Miguel de Unamuno, Pío Baroja, and Azorín: Spanish Literature
Miguel de Unamuno (1864 – 1936)
Born in Bilbao, Miguel de Unamuno studied philosophy and literature in Madrid. He was exiled due to disagreements with the dictatorship of Primo de Rivera and later served as a representative for the Republic. He died in Salamanca and is regarded as one of the most brilliant and profound intellectuals in Spanish culture.
Key Works
Unamuno’s work is an essential reference not only for the Generation of ’98 but for all of Spanish literature. The Basque writer cultivated various genres, from essays to novels, without neglecting poetry or drama.
Essays
His essays reflect on two main issues: the meaning of life and the afterlife.
- The Agony of Christianity (1931)
- The Tragic Sense of Life (1913)
These works address the problem of God, the agonizing sense of existence, immortality, and related themes.
- The Concern for Spain
- Around Casticismo (1895)
- Life of Don Quixote and Sancho (1905)
Novels
Before 1897 (Year of a Serious Religious Crisis)
- Peace in War (1897): Develops the concept of “intra-history” to describe everyday, anonymous events.
From 1897 to 1914 (Era of Obsession with Religious Themes)
Key themes include anguish, the struggle between reason and faith, and concern for immortality.
- Love and Pedagogy (1902)
From 1914 to 1936 (Stage of His Major Novels)
- Mist (1914)
- Aunt Tula (1921)
- San Manuel Bueno, Martyr (1933)
Pío Baroja
Work
Before 1912
This stage is considered his most prolific and varied. Critics regard it as his best work, moving towards perfection.
- The Tree of Science (1911): Through its two main characters, Fernando Osorio and Andrés Hurtado, it constructs archetypal character studies.
- Zalacaín the Adventurer (1909)
- The Concerns of Shanti Andía (1911): Considered one of his most interesting works.
After 1912
Baroja wrote novels of different styles and themes, such as Memories of a Man of Action, which consists of 22 works.
His work is grouped into cycles, the most important of which are:
- “Basque Country”: Zalacaín the Adventurer
- “Life-Fantastic”: Paradox, King
- “The Struggle for Life”: The Weeds
Style
Baroja considered the novel an open genre that could incorporate many different techniques. A key feature of his novels is the lack of a traditional plot. The novels are character-driven, with everything revolving around a protagonist whose life evolves into a predictable failure. Other characters serve as aesthetic ornaments. His style is simple, precise, and sober. The apparent simplicity can sometimes appear rude. He is a master of impressionistic description, dialogue, and the management of a sour mood. His influence was decisive on writers such as Camilo José Cela.
Azorín
Work
Azorín’s literary development mirrors the same disenchantment seen in the evolution of most of his contemporaries. They all lament the reality around them and recognize the difficulties in changing it. His novelistic production is particularly noteworthy, especially his three autobiographical novels:
- The Will (1902)
- Antonio Azorín (1903)
- Confessions of a Young Philosopher (1904)
Other significant works include:
- The People (1905): A social outcry from an Alicante writer.
- Spanish Readings (1912): Aims to revitalize the classics.
- Valencia (1941): A book of memories.
Style
His style is characterized by purity, accuracy, presence, and short, forceful, markedly impressionistic phrases.