La gaviota, the great Fernan Caballero Spanish novel, in a US printed edition Fernán Caballero is one of the great XIX Century Spanish novelist, considered the first to introduce the realist novel in Spain. That alone would have granted the author a place among Spanish writers, but the fact that Caballero is a pseudonim behind which stands a woman, transforms the author into a novelistic character in her own right. Cecilia Böhl de Faber's life is as fascinating as her characters. Born in Switzerland, educated in France, Cecilia Böhl became a highly successful woman writer in Spain, even regarded as the Spanish answer to Walter Scott, not a minor feat in the Spanish society of that time. La gaviota is her first novel. Originally written in French it was translated into Spanish with the author's own supervision, and immediately caught the demanding Spanish literary circles attention. Even though this is the type of books reserved to Spanish studies readings, in this edition we took care to include just the necessary annotations as to help the modern reader sail through the novel without any obstrusive lengthy interruptions. If you enjoy reading in Spanish, and admire brilliant prose, this is a book to read.