La soledad era esto di Juan José Millás, l’universo femminile e la metamorfosi

Abstract

In this article I examine La soledad era esto by Juan José Millás. The novel, that could be called a "feminine novel", can be read as a process of reconciliation of the protagonist, Elena Rincón, with her recently deceased mother. One of the main themes is the process of metamorphosis of the protagonist who, through the breaking of the social and cultural patterns in which she felt trapped despite herself, becomes aware of the ambivalence of her body in its relationship with the world. Following an initial state of bewilderment and anguish, Elena gradually regains a faint hope, opening herself to the possibility of rebirth out of what had been left her from a life without meaning.