Spanish Literary Masters: Generation of ’98 Novelists
The Generation of ’98 Novelists: Literary Innovation
The year 1902 marked a pivotal moment in Spanish literature with the publication of four seminal novels, each breaking with the traditional conception of Spanish narrative: La voluntad by Azorín, Camino de perfección by Baroja, Amor y pedagogía by Unamuno, and Sonata de otoño by Valle-Inclán. These works exemplify the innovative spirit of the Generation of ’98, a group of Spanish intellectuals and authors deeply concerned with Spain’s cultural and moral regeneration following the Spanish-American War of 1898.
Miguel de Unamuno (1864-1936)
Unamuno’s literary journey began with his first novel, Paz en la guerra (1897). Influenced by realism, this work explores Carlism through the lens of his unique concept of intrahistoria, emphasizing the quiet, enduring history of everyday life over grand historical events.
His subsequent novel, Amor y pedagogía, initially met with critical resistance, with some critics arguing it wasn’t a novel at all. Unamuno famously retorted that if it were a novel, it would be a “nivola,” a term he coined. This term has since been widely accepted by critics to describe his distinctive narrative style. Key traits of the nivola include:
- Introspection and philosophical inquiry
- Abundance of dialogues and monologues
- Breakdown of boundaries between reality and fiction
- Metafiction, where the narrative self-consciously refers to its own fictional nature
Unamuno’s major novels delve into profound existential and philosophical themes:
- Amor y pedagogía: Explores the idea that education could be used to create geniuses.
- Niebla (Fog): Features a character who rebels against his creator, marking the first appearance of metafiction in his work.
- Abel Sánchez: A powerful exploration of envy and “cainismo” (the Cain complex).
- La tía Tula: A woman confronts societal myths and prejudices surrounding sex and motherhood.
- Cómo se hace una novela (How to Make a Novel): A chronicle of his exile in Paris during Primo de Rivera’s dictatorship.
- San Manuel Bueno, mártir (Saint Manuel Bueno, Martyr): His final novel, which raises the complex issue of faith through a priest who, despite his own disbelief, pretends to have faith out of love for others.
José Martínez Ruiz, Azorín (1873-1967)
Azorín crafted a novelistic style that diverged from traditional realism, often blurring the lines between essay and novel. His narratives frequently dwell on the concept of time, with characters reflecting deeply on themselves and the idea of eternal recurrence.
His major novels include the trilogy starring Antonio Azorín:
- La voluntad (Will)
- Antonio Azorín
- Las confesiones de un pequeño filósofo (Confessions of a Small Philosopher)
Azorín also explored the myth of Don Juan in two novels: Don Juan and Doña Inés.
Ramón María del Valle-Inclán (1866-1936)
Valle-Inclán stands as the foremost representative of Modernism in the Spanish novel, particularly with his early works, the Sonatas. This tetralogy recounts the memoirs of the Marquis of Bradomín, a unique Don Juan figure who is ugly, Catholic, and sentimental:
- Sonata de primavera (1904): Recounts his youth in Italy.
- Sonata de estío (1903): Set in Mexico, where Bradomín falls for a young aristocrat.
- Sonata de otoño (1902): Takes place in Galicia, where his cousin Concha, whom he loves, is dying.
- Sonata de invierno (1905): The character attempts to seduce two nuns, one of whom is his own daughter.
He also composed a trilogy dedicated to the Carlist War:
- Los cruzados de la causa (The Crusaders of the Cause)
- El resplandor de la hoguera (The Glow of the Bonfire)
- Gerifaltes de antaño (Gerifaltes of Yesteryear)
In his later works, Valle-Inclán pioneered the “esperpento” (grotesque) narrative, exemplified by Tirano Banderas, a satirical portrayal of a Latin American dictator.
Pío Baroja (1872-1956)
For Baroja, the novel was an open genre, capable of encompassing anything the writer wished to include. A central idea dominating his narrative is the necessity of action to give meaning to life. His narrative technique prioritizes characters over rigid narrative structure. His language is characterized by clarity, precision, and speed, shunning rhetoric and excessive adornment while maintaining elegance.
Baroja is considered a master of description, employing impressionistic or expressionistic techniques, often through the degradation and deformation of characters and even places. Dialogues are another crucial feature of his work.
Baroja organized much of his narrative production into trilogies. Among his most famous are:
- Tierra vasca (Basque Land)
- La lucha por la vida (The Struggle for Life)
- La raza (The Race)
He also wrote a monumental series of 22 novels titled Memorias de un hombre de acción (Memoirs of a Man of Action). Its protagonist is a historical figure, his ancestor, Eugenio de Aviraneta.