"Yo con amor y pasión ninguna cosa temía": Deseo y virtud en Grisel y Mirabella.

Abstract

Sentimental fiction was an enormously popular genre in the 15th century. The works were avidly read in Castilian court circles, and translations quickly spread throughout Europe; some could even be considered the first in the "best-seller category" (Cortijo Ocaña, 2001, p. 2). The fascination the genre exerts is not surprising, because it unites adventures with heightened emotional states and moments of great drama that have at their core "love as a problem" (Cortijo Ocaña, 2001, p. 5). Part of this appeal can be found even today. At the center of sentimental fiction, we find two key authors: Diego de San Pedro with his Cárcel de amor, an essential text within the genre, and Juan de Flores, the author of the work that concerns us in this article. Grisel and Mirabella presents itself as a story that, at first glance, seems to resist conforming to generic codes, and that is why it stands out for its originality and search for innovation.