"Cárcel de amor," by Diego de San Pedro, edited by José Manuel Hidalgo and Michael J. McGrath
So little is known about the author Diego de San Pedro, but his medieval sentimental romance Cárcel de amor was a very popular work when it was written around the time Columbus was discovering the New World. The introduction to this work is an allegory of love summarizing the story, which consists mainly of letters, monologues, and speeches in place of dialogue.
The narrator, "El autor," encounters a warrior named "Desire" who is taking his prisoner to die in the "Prison of Love," a tower built upon a strong rock with four allegorical pillars of purple marble. "El Autor" uncovers the deepest emotions of the ensuing characters and acts as the intermediary between the reader and the story.
ISBN 978-1-58977-060-7 (PB) $20