Spanish Post-War Literature: Cela and Delibes
Camilo José Cela: A Controversial Literary Figure
Camilo José Cela (1916-2002) was a controversial figure in Spanish literature. His narrative work often included profanity, which led some to question his ability as a novelist. However, his book The Family of Pascual Duarte (1942) was a surprising success in the context of the mediocrity of the time. Following this success, Cela wrote other novels, highlighting his efforts to find new formal models. He wrote a novel about a community of patients in Nursing Pavilion (1944) and a neo-picaresque account in New Adventures and Misadventures of Lazarillo (1944).
Journey to the Alcarria: A Glimpse into Post-War Spain
In 1948, he published one of his most important books, Journey to the Alcarria. In this work, he subtly depicted the socioeconomic situation of the Alcarria region, collected stories of people and places, and provided historical and artistic insights.
The Hive: A Collective Portrait of Madrid
In 1952, he published what is still considered his best novel, The Hive. This work, in addition to its literary merit, marked the beginning of a testimonial literature that critically focused on the realistic situation in Spain after the war. The Hive is a collective novel in which a large number of characters, more than three hundred, offer an overview of Spanish life in the early forties. Due to the large number of characters, there are some narrative peculiarities:
- The characters do not resemble those of a traditional novel. Because there are so many, the author cannot delve deeply into each one, and their stories include incomplete episodes.
- The plot is not a linear story.
- The time frame corresponds to a few days in Madrid.
- The space, as mentioned, is Madrid, but seen through the lens of the lower middle classes.
Based on these traits, Cela wrote a novel that presents a realistic view of the critical material poverty and moral misery of the locals at the time, even extending to national life in general. The approach is objective, but the reality is colored by the ironic humor of the writer. The biggest challenge for Cela was achieving a minimum of unity in the story to overcome the lack of plot. He achieved this by using a place, the café of Doña Rosa, where many characters coincide, most notably Martín Marco. After this work, Cela wrote countless novels, some more successful than others.
Miguel Delibes: A Champion of Rural Life
Miguel Delibes (1920-2010) centered his work around rural life and the mentality of the middle classes in provincial capitals. Delibes wrote a series of novels characterized by great simplicity of plot and a sober style that incorporates many words from the countryside. With these elements, he created characters of profound human quality.
Key Works by Miguel Delibes
Among his notable stories are The Road (1950), Rats (1962), and The Red Leaf. Another core concern for Delibes was nature, which he defended against indiscriminate progress in works such as Diary of a Hunter and Diary of a Migrant. Delibes also championed the values of natural intelligence and the rural world in works such as The Disputed Vote of Mr. Cayo.
Five Hours with Mario: A Reflection of Spanish Society
The analysis of the mentality of the bourgeoisie in the provinces occurs mainly in Five Hours with Mario, one of the most important novels of the post-war period. Through a soliloquy in which a widow reproaches her deceased husband’s behavior, readers discover two ways of understanding life: the reactionary view of the woman and the liberal view of her husband.