Alarcón, << `ah` lahr KOHN, >> Pedro Antonio de (1833-1891), was a Spanish author. He is best known today for his short novel The Three-Cornered Hat (1874), one of the most popular works in Spanish literature. In 1919, the Spanish composer Manuel de Falla adapted Alarcón’s tale into a famous ballet of the same name.
Alarcón based The Three-Cornered Hat on a traditional Spanish ballad. His humorous story describes the confusion that occurs when a miller believes his wife has been having an affair with the mayor of the village. The story provides a lively picture of village life in Alarcón’s native region of Andalusia. Alarcón wrote another popular short novel, Captain Venom (1881). One of his four novels, The Scandal (1875), became noted for its keen psychological insights. Alarcón also wrote travel books and short stories and essays.
Alarcón was born on March 10, 1833, in Guadix, near Granada. In 1859, he served in a Spanish military operation in Morocco. He gained his first literary recognition with A Witness’s Diary of the African War (1859-1860), a patriotic account of the campaign. He died on July 10, 1891.
