Gustavo Adolfo Bécqeur is one of the finest writers in any language of tales about fantastic and supernatural occurrences and delirious and delusional states of mind. The fourteen legends, translated from Spanish to English in this volume, show Bécquer at the peak of his ability to render environments in which the human spirit expands its emotional desires in ways that can be as uplifting as they are destructive. Bécquer provides unforgettable characters placed in situations that constantly remind readers that we are never more alive than when we are on the verge of losing that which we hold most dear, be it people we love, dreams we have, or ultimately our very lives. In the Legends readers will find a preference for imaginative subject matter, an appreciation for nature and its link to human emotions, and a dwelling on individualistic and intimate thoughts and feelings. Intensifying all is the sense that Bécquer manifests a deep empathy for his characters regardless of their foibles.