Mercè Rodoreda and the Evolution of the Valencian Novel
Mercè Rodoreda: Exile and Literary Realism
Biographical Influences
Mercè Rodoreda’s (Barcelona, 1908 – Romagna Forest, 1983) literary production is deeply linked to her biography, marked by significant cultural and political events. Her work transcends modern Western literature, reflecting the contemporary experience of war and exile.
Rodoreda’s novels are cornerstones of modern Catalan literature. Like other authors of her generation, her work is profoundly shaped by the Spanish Civil War—a conflict that shattered lives, loves, and families, leading to suffering, destruction, and displacement. The experience of exile pushes the boundaries of literary realism, insufficient to fully grasp the world evoked in her books and characters. However, Rodoreda’s work also reflects on love and femininity.
The Impact of Exile
The war profoundly impacted Rodoreda’s life. Between 1933 and 1934, she worked as a journalist, interviewing writers and publishing her first novels. The war, however, marked the beginning of her true narrative voice, evident in Aloma (1938), an autobiographical novel she would rewrite thirty years later. While La Plaza del Diamante (1962) seemingly avoids the theme of exile, its protagonist, Colometa, represents the anonymous masses who were not exiled. Yet, the novel reflects Rodoreda’s life experiences, intellectual growth, and political and literary learning, shaped by her time in France and Geneva.
Her later works (Viatges i flors [1980], Quanta, quanta guerra… [1980], La mort i la primavera [1986]) feature exiled soldiers and vulnerable individuals in no man’s land. Rodoreda masterfully employs first-person narration, monologue, and interior monologue.
Exile permeates Rodoreda’s work, giving it profound meaning. In Geneva, she developed early versions of La Plaza del Diamante (1962), Jardí vora el mar (1967), Mirall trencat (1974), and La mort i la primavera (1986). In the 1950s, she chose to write La Plaza del Diamante, using exile as a space for reconstructing narrative memory.
Exile granted Rodoreda the freedom to redefine family and motherhood. She enjoyed significant creative freedom, unburdened by concerns about commercial success.
The Valencian Novel: 1970s to Present
A Changing Literary Landscape
The early 1970s Valencian novel lacked vitality (e.g., Joan Fuster’s Una gràcia peculiar [1972]). However, as young writers discovered new models from other language areas, the scene began to change. By 1974, two trends emerged: the”novel of chang” (e.g., Amadeu Fabregat’s Assaig d’aproximació a uns falcons fets amb foc boig [1974]) and the evolved realist novel (e.g., Joan F. Mira’s El bou de foc [1974]).
The”novel of chang” subverted traditional narrative conventions through text manipulation and the juxtaposition of opposing ideological viewpoints. By manipulating the code, novelists aimed to immerse the reader in the text itself, avoiding explicit argumentation. These novels often featured:
- Political criticism and the demand for freedom (condemnation of the Franco regime)
- Dissent (defense of homosexuality)
- A break with traditional values (exaltation of youth marginality and sexual freedom)
- A desire for modernity and universalism
Other authors, however, favored realism, creating accessible narratives for a wider audience. These often included nostalgic narratives set in rural, pre-industrial settings, focusing on lost childhood memories and the recovery of language.
Influences and Consolidation
Around 1980, several factors contributed to a more eclectic Valencian narrative:
- Influence of novels like El dia que va morir Marilyn (Terenci Moix, 1969), Oferir flors als rebels que van fracassar (Oriol Pi de Cabanyes, 1973), La sal de l’adolescència (Biel Mesquida, 1975), and the French nouveau roman (Alain Robbe-Grillet, 1963), as well as South American writers like Julio Cortázar (Rayuela, 1963) and Guillermo Cabrera Infante (Tres tristes tigres, 1967).
- Further examples of the”novel of change” including works by Isa Tròlec (La rostida de Ramona, 1976), Josep Lluís Seguí (Un ritual espacial, 1978), Ferran Torrent (El coll de la serp, 1978), and Lluís Ferrandez (L’anarquista nu, 1979).
- Evolved realist novels by Joan F. Mira (El cuc de seda, 1975), Carmelina Sánchez-Cutillas (Qüestió d’Anglaterra, 1976), Isa Tròlec (Mari Catúfols, 1978), and Josep Piera (Comèdia de retorn, 1978).
Other factors included improved education, a growing readership, language normalization, a stronger publishing industry, increased writer interaction, and greater professionalization.
A New Era
Josep Lozano’s historical novel, Crimen en Germània (1980), and Joan F. Mira’s El desig dels dies (1981), ushered in a new period marked by:
- The decline of the experimentalism of the”novel of change”
- The continued evolution of realism.
- The publication of diverse genres: historical novels, thrillers, and erotic novels.