Spanish Experimental Novel: 1960s-1970s Literary Innovations
The Experimental Novel of the 1960s and 1970s
The experimental novel, prominent in the 1960s and 1970s, emphasized how things are said rather than simply what is said. Self-referential writing is one of its main themes. This novel reacted against the social realism of the 1950s and broke with the earlier linear narrative. In linear narrative, events follow a normal chronological order (past, present, and future).
In contrast, the experimental novel frequently features structural breaks, moving forwards and backwards. In the 1960s, a series of narrative techniques were incorporated, derived from both Anglo-Saxon and Hispano-American novels.
Influential Authors and Techniques
- Anglo-Saxon Authors: James Joyce, Virginia Woolf
- Hispano-American Authors: Gabriel García Márquez, Mario Vargas Llosa
The most important narrative technique of the time is the interior monologue. The interior monologue directly captures the syntax and thoughts of characters, often chaotic and disordered. Luis Martín Santos’s novel Tiempo de Silencio (published in 1962) is considered the first Spanish novel to extensively use interior monologue. This technique cyclically reflects the obsessions of the characters in the experimental novel.
The experimental novel requires an active reader; it is not a novel for the general public. The interpretation of these novels is often uncertain, requiring the reader to act as a co-author. Despite its innovations, the experimental novel did not initially achieve widespread commercial success.
Juan Goytisolo: A Pioneer of the Experimental Novel
Juan Goytisolo was one of the first writers to successfully embrace the experimental novel. In the 1950s, as a social realist, he wrote several novels, believing that literature should reflect society’s problems. He was also a member of the Communist Party. Notable works from this period include Duelo en el Paraíso, Juegos de Manos, and Para Vivir Aquí.
In the 1960s, he emigrated to Paris, where he shifted his aesthetic and began writing experimental novels. He left Spain for two main reasons: the Franco regime’s usual censorship and his homosexuality, which was not accepted by either the communists or the Francoists.
His 1966 novel, Señas de Identidad, reviews his own life and the history of Spain. His central idea was to portray the ideological persecution that forced many to leave Spain throughout the centuries. In this novel, the protagonist expresses an inner monologue upon returning to Barcelona, conflicting with his own roots as he feels like a stranger. Goytisolo frequently employed self-reflexive techniques.
Juan Benet and the Mythical Region
Juan Benet was instrumental in introducing William Faulkner’s work to Spain. He was a friend of Luis Martín Santos and influenced the use of interior monologue in Tiempo de Silencio. When Martín Santos published Tiempo de Silencio, Benet was already preparing his own novel, Volverás a Región. Benet, who read extensively in English, shared his Anglo-Saxon novels with Luis Martín Santos.
Región is a mythical space invented by Juan Benet. Before Benet, other authors like Juan Rulfo and Gabriel García Márquez had also created mythical spaces. However, the true inventor of this concept was William Faulkner, who set his novels in an invented Southern U.S. county called Yoknapatawpha.
The Generation of ’98: Responding to National Crisis
The year 1898 marked a profound disaster that deeply affected Spanish history and culture in the 20th century. Spain was humiliated by the U.S. Navy in Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines. The loss of these colonies starkly revealed Spain’s backwardness compared to major European powers like England, France, and Germany.
The writers of the Generation of ’98 reacted against this humiliation by creating a body of literature dedicated to addressing the so-called “problems of Spain.” These writers include:
- Miguel de Unamuno
- Pío Baroja
- José Martínez Ruiz (Azorín)
- Ramiro de Maeztu
These four began by writing essays in the newspapers and magazines of the era. They are considered to have inaugurated modern essay writing in Spanish literature.
The Essay as a Literary Genre
The essay is a prose literary genre whose goal is to convey ideas and opinions. This subjective genre can address various topics, from scientific and medical subjects to architecture, history, and engineering.
The key difference between an essay and a scientific text is that a scientific text must provide data and objective truths, often with explicit demonstrations. In contrast, essays are characterized by subjective, argumentative, and persuasive tones. The argumentative essay was the favorite genre of the Generation of ’98 writers, although they also wrote significant novels.
The Concept of the Intellectual
An intellectual is a writer committed to social problems, aiming to improve society by criticizing institutions and suggesting improvements through essays published in books or the press.
An intellectual, without necessarily being an expert in any scientific discipline, can construct a rational discourse on any topic. For example, Pío Baroja was a doctor, but he wrote literary criticism and history books.