Amistades Peligrosas

'Amistades peligrosas' es un estudio erudito, fascinante y original donde Julio Gonzalez-Ruiz encuentra algo verdaderamente inesperado al analizar la obra de Lope de Vega. Este critico saca a la superficie un discurso homoerotico y subversivo. Su cuidadoso analisis de algunas cartas de Lope de Vega junto con sus magistrales lecturas de comedias tales como 'La prueba de los ingenios' (1617), 'La boda entre dos maridos' (1595-1601) y 'El meson de la corte' (1588-95) nos lleva a descubrir nuevas maneras de estudiar a Lope de Vega. Julio Gonzalez-Ruiz resalta y entrelaza topicos tales como el hermafrodita, el travestismo y las ambigueedades de la amistad masculina y del neoplatonismo para disenar nuevas lecturas del teatro del Siglo de Oro. 'Amistades peligrosas' es un libro que abre nuevas maneras de leer y nuevas vias para comprender los codigos velados en los textos auriseculares. Este libro es una original e importante aportacion a los estudios del Siglo de Oro. (Frederick de Armas, University of Chicago) 'Amistades peligrosas' is an important contribution to the understanding of gender, sexuality and the construction of masculinity in early modern Spain. What emerges from studies such as this one is a salutary and long overdue antidote against traditional scholarship on Siglo de Oro studies which has been mired for so long in debates concerning honor and honra; and philologically obsessed with polishing and preserving the texts. Professor Gonzalez-Ruiz's book asks readers to consider the articulation of a homoerotic discourse in Lope de Vega's drama. Framing the deployment of homoerotic discursivity in the conflicted relationship between the poet and his patron, the Duke of Sessa, Professor Gonzalez-Ruiz succeeds in blunting traditional objections against this sort of literary analysis. Showing the extent to which Lope's correspondence advertises already the presence of a troubled homosocial, if not homoerotic, connection between patron and poet, Professor Gonzalez-Ruiz lays the ground for his brilliantly constructed analyses of three plays. 'Amistades peligrosas' is a formidable example of the type of scholarship that is slowly but surely transforming the field of early modern Spanish literary studies. Polished, well researched, accessible, yet challenging, 'Amistades peligrosas' will delight all students and colleagues interested in novel interpretations of Golden Age texts and all those working on gender studies, queer studies, and masculinity studies. (Harry Velez Quinones, Professor of Hispanic Studies, University of Puget Sound)