In Anfitrionas. Crónicas and cronistas of salons. 1890-1930, written by Marisol Donis, we are presented with a past world of high-class society people. Its focus is on major social events, which often took place in the homes of illustrious hostesses who would regularly open their doors to guests. Subsequently, these events were reflected upon by chroniclers in newspapers allowing a larger number of people to become aware of the ostentatious happenings.
Before continuing with the evaluation of the work it is necessary to make a brief biographical note about its author. Marisol Donis is a pharmacist from the Central University of Venezuela and the Complutense University of Madrid, and a criminologist from the latter university. Her works on crime and black chronicles at the end of the 18th century and beginning of the 19th have led to an analytical interest in the gossip press. Her training is evident in her work, for her interest in the personal motivations of the historical figures she analyzes, allowing the reader to delve beyond the heart figure.
The book is divided into six sections. The first two correspond to the figures that made possible the existence of the chronicles. The first chapter, which seems to have been the one that most motivated the author to write the book, analyzes individually the main hostesses of these social events. In the second section, the figure of the chroniclers is treated, i.e., the writers who described those situations in newspapers. Among the most prominent figures analyzed in this part of the work are Emilia Pardo Bazán (1851-1921), who appears both as a hostess and a chronicler, and the figure of Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer (1836-1870).
The other four sections are dedicated to different types of events that were recorded in the chronicles. First, weddings are highlighted as the most ostentatious events, including those of Antonio Cánovas del Castillo (1828-1897) and the Dukes of Alba (grandparents of the current title holder). Subsequently, dances and living pictures are analyzed. Thirdly, some social acts such as taking the pillow (which great ladies did before the queen), theater evenings, and finally visits to the hippodrome and participation in fairs are discussed. The last section, titled "Not all was rosy", deals with other controversial events, such as family trials, unrequited love, and scandals. It includes among these scandals the first Marquises of Linares, who although they led a life usual for their rank, rumors circulated from the 1990s about an incestuous relationship and the murder of a presumed common daughter. Marisol Donis refutes this story and presents the true history of this marriage, which she considers beloved and respected by all.
In addition to the stories already highlighted, other ones mentioned in this book should be noted as they offer a new perspective on the era. These are events and/or biographies that go against the archetypal image of how life was lived at that time, which most people adhered to. Among these exceptions is the unconcern shown by the Countess of Campo Alange (1809-1883), who acknowledged it saying "my tongue is my civil guard"; or the open homosexuality of aristocrat Gloria Laguna (1878-1949) and the third Marquis of Vinent (1884-1940).
Possibly, one of the most positive aspects of this book are its photographs, a product of extensive research and selection from twenty-nine different sources between institutions and individuals. These images, of great quality, make reading more immersive, allowing to appreciate in detail how some events and characters mentioned were.
It is an enjoyable, entertaining, and didactic read that manages to keep the reader's attention throughout its pages. The author succeeds in doing a great job of historical dissemination by combining the rigor of events with an accessible and attractive style. In this way, the book transcends mere narration to offer a solid and well-documented point of view.
In conclusion, this book is not just a collection of anecdotes but rather an analysis of the impact that events of the elites had on the rest of society. Throughout its pages, differences are appreciated between behaviors considered correct or incorrect, what people expected to read in those chronicles and how the protagonists of these stories lived, among others.
As the author concludes herself, the world today is very different. High-birth women do not resemble late 19th and early 20th-century hostesses, and events that now capture the attention of the gossip press are incomparable with past chronicles. However, this world must be remembered and studied, like any other aspect of our past. Only remains to conclude this review with the words with which Marisol Donis begins her book: "The social chronicle has died, long live the social chronicle."
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