Catalan Literature After the Spanish Civil War: Authors & Themes
Catalan Literature After the Spanish Civil War
The political changes that began in 1939 aimed to replace all minority languages, including Catalan, with Castilian Spanish. The public use and official teaching of Catalan were banned, forcing intellectuals into exile. Some died, but most returned after 1939. Novels in Catalan slowly reappeared, though censorship continued. Works published until the early 1960s often avoided direct depictions of reality, using symbolism and myth. In the Valencian region, literary production during the postwar period favored verse. By 1959, censorship lessened, leading to a significant impact. However, linguistic normalization and the publication of novels did not fully occur until the 1970s.
Enric Valor (1911-2000)
Born in Castalla in 1911, Enric Valor dedicated himself to disseminating grammar in the Valencian region during the dictatorship, particularly verb inflections. His literary vocation materialized with the emergence of novels and Valencian tales. In the late 1970s, he began publishing the Cassana cycle of novels, recalling his youth experiences and the destruction of the Valencian landowning class. Valor did not hide class conflicts and tensions, placing value in the forefront. His novels were closely linked to the rural world, with nature playing a vital role, described realistically. His novels can be grouped into two blocks: novels of individual heroes (like L’ambició d’Aleix) and novels where the hero is replaced by a collective protagonist (the Cassana cycle).
Mercè Rodoreda (1908-1983)
In 1939, Mercè Rodoreda went into exile and dedicated herself to storytelling. She later returned to novel writing in the 1950s. In 1962, she published her most famous work, La plaça del Diamant (The Diamond Square). This novel focuses on the protagonist, exploring her history of oppression and solitude, incorporating symbolic motifs like doves. Mirall Trencat (Broken Mirror), published in 1974, is considered her masterpiece, focusing on a woman’s life within the Barcelona bourgeoisie. The main character is complex, with a tragic worldview.
Quim Monzó (1952-)
Born in Barcelona in 1952, Quim Monzó is known for his direct narrative style. His stories are based on an initial idea, often with surprise endings and comical situations. Central themes in Monzó’s narrative include existential loneliness and ironic reflections on writing. His tales are divided into two thematic poles: the life of the couple and the ironic rewriting of well-known literary episodes. The central theme of Monzó’s journalistic literature revolves around daily life.
Vicent Andrés Estellés (1924-1993)
Vicent Andrés Estellés is a leading figure in contemporary Valencian poetry. He emerged in 1953 with Ciutat a cau d’orella (City Whispered). From 1970, there was an “Estellés boom.” In 1971, he published Llibre de les meravelles (Book of Wonders). His poetry features flashbacks in the reconstruction of a carefully explained small world within his everyday life. Love and death are fundamental themes. Rather than historical realism, his work is a chronicle of the wonders of reality, such as Llibre d’exilis (Book of Exiles), a chronicle of a time of crisis. Daily reality is described with a particular stylistic and rhetorical elaboration (adjectivation, metaphorical images). Another contribution is the use of classical literary tradition, sometimes with ironic intent.