Key Spanish Authors and Their Literary Contributions
Juan Valera
Born in a village of Cordova, of high social class, Juan Valera was a diplomat who traveled extensively. He primarily wrote novels in a simple, elegant style, focusing on the psychological study of characters, especially women. His main work, Pepita Jiménez, is written in the form of letters.
Benito Pérez Galdós
Born in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Benito Pérez Galdós later moved to Madrid, where he lived and worked. His novels are typically divided into three groups:
- National Episodes: A series of 46 volumes chronicling the history of Spain in the nineteenth century.
- Novels of the First Period: These works examine characters psychologically and delve into political and religious issues.
- Contemporary Novels: Closer to naturalism, these novels describe settings and characters typical of Madrid at the time. Fortunata y Jacinta, a notable example, explores the love between a wealthy bourgeois man and Fortunata, and his marriage to Jacinta, who cares for the illegitimate child.
Leopoldo Alas “Clarín”
Born in Zamora, Leopoldo Alas, known as “Clarín,” was a professor of law at Oviedo, where he lived until his death. He was a man of republican ideals. His work is grouped into three blocks:
- Articles of Literary Criticism: Published in newspapers and later collected in books.
- Tales: Approximately 70 short stories.
- Novels: Highlights include La Regenta, which provides an environmental analysis of Vetusta, a hypocritical and corrupt city. The main character, Ana Ozores, wife of the Vetusta ruler, is dominated by her confessor and ultimately falls into the trap of the city’s seductive nature.
Emilia Pardo Bazán
Born in Corunna and died in Madrid, Emilia Pardo Bazán traveled extensively and is considered a proponent of naturalism. Her favorite subjects include the contrast between rural and urban settings. Major works include Los Pazos de Ulloa and Madre Naturaleza.
Juan Ramón Jiménez
A prominent modernist Spanish writer, Juan Ramón Jiménez was born in Moguer (Huelva) and gained recognition after the civil war. He was a celebrated poet, receiving the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1956. His most popular books include Platero y Yo, Total Station, and God Desired and Desiring. He strived for perfection in form and beauty, often focusing on poetry as the poet’s creation, akin to a god of poetry.
Antonio Machado
Born in Seville, Antonio Machado was a French teacher in Soria. He married Leonor, who died suddenly, filling the author and his work with sadness. He died in exile. His major lyrical works explore:
- Existential concerns, death, and the passage of time.
- Feelings and emotions.
- The people of Castile and its landscape.
His most important works include Soledades, Galerías y Otros Poemas, which faithfully reflect his feelings, as well as Campos de Castilla, which reflects his concern for Spain, and Nuevas Canciones, where he expresses his longing for his wife.
Miguel de Unamuno
Born in Bilbao, Miguel de Unamuno was exiled and died in Salamanca during the Civil War. He was a great storyteller and essayist. The subjects treated in his works include the problems of Spain and its modernization while maintaining its identity, as well as the sense of life. He wrote works such as San Manuel Bueno, Mártir, which explores the anguish of the human face of immortality, God, and religion, and The Tragic Sense of Life, an essay.
Pío Baroja
Born in San Sebastian, Pío Baroja studied medicine but dedicated himself to literature. He primarily wrote fiction, including novels and short stories. His prose often uses autobiographical elements and is marked by a pessimistic view of human existence and the reality of the country. Baroja’s style is based on formal simplicity, the use of short sentences, and dynamism in action.