist zone during the Spanish Civil War. He later served as a soldier and newspaper correspondent in Franco's army before beginning his novelistic career. Some of his more popular works include La mosca en mi sopa (The Fly in My Soup), which appeared in 1944, La gallina de las huevos de plomo (The Hen Who Laid Lead Eggs), Todos los ombligos son redondos (All Bellybuttons are Round) from the 1950s and his last novel from 1980, Morir con las medias puestas (Dying with Your Stockings On), an appropriate final work from a writer who continued producing up until his death. He also contributed frequently to the series entitled Maestros de humor (Masters of Humour). In many cases, his incorporation of slang and popular language into titles such as Dios le ampare, imbécil (God Help You, Idiot) (1957) and Tú también naciste desnudito (You Too Were Born Naked) (1961), make abundantly clear the humorous intent of the novelist, as well as explain his appeal to a wide audience. He began writing dramas in 1946, collaborating with Miguel Mihura, to stage El caso de la mujer asesinadita (The Case of the Slightly Murdered Woman). This rather off-beat murder mystery received favourable critical commentary for its originality. In the late 1940s he again collaborated to produce the farce, Las sombreros de dos picos (The Two-Cornered Hat), supposedly aimed at the chaos of modern society. The comedy El drama de la familia invisible (The Drama of the Invisible Family) (1949), a collabora-tive effort with Janos Voszany, featured the novelty of leading characters who never appear on stage. "La Cordorniz" sin jaula. Datos para la historia de una revista ("The Quail" Without a Cage. Facts for the History of a Magazine), published the year of his death, offers readers a history of Laiglesia's years as editor of this publication. While critics have admired Laiglesia's original, lively, and funny style, they have dedicated no in-depth study to his works, labelling them amusing and entertaining, with great popular appeal, but lacking in transcendental value or high literary quality.

   FRIEDA H. BLACKWELL