INFERNO was first published in Spain in 1884. It forms part of Galdos's panoramic series of novels about contemporary Madrid social life and the Bringas family, inspired by the novels of Balzac and Zola. INFERNO follows the fortunes of Amparo, a destitute orphan who, in spite of her snobbish relatives' jealousy, is singled out by opulent Augustin. However, Amparo has a dark secret - she has had a torrid affair with a priest who refuses to leave her alone. The stuff that pulp fiction is made of, Amparo's tale becomes fodder for a hack writer who guesses, incorrectly at the outcome.