Evolution of Spanish Narrative: From Post-War Realism to Modern Experimentation
Spanish Narrative After 1939
The Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) profoundly shaped subsequent cultural activity. Literature became an escape for some and a tool for denunciation for others. During the 1940s, authors such as Camilo José Cela with The Family of Pascual Duarte (1942), Carmen Laforet with Nada (1944), and Miguel Delibes with The Shadow of the Cypress Is Long (1947) initiated a literature committed to realism. Following authors replicated these narrative models, reflecting Spanish society of the 1940s and 1950s. Censorship and limited access to foreign novels confined the novel to social content and veiled criticism of the Franco regime.
The Novel of the Sixties: Social Concern and Experimentation
The socially engaged novel persisted in the 1960s, but a shift towards experimentation and renewal emerged. Authors like Luis Goytisolo and Juan Goytisolo spearheaded new trends. Spanish writers drew inspiration from European authors (Proust, Kafka, Joyce), Americans (Faulkner, Dos Passos), and Latin Americans (Vargas Llosa, Cortázar, García Márquez), resulting in more complex and experimental novels, often aimed at intellectually sophisticated readers. Innovations extended beyond plot and structure to include unconventional punctuation, paragraph breaks, and genre mixing. The goal was not solely social denunciation but also formal beauty. Experimentation incorporated elements like perspectivism and non-linear storytelling. Three novels exemplify these trends: Time of Silence (1962) by Luis Martín Santos, Marks of Identity (1966) by Juan Goytisolo, and Return to the Region by Juan Benet.
The Novel from the Seventies to Today
Narrative moved away from pure experimentalism, returning to plot and intrigue – a so-called ‘return to narrative’ – but without reverting to 19th-century realism or strict social realism. Realistic settings framed individual character concerns. Contemporary novels utilize technical innovations from the 1960s and diverse traditions: thrillers, adventure, etc. They employ third-person narration, first-person narration, interior monologue, linear storytelling, and chronological disorder.
The Spanish novel of the last twenty years encompasses various genres:
- Love stories
- Adventure
- Thrillers
- Fantasy
- Psychological thrillers
- Historical fiction
- Autobiographical novels
Eduardo Mendoza’s The Truth About the Savolta Case (1975) marked a new direction. Other notable works include The Mystery of the Haunted Crypt, The Labyrinth of the Olives, and The City of Wonders. Other significant authors focusing on plot include: Javier Marías (When I Was Mortal), Luis Mateo Díez (The Fountain of Age), Manuel Vázquez Montalbán (Murder in the Central Committee), and Antonio Muñoz Molina (Beatus Ille 1986, Winter in Lisbon 1987, The Polish Rider 1991, Beltenebros 1989, Full Moon 1997).
Novelistic Genres
- Historical Reenactment: Following the success of Umberto Eco’s The Name of the Rose, examples include Miguel Delibes’ The Heretic (set during the Inquisition) and Arturo Pérez Reverte’s The Fencing Master, The Club Dumas, and The Flanders Panel.
- Lyrical and Moving Novel: Francisco Umbral’s Mortal and Pink.
- Imaginary Realism: Luis Landero’s Games of the Late Age (1989), Julio Llamazares’ Yellow Rain (1988) – a monologue by the last inhabitant of a village doomed by a reservoir.
- Psychological Story: Disorder in Your Name by Juan José Millás.
- Autobiographical Novel: A Heart So White by Javier Marías.
Many novels addressed the Franco years and the fight against the dictatorship (The Moon River by José María Guelbenzu) and the disillusionment with the political transition (The Gods Themselves by Juan José Armas Marcelo). A trend among younger authors involved portraying urban youth issues with a countercultural aesthetic (Stories from the Kronen by José Ángel Mañas, Ray Loriga’s Heroes, and Lucía Etxebarria’s Sex, Prozac, and Doubts).
Later Poetry to 1939
Years 60 and 70
In the late 1950s, a group of poets emerged who, while addressing social issues, sought greater elaboration of poetic language and a shift from the collective to the personal. For them, the poem was an instrument for understanding the world and oneself. These poets, known as the Generation of the Sixties, include Ángel González, Jaime Gil de Biedma, José Ángel Valente, Francisco Brines, and Claudio Rodríguez. Common themes include:
- Reflection on the passage of time (time passes and destroys; childhood and adolescence as a lost paradise).
- Love as a conduit of eroticism and friendship.
- Reflection on poetic creation.
Some poems address social and political issues, but with irony, self-distancing, and stylistic perfection. Conversational language is combined with meticulous purification and concentration of words. Each poet sought a personal, new, and solid language, generally avoiding avant-garde experiments. Irony is frequently employed.