Evolution of Spanish Novels: Realism to Modernity
Novel 50: Social Realism
The alarmist and introspective novel evolves into a social novel, seeking objectivity through detailed descriptions of environments. It manifests a critical attitude towards society. Novelists opposed to the regime feel the need for commitment to transform the political system. This shift in narrative renewal is led by The Hive (1951) by Camilo José Cela (1926), not published in Spain until 1962 due to censorship. The action takes place in Madrid, in a sordid environment dominated by poverty, lack of solidarity, fear, and sex, with hardly a silver lining of hope. This questions the triumphalistic idea of the Franco regime. An example of the “objectivist” technique is El Jarama (1956) by Rafael Sánchez Ferlosio, detailing a group of friends on a leisure day, recreating their vulgarity and alignment through realistic dialogue.
Other works in realism include:
- The Light and Blood (1954) by Ignacio Aldecoa (1925-69), chronicling the lives of civil guards’ wives.
- La Noria (1951) by Luis Romero (1916), showing Barcelona’s strata after the civil war.
- El Camino (1950) and Red Leaf (1959) by Miguel Delibes, evoking children’s lives and addressing old age, respectively.
Novel 60
From 1962, social realism declined, and new trends emerged due to:
- Attenuation of censorship law (1966).
- Publication of novels by exiled authors.
- The boom in Latin American narrative.
- Rise of structuralism and formalism.
Authors increased subjectivism, left social issues, and experimented with narrative techniques like first person, indirect speech, and sudden jumps in time. Luis Martín Santos (1924-1964) led with Time of Silence (1962), recounting a young medical researcher’s failure. Similar works include Five Hours with Mario (1966) by Miguel Delibes and San Camilo 1936 (1966) by Camilo José Cela. Mid-century authors (born in the 30s) incorporated new directions. Juan Benet published Return to Region in 1966, with a complex structure. Juan Marsé’s Last Evenings with Teresa (1966) maintained social-critical content but with non-realistic techniques. Juan Goytisolo’s Marks of Identity (1968) deployed new techniques.
Novel from 1975
The Truth About the Savolta Case (1975) by Eduardo Mendoza started a trend change, valuing good arguments over experimental techniques. The generation of ’68 (or ’75) included Eduardo Mendoza with City of Marvels (1987), Manuel Vázquez Montalbán with the Carvalho detective series, José María Merino with The Gold of Dreams (1986), Juan José Millas with Loneliness Was This (1990), and Javier Marías with All Souls (1987).
The ’80s generation showed detachment from political issues, being more cosmopolitan. Authors include Arturo Pérez-Reverte (The Fencing Master, Captain Alatriste), Antonio Muñoz Molina (Beltenebros, The Polish Rider). Novels written by women rose, including Soledad Puértolas (If Evening Came the Messenger), Almudena Grandes (The Ages of Lulu), and Esther Tusquets (Honey on the Lips, Pink Montee). Currently, established authors like Camilo José Cela, Delibes, Antonio Pérez Reverte, and Antonio Gala continue to write.