20th century literature Spanish literature

1 20th century literature

1.1 generation of 1898
1.2 generation of 1914 or novecentismo
1.3 generation of 1927
1.4 spanish civil war
1.5 witnessing dictatorship (1939–1955)
1.6 economic , cultural renewal (1955–1975)
1.7 writing in democracy (1975–1999)

20th century literature
the generation of 1898

the destruction of spain s fleet in cuba u.s. gunboats in 1898 provoked general cultural crisis in spain. disaster of 1898 led established writers seek practical political, economic, , social solutions in essays grouped under literary heading of regeneracionismo . group of younger writers, among them miguel de unamuno, pío baroja, , josé martínez ruiz (azorín), disaster , cultural repercussions inspired deeper, more radical literary shift affected both form , content. these writers, along ramón del valle-inclán, antonio machado, ramiro de maeztu, , Ángel ganivet, came known generation of 98 . label outset controversial , azorín, source of origin, came reject it. nevertheless, stuck way describe group of writers turned in content more general exploration of universal middle class values characteristic of nineteenth century realism obsession questions of more national nature. articles, essays, poems, , novels exploring spanish history , geography carried existential overtones, expressing overall sense of deep malaise @ social injustice, political bungling, , cultural indifference evident in contemporary spanish society.

within matter of years, these young authors had transformed nation’s literary landscape. sure, established nineteenth century realists, such benito pérez galdós, continued write novels , theater second decade of twentieth century, and, again in case of galdós, admired new generation of writers. nevertheless, novels of unamuno, azorín, pío baroja, , valle inclán, theater of latter, , poetry of antonio machado , unamuno, definitive literary shift had taken place—a shift in both form , content—pointing towards more celebrated experimental writings of spain s vanguard writers of 1920s.

thanks azorín s designation of fellow writers “generation , contemporary critics , later literary historians catalogue , interpret arrival of new batches of authors in such generational terms next 1 hundred years. certainly, terminology possesses organizational elegance , indeed, recognizes significant impact of major political , cultural events on changing literary expressions , tastes (for example, 1898 connection, or 1927 literary celebration briefly united every major vanguard poet in spain).

the generation of 1914 or novecentismo

the next supposed “generation of spanish writers following of ´98 calls question value of such terminology. year 1914—the year of outbreak of first world war , of publication of first major work of generation s leading voice, josé ortega y gasset—a number of younger writers had established own place within spanish cultural field. leading voices include poet juan ramón jiménez, academics , essayists ramón menéndez pidal, gregorio marañon, manuel azaña, eugeni d ors, , ortega y gasset, , novelists gabriel miró, ramón pérez de ayala, , ramón gómez de la serna. while still driven national , existential questions obsessed writers of ´98, approached these topics greater sense of distance , objectivity. these writers had enjoyed more formal academic training predecessors, many taught within walls of academia, , one, azaña, become president , face of second republic. genre of choice essay , article, arguments more systematic, , tastes, more european.

in contrast unamuno s existential obsessions or machado s conceptual, earth-bound verse, juan ramón s poetry pursued more esoteric version of beauty , truth above all, while still manifesting internalized sense of existential dilemmas plagued intellectuals in first half of twentieth century. juan ramón spain s great modernist poet , maestro of coming vanguardist generation of 1927. in 1957 awarded nobel prize literature. josé ortega y gasset became spokesman , essential every generation of writers in first half of twentieth century. in essays “meditations on quijote, “the rebellion of masses, , famously, “the dehumanization of art, ortega laid out theories of art , society lucidly explained , celebrated twentieth century vanguard experimentation while holding fast elitist social vision eclipse art ironically expressed. elusive voice of generation, , arguably, unclassifiable within group novelist ramón gómez de la serna carried narrative experiments of unamuno , valle inclán absurd extremes, such in 1923 novel, el novelista, varieties of plays narrative subjectivity result in chapters envisioned through eyes , voice of street lamps. more approachable , enduring gómez de la serna s “greguerías, original form of aphorism described “humor plus metaphor.

the generation of 1927

around 1920 younger group of writers—mostly poets—began publishing works beginnings revealed extent younger artists absorbing literary experimentation of writers of 1898 , 1914. poets pedro salinas, jorge guillén, federico garcía lorca, vicente aleixandre, dámaso alonso, manuel altolaguirre likewise closely tied formal academia yet. novelists such benjamín jarnés, rosa chacel, francisco ayala, , ramón j. sender equally experimental , academic. many of generation full-time university professors, while others spent periods guest teachers , students. scholars of national literary heritage, again evidence of impact of calls of “regeneracionistas , generation of 1898 spanish intelligence turn @ least partially inwards.

this group of poets continues be, without contest, celebrated , studied of spain s twentieth century writers. work provides capstone have called “silver age of spanish letters, period began veritable explosion of novel production following bloodless coup of 1868 , come tragic end outbreak of civil war in july 1936.

the writing of supposed generation can divided 3 moments. in years work arises still out of local , national traditions, culminating in united celebration of tri-centennial of death of golden age poet luis de góngora. mid decade until arrival of spain s second republic in 1931, generation s poets reached apex of experimental writings, manifesting clear awareness of international vanguard “—isms sweeping major western capitals of day. after 1931, generation s writing increasingly displays imprint of political , social stresses lead spain s bloody civil war.

the spanish civil war

the spanish civil war, lasting july 1936 april 1939, had devastating impact on trajectory of spanish letters. in july 1936, spain @ height of silver age. every major writer of 3 major generations—1898, 1914, , 1927—was still alive , productive. of 1914 , 1927 @ height or reaching height of literary powers. several recognized among western civilization s talented , influential writers. april 1939, miguel de unamuno, antonio machado, , federico garcía lorca, among others, dead. small handful of remaining writers had fled exile, dispersed across length of american continent, never enjoy close associations of conferences, tertulias, , theater premiers had united them in pre-war madrid.

among handful of civil war poets , writers, miguel hernández stands out. young disciple , associate of generation of 1898, hernández, lorca, became martyr republican cause time post-war prisoner, fighting , writing soldier poet throughout war , languishing , dying in 1 of franco s prisons in 1942. among important works, perito en lunas (1933) pre-war surrealist days , viento del pueblo (1937), evidence of work of soldier-poet, stand out.

witnessing dictatorship (1939–1955)

the earliest years of post-war characterized more hunger, repression, , suffering significant literature. published works of period true pseudo-fascist dictator francisco franco s reactionary vision of second spanish golden age material , existential anguish facing majority of country s population of time. neo-barroque poetry , paens franco s spain satisfied censors has enjoyed no subsequent critical shelf-life.

ironically, narrative production of 1 of franco s censor s provide first sign of literary revival in post-war spain. in 1942, camilo josé cela s novel, la familia de pascual duarte, used enough experimental arrangement (temporally disjointed narrative development problematize simple accusations of political cause-effect critique; prefaces , post-scripts confuse authorial intentions) avoid censors´ cuts , present discerning spanish readers exposé of spiritually troubled, socially impoverished, , structurally violent society. cela remain next 5 decades 1 of spain s important novelists, receiving nobel prize literature in 1989.

with 1945 publication of nadal prize winning nada carmen laforet , 1947 release of miguel delibes s la sombra del ciprés es alargada, readers of intelligent spanish narrative @ last had cause hope. while fresh, joyful experimentation of spain s “silver age writers had disappeared, cela, laforet, , delibes @ least showed renewed commitment kind of writing first, connected spain s material reality, , second, stretch aesthetically in attempts capture experience.

by middle of next decade, whole new generation of novelists latching onto models laid down cela , laforet. equally influenced films of italian neorealists, novelists such luis romero (la noria, 1951), rafael sánchez ferlosio (el jarama, 1956), jesús fernández santos (los bravos, 1956), carmen martín gaite (entre visillos, 1957), ignacio aldecoa (el fulgor y la sangre, 1954), , juan goytisolo (juegos de manos, 1954) produced social realist tradition celebrated short lived.

spanish poetry experienced renewal along similar lines. dámaso alonso s poem, “insomnia (1947) captures of angst , sense of violence informed works of cela et al. , infuse spanish poetry of era:

madrid es una ciudad de más de un millón de cadáveres (según las últimas estadísticas).

a veces en la noche yo me revuelvo y me incorporo en este nicho en el que hace 45 años que me pudro,

y paso largas horas oyendo gemir al huracán, o ladrar los perros, o fluir blandamente la luz de la luna.

y paso largas horas gimiendo como el huracán, ladrando como un perro enfurecido, fluyendo como la leche de la ubre caliente de una gran vaca amarilla.

y paso largas horas preguntándole dios, preguntándole por qué se pudre lentamente mi alma,

por qué se pudren más de un millón de cadáveres en esta ciudad de madrid,

por qué mil millones de cadáveres se pudren lentamente en el mundo.

dime, ¿qué huerto quieres abonar con nuestra podredumbre?

¿temes que se te sequen los grandes rosales del día, las tristes azucenas letales de tus noches?

poems josé hierro, blas de otero, , gabriel celaya more direct, penning poems such transparent titles “canto españa (hierro), “a la inmensa mayoría (otero), or “la poesía es un arma cargada de futuro (celaya).

economic , cultural renewal (1955–1975)

however, mid-1950s, novel, new generation had experienced spanish civil war in childhood coming of age. while still informed material social , political conditions of spanish society, works of Ángel gonzález, claudio rodríguez, josé Ángel valente, josé agustín goytisolo, francisco brines, , gloria fuertes among others less politically committed. scholars differentiate these poets´ social focus 1 of communication of experience versus hierro s , celaya s representation of experience. is, while these younger poets still interested in talking spain, @ least equally focused on interactive processes of communication reader contemporaneously living these experiences. rather passively ingest poet s vision of contemporary society, poets of came called variously generation of 1956 or “of 1960s produced poetry engaged reader in interpretation if not production of vision.

by 1960s, brief social realist burst in narrative growing stale. numerous novelists took brief hiatus writing. general consensus new decade began straightforward “realism of previous decade, while manifesting brutal “truth of contemporary spanish life under franco, failed politically in directly modeled transparent discourse used authoritarian regime crush opposition these writers aspired. shaped in part french nouveau roman of writers alain robbe-grillet, french la nouvelle vague cinema of godard , truffaut, , latin american “boom , spanish novelists , poets, beginning perhaps luis martín santos s novel, tiempo de silencio (1961), returned restless literary experimentation last seen in spanish letters in 1930s. among spain s celebrated “new novels of period, juan benet s volverás región (1967), camilo josé cela s san camilo, 36 (1969), miguel delibes s cinco horas con mario (1966), juan goytisolo s called “trilogy of treason consisting of señas de identidad (1966), reivindicación del conde don julián (1970), , juan sin tierra (1975), gonzalo torrente ballester s la saga/fuga de j.b. (1972), juan marsé s si te dicen que caí (1973), , luis goytisolo s tetralogy antagonía (1973–1981) stand out. while arguably pulling spanish narrative collar relative dark of social realism towards aesthetic standards of europe s elite avant-garde, many of these novels proved unreadable of public, reality nicely embodied @ end of juan goytisolo s trilogy when deconstructed spanish prose gradually transforms unreadable arabic.

the novel s experimentation shadowed in spanish poetry. josé maría castellet s publication of nueve novísimos poetas españoles recognized group of artists works had returned century experimentation. works of pere gimferrer, guillermo carnero, , leopoldo panero, arguably important poets of group, manifest decidedly baroque style full of oblique cultural references, metapoetic devices, , other forms of extreme poetic self-consciousness spilling precious. works of new novelists, poetry select group of readers, if not exclusive poets themselves.

writing in democracy (1975–1999)

when franco @ last died in november 1975, important work of establishing democracy had immediate impact on spanish letters. elitist narrative , poetry gave way narrative , poetry interested anew in not merely teaching (via content or style) in delighting. storytelling became mantra new generation of spanish novelists. eduardo mendoza s la verdad sobre el caso savolta (1975) invited readers escape roaring 1920s of spain s pre-political, culturally vibrant silver age. while availing of various “new novel experiments such narrative fragmentation, use of mixed media, , presence of numerous contradictory narrative voices, mendoza s novel read , enjoyed adventure story romantic , dramatic appeal.

carmen martín gaite s 1978 novel, el cuarto de atrás, manifestation of happy melding of experiment old-fashioned storytelling, pulling readers down through various narrative levels explore dark memories of spain s recent political past light, ironic touch of romance novel. on next several years wealth of young new writers, among them juan josé millás, rosa montero, javier marías, luis mateo díez, josé maría merino, félix de azúa, cristina fernández cubas, enrique vila-matas, carme riera, , later antonio muñoz molina , almudena grandes, begin carving out prominent place within spanish cultural field. during 1980s, spanish narrative began appearing regularly on best seller lists first time since pre-war era , many of new generation became literary , cultural celebrities, living off work writers blessing , curses, including obligation publish or perish.

by 1990s, pressure produce large publishing houses diminishing literary promise of of these writers. on other hand, javier marías, after publishing since 1970s, achieved international fame, appearing on best-seller lists throughout europe. marías s novels corazón tan blanco (1992) , mañana en la batalla piensa en mí (1994), , ever-expanding experiment real fiction (begun 1989 s todas las almas , continued through weekly newspaper columns, 1998 s negra espalda del tiempo, , extended in 21st century trilogy, tu rostro mañana), placed him on numerous critics´ nobel prize shortlists.

the big money available through novel publishing manifest in 1990s in explosion of literary prizes, awarded in spain, unlike uk s man booker or u.s.´s pulitzer, unpublished works. literary prizes became little more publicity opportunities. long-standing planeta , nadal prizes, media events, grew in importance , remuneration. joined during decade primavera, alfaguara, , lara prizes, return of café gijón , biblioteca breve prizes. carried large sums winners , guaranteed—often obligated—long international book tours.

into economically charged mix stepped 2 new phenomena, literary superstar , literary celebrity. former entirely embodied journalist turned novelist arturo pérez reverte has managed merit critical acclaim while topping sales charts every novel writes. many of novels have been converted popular films. lesser figure far novel sales, still important overall industry literary celebrity. these celebrities range politically powerful figures antonio muñoz molina , jon juaristi brief media flashes ray loriga, josé Ángel mañas, , lucía etxchebarría. latter 3 representative members of last of twentieth century s supposed literary “generations. “generación x, critics dubbed them, brought black humor kind of post-political social realism focused principally on sex, drugs, rock-n-roll , mental illness accompanies it. these writers proved excellent marketing phenomenon. works endure doubtful.

new novelists work more endure began publishing in period include rafael chirbes, belén gopegui, david trueba, basques writers bernardo atxaga , Álvaro bermejo, galician s manuel rivas , suso de toro among others. in final decade of 1990s, then, arguably 5 generations of writers—from cela, sánchez ferlosio, mendoza, muñoz molina, generation x authors—were sharing expanding literary space of spanish narrative. notwithstanding plethora of prize money threatened drown out quality media-generated noise, spanish literary field @ end of twenieth century promising had been since 1920s.