Overview of the Spanish Novel and Poetry from 1975 Onwards
Overview of the Spanish Novel and Poetry (1975 – Present)
Narrative
1. The ’68 Novelists
Coinciding with the rise of the experimental novel, a new generation of storytellers emerged, comprised of novelists born and educated during the postwar restrictions. These authors, who participated in the university protests of ’68, rebelled against the Franco regime. Their early works were influenced by the structural novel models of the sixties. Initially, they moved away from the social novel and advocated for a novel concept centered on the exploration of structure and language. Subsequently, they tended to address the problems of individuals, considered in isolation from collective reality. From there, they embarked on a thoughtful reflection on the art of the novel, leading them to abandon pure experimentalism and recover traditional narrative elements, while also recalling the achievements of the structural novel.
Authors associated with the second wave of this generation include:
- Eduardo Mendoza (The Truth About the Savolta Case)
- Francisco Umbral (Mortal and Pink)
- José Manuel Caballero Bonald (Campo de Agramonte)
- Fernando Quiñones (El amor de Soledad Acosta)
- José María Merino and Juan José Millás
- Manuel Vázquez Montalbán (who also aligned with this trend)
2. Novel Trends: 1975 to Present
From 1975 to the present, the Spanish novel has become more complex, presenting a vast array of subjects and formal qualities. This, coupled with the limited temporal perspective, makes it challenging to fully describe the fictional landscape and establish unifying trends. The convergence of four generations, the return of exiled authors (Francisco Ayala and Rosa Chacel), the rise of literary prizes, and the literary boom pose significant obstacles to critical analysis.
The following are the main trends:
- Metafiction: This involves incorporating the narrative itself as a central focus of the story. Examples include: Fragments of Revelation by Gonzalo Torrente Ballester, Wet Paper and Clutter by Juan José Millás, and The Holy Innocents by Miguel Delibes.
- Historical Novel: This trend revisits past historical events from diverse perspectives. Examples include: The Crimson Manuscript by Antonio Gala (Middle Ages), The Fencing Master by Arturo Pérez-Reverte (19th Century), Soldiers of Salamis by Javier Cercas (Civil War), The Frozen Heart by Almudena Grandes (Civil War), and Blind Sunflowers by Alberto Méndez (Civil War).
- A New Generation: A new generation of storytellers, born around the seventies, appears to be leading a novelistic shift. This includes authors like Agustín Fernández Mallo, Eloy Tizón, Isaac Rosa, Juan Bonilla, Andrés Neuman, and Javier Marías. In addition, we have other writers such as: Hermann Sierra, Vicente Luis Mora, and Javier Calvo.
Lyric
1. Generation of ’69: The Novísimos
In 1970, José María Castellet published the anthology Nuevos poetas españoles novísimos (Newest Spanish Poets), which included Pere Gimferrer, Leopoldo María Panero, José María Álvarez, Guillermo Carnero, Manuel Vázquez Montalbán, Antonio Martínez Sarrión, Félix de Azúa, Vicente Molina Foix, and Ana María Moix. This new poetic group, which proposed a shift in the prevailing aesthetic trends, became the first generation of poets born after the Civil War.
The Novísimos introduced a new sensibility rooted in the emerging consumer society that accompanied economic improvements. Educated with new elements (movies, mass media, comics, and music like pop and jazz), these writers traveled abroad frequently, drawn to foreign literature (e.g., the Greek poet C.P. Cavafy).
2. Later Generations of Poets
Following the Novísimos, new trends emerged in Spanish lyric poetry from the late ’70s onward:
- Experimental: This trend utilized techniques from the historical avant-garde (e.g., José Miguel Ullán).
- Culturalist: This poetry demonstrated a vast cultural knowledge (e.g., Antonio Colinas, Julio Martínez Mesanza, Aurora Luque).
- Metalinguistic: This style emphasized simplicity and rejected rhetoric (e.g., Andrés Sánchez Robayna, Jenaro Talens, Jaime Siles, Juan Carlos Suñén, Julia Castillo, Justo Navarro). These poets have been referred to as “poets of the professors,” due to the academic professions of many of its practitioners.
- Poetry of Consciousness: This approach viewed poetry as a form of social and even political action (e.g., Jorge Riechmann, Fernando Beltrán, Enrique Falcón, Antonio Méndez Rubio).
- Surrealism: This involved a revival of surrealism, characterized by an exuberant eroticism (e.g., Blanca Andreu and Ana Rossetti).
- Poetry of Experience: This is the most characteristic poetic trend of recent years. It involves a return to certain metrical forms (hendecasyllables and blank verse Alexandrines) combined with the use of everyday language. It features a gently elegiac tone with ironic and humorous elements. In terms of themes, it often focuses on the city, drawing from the poets’ own experiences (commonly revisiting scenes from childhood or adolescence). It exhibits a highly elaborate and elegant language, without succumbing to rhetorical excess. Authors who cultivate this poetic line include Luis García Montero, Felipe Benítez Reyes, Miguel d’Ors, Jon Juaristi, Andrés Trapiello, Luis Alberto de Cuenca, Carlos Marzal, and Vicente Gallego.