20th Century Spanish Novel

Posted on Sep 29, 2024 in Latin

1. The Novel of Exile

The authors who had to leave Spain at the end of the Civil War continued their literary work in other countries. Their work often spoke of the experience of war and longing for their country. The most notable authors were:

  • Francisco Ayala
  • Max Aub
  • Rosa Chacel
  • Ramon J. Sender (Chronicle of Dawn and Requiem for a Spanish Peasant – These novels describe the social tensions that caused the civil war, as seen from the viewpoint of the vanquished).

2. The Novel in the Forties

This period was characterized by a status of disorientation. Novels were published by some members of the Generation of ’98, alongside authors of the Franco regime and storytellers who cultivated a realistic aesthetic. The most notable trends were:

2.1 Nationalist Novel

This was the novel of the victors, who mainly depicted the ideological vision of the Falange and the vindication of certain fundamental values. Notable works of this trend include:

  • The True Infantry (1943) by Rafael García Serrano
  • Blue Shirt (1939) by Philip Ximénez de Sandoval
  • Javier Mariño (1943) by Gonzalo Torrente Ballester

2.2 Humorous and Fantasy Novel

Fantasy, humor, and the creation of imaginary worlds were resources used to reject a reality that was too terrible. A key author in this trend was:

  • Wenceslao Fernandez Florez, with works such as The Living Forest (1944)

2.3 Traditional Realist Novel

These were top postwar novels in which the life of the bourgeoisie, their values, and behaviors were the key issues. Notable authors include:

  • Juan Antonio de Zunzunegui, Ay… these children!
  • Ignacio Agustí, Mariona Rebull

2.4 Existential or Alarmist Novel

This trend described reality by highlighting the discomfort and anguish of society and individuals. Key authors include:

  • Camilo José Cela, The Family of Pascual Duarte
  • Carmen Laforet, Nada

3. Social Novel of the Fifties

This period had distinct features:

  • Spanish novels reflected reality and served as an instrument of denunciation of social injustices.
  • They were present-centered, focusing on environments such as the city, rural life, the frivolous life of the bourgeois, and the working world (hard work, poor working conditions, lousy pay, etc.).
  • The formal treatment was characterized by objectivism (excluding the author’s point of view), the predominance of dialogue, a collective protagonist reflecting the social group, a brief development of the action in tight spaces, and a simple language with short sentences and basic vocabulary.

The most notable trends were:

3.1 Critical Realism

This trend denounced social and political problems, such as the problems of rural areas, the urban working world, marginalization, and the idle bourgeoisie of the cities. The first social novels were:

  • The Hive (1951) by Camilo José Cela
  • The Wheel by Luis Romero, which won the Nadal Prize in 1951
  • Mine (1960) by Armando López Salinas
  • Two Days of September (1962) by José Manuel Caballero Bonald
  • The Trench (1961) by Alfonso Grosso
  • New Friends (1958) and Summer Storm (1961) by Juan García Hortelano
  • Central Eléctrica (1958) by Jesús López Pacheco, considered one of the best novels of critical realism
  • Juegos de Manos (1954) and Duelo en el Paraíso (1955) by Juan Goytisolo
  • Encerrado con un solo juguete (1960) by Juan Marsé
  • The Outside (1958) by Luis Goytisolo

3.2 Objectivist or Behavioral Realism

This trend showed another aspect of the real world through issues such as loneliness, frustration, or disappointment. Notable authors include:

  • Ignacio Aldecoa, The Brightness and the Blood (1954) and With the East Wind (1956)
  • Carmen Martín Gaite, Between Curtains (1958)
  • Ana María Matute, Little Theater (1954)
  • Jesús Fernández Santos, The Brave (1954) and Head Shaved (1958)
  • Rafael Sánchez Ferlosio, El Jarama (1956)

4. The Experimental Novel (1960-1975)

The experimental novel arose due to the exhaustion of the social realism novel and was influenced by the European experimental novel (authors such as Marcel Proust, James Joyce, and Franz Kafka) and the Latin American novel (authors such as Mario Vargas Llosa and Gabriel García Márquez). It was a formal and opaque novel, difficult to read and enjoyed by a minority audience. The renewal of narrative forms affected many aspects.

The main features are:

4.1 The Argument

The story told became increasingly irrelevant, and the action was minimal.

4.2 The Narrative Point of View

The narrator told the story from different points of view and from different grammatical persons (1st person, 3rd person, or even 2nd person). This technique is known as perspectivism.

4.3 Characters

The number of characters decreased, and the protagonist took on more importance. Techniques used to characterize them included interior monologue (which reflects how thinking occurs, without attempting to give it the form of verbal discourse) and free indirect style.

4.4 Time

The story was not always told linearly, and there were jumps in time, flashbacks, and flashforwards.

4.5 Space

Space became inaccurate.

4.6 The External Structure

Chapters shifted from sequences. With regard to the internal structure, the kaleidoscopic technique was used, which involved having several stories at once.

4.7 The Narrative Technique

The narrative technique removed the argument’s role. Sometimes the main story was interrupted by digressions, or stories were mixed with varied tones.

4.8 The Style

The style was innovative through changes in syntax (phrases could be too long or very short), the invention of words, the elimination of punctuation, or the arbitrary use of typography (different fonts, white space, etc.).

Various age groups coincided in the renewal of narrative techniques. The authors and their main works are:

  • Time of Silence by Luis Martín-Santos opened this new trend.
  • In 1966, three novels appeared that made a big impact and resulted in the assimilation of experimentalism: Marks of Identity by Juan Goytisolo, Últimas tardes con Teresa by Juan Marsé, and Five Hours with Mario by Miguel Delibes.
  • Among the novelists of the Generation of ’40: Delibes (Five Hours with Mario) and Cela (San Camilo 1936). The work of Torrente Ballester (La Saga/Fuga de J.B.) also stands out.
  • Among the novelists of the fifties (“the mid-century generation”), Juan Goytisolo stands out with Señas de identidad.
  • In the sixties: Juan Benet (Volverás a Región and Un viaje de invierno) and Juan Marsé (Últimas tardes con Teresa, La oscura historia de la prima Montse, and Si te dicen que caí) provided refreshing and excellent works.
  • Seventies: Most realist narrators of the fifties evolved into experimental forms. Following what Juan Goytisolo, Benet, and Marsé did in the 1960s, many were incorporated into the new narrative forms in the seventies. For example, Ana María Matute, Carmen Martín Gaite, Jesús Fernández Santos, José Manuel Caballero Bonald, and Juan García Hortelano. With them, other narrators began to stand out at this time, especially Luis Goytisolo (The Wrath of Achilles and Theory of Knowledge) and Francisco Umbral (Mortal y rosa and Trilogía de Madrid).