Spanish Novel: 1960s Evolution to Present
Spanish Novel: From the 1960s to the Present
The 1960s: Beyond Social Realism
In the 1960s, Spanish novelists began moving away from the social realist novel of the previous decade, experimenting with new narrative forms. This tendency led to more complex novels, moving away from the simple, testimonial realist tale. Authors looked to figures like Proust, Joyce, and Kafka for inspiration. Latin American novelists of the 1960s, such as Vargas Llosa, Cortázar, and Gabriel García Márquez, also became models.
Novels of the 1960s tended to be more intricate, experimental, and opaque, requiring the reader’s active collaboration for interpretation. This renewal affected various aspects of the narrative, including point of view and time structure.
A key work in this narrative renewal was Tiempo de silencio (Time of Silence), published in 1962 by Luis Martín-Santos. This novel revolutionized the literary scene due to its formal innovations. This work marks the beginning of a new stage in Spanish literature, characterized by an experimental style that extended until 1975.
Tiempo de silencio departs completely from the realism of its time. It is an intellectual and challenging work. While maintaining social criticism, it also incorporates cultural criticism, employing irony and sarcasm to express the author’s profound dissatisfaction with his surroundings. The work also reflects an existential tone, portraying human life as something incomprehensible.
The novel’s plot is serialized, with elements of detective fiction. The novelist’s treatment of this historical perspective is original, characterized by irony and sarcasm. The author juxtaposes vulgar or degraded elements with prestigious cultural references, employing a majestic and elaborate tone. The narrative point of view is striking, combining an omniscient perspective with interior monologue, objective descriptions, dialogues, and essayistic digressions.
Tiempo de silencio signifies the end of social realism and the beginning of a more formally ambitious novel, reflecting a different conception of literature. While retaining a critical social vision, it abandons the illusion of committed literature, which trusted in the revolutionary capacity of art.
From the 1980s to the Present
Since the mid-1970s, there has been a decline in the experimental fervor. From the 1980s onward, the novel embraced a more traditional and intimate narrative, dominated by action, adventure, or intrigue.
In the 1980s, a certain fatigue with the originality of previous experiments is detected, leading to their more moderate use. There is some confusion in the overall aesthetic, as different styles from the period are mixed. However, two major trends emerge: one that recovers intimacy and focuses its interest on the story (novels of history, adventure, and intrigue), and another that maintains a degree of experimentalism. Social concerns diminish.
In general, the novel becomes more traditional and simpler in structure, linear in time, with a clear plot and characters. Style returns to serving the story, and plots regain their prominence. Part of this trend includes authors who began publishing in the late 1960s, such as Eduardo Mendoza, Javier Marías, Javier Tomeo, José María Merino, and Luis Landero.
Types of Novels
- Historical Novel: A genre that abundantly recreates events from the past. Examples include *The City of Marvels* by Eduardo Mendoza. This category may also include narratives with an autobiographical tone and memoirs.
- Experimental Novel: Employs different points of view, alternating between the narrator and characters. Features interior monologue. Disrupts the timeline of the narrative, using techniques of going back and forth in time. Presents innovative treatment of language in the style of surrealism, showcasing the breakdown of the logic of speech and syntax. The external structure departs from the classic, traditional division into chapters. Examples include *School of Mandarins* by Miguel Espinosa and *The Dark Side of the Heart* by José María Merino.
- Lyrical Novel: Focuses on intimate experiences. Examples include *Central Air* by José María Merino and *The River of Oblivion* by Julio Llamazares.
- Intrigue Novel: Centers on suspense and mystery. Examples include *The Dumas Club* by Arturo Pérez-Reverte and *The City of Marvels* by Eduardo Mendoza.