La de Bringas

by Benito Pérez Galdós

"La de Bringas" by Benito Pérez Galdós is a novel published in 1884. It follows Rosalía Pipaón, wife of a royal palace employee, who has achieved her dream of living in Madrid's Royal Palace serving Queen Isabel II. But having reached her social aspirations, Rosalía cannot resist accumulating expenses to maintain appearances among the upper classes—all hidden from her thrifty husband. Set in the years before the 1868 Revolution, the novel explores middle-class social climbing and moral compromise.