[In the following review, McKay praises Buero Vallejo's La doble historia del doctor Valmy and recommends it as part of an undergraduate curriculum.]

Buero Vallejo's nineteenth performed work has much to offer Spanish language students as a drama of provocative intensity. This edition commends itself superbly as that vehicle: it will challenge young readers, already grappling with identity crises and the meaning of social responsibility, to search further for the reality of their relationship with others. A lengthy play of symbolic realism, La doble historia del doctor Valmy deals earnestly with such themes as torture, guilt, self-deception, cowardice, evasion, human isolation, and the breakdown of caring and redeeming communication. It was written in 1964 but not performed in Spain until after Franco's death. While Buero strongly deplores the cruelty of police action under a dictatorship, he allows the reader or spectator the privilege of passing final judgment; hence, the work is particularly well suited to invite an intellectual response from thoughtful students. As a thesis work of outstanding contemporary relevance, the play's multiple levels of significance require a perceptive teacher to guide student readers to the intended awareness underlying the playwright's avowed intent to make us reflect on the anguish of who we are and what our world is really about. This is clearly not a tame piece of literature. Educators seeking a stimulating indictment of torture at any level—mental, emotional, or physical—will not be disappointed.

Apart from Buero's text, which William Giuliano has sensitively glossed with 131 footnoted Spanish-to-English explanations of terms and idioms, the editor also provides over forty pages of exercise materials. These strike a fine balance between vocabulary enhancement, textual comprehension, and thematic topics for conversation or composition. No attention is accorded grammatical problems or usage in this section, but the omission is by no means lamentable in view of the strong focus on almost exclusive target language application throughout the exercise apparatus.

Buero's play lends itself exceptionally well to classroom study and discussion. It is relatively free of irksome colloquialisms and convoluted constructions. The language flows with vivid, dramatic force and is easily adaptable to the active vocabulary of the intermediate or advanced level student. Giuliano deserves congratulations for having prepared an edition free of errata and teeming with sound, helpful exercises. This book is an intelligent contribution to undergraduate course work and is worthy of serious consideration.