20th Century Hispanic Narrative: Key Authors and Movements

The Novel and Tale of 20th Century Hispanic Literature

1. Narrative Until the 1940s

This period focused on three main thematic areas:

• Nature and Human Dominion: The attempt by man to dominate nature, often overwhelmed by its grandeur and diversity. Key authors include José Eustasio Rivera, Ricardo Güiraldes, and Rómulo Gallegos.
• Socio-Political Issues: Problems arising from the social circumstances and dictatorships experienced in certain countries. Notable figures are Mariano Azuela and Martín Luis Guzmán. The most famous indigenous novel from this time was Huasipungo by Jorge Icaza.

2. Narrative of the 1940s and 1950s

Narrative work was enriched during this period, overcoming realism through the influence of avant-garde literature and embracing fantasy and formal innovations. Three main streams emerged:

• Metaphysical Narrative: Driven by José Lezama Lima and Jorge Luis Borges, the latter being a promoter of the avant-garde in Argentina, characterized by brief, symbolic, and intellectually challenging narratives.
• Existential Narrative: Focused on urban issues, contrasting with the previous rural prevalence. Juan Carlos Onetti and Ernesto Sábato addressed various issues concerning contemporary man with refined technique.
• Magical Realism: A rupture with traditional realism, incorporating legendary, dreamlike, and fantastic elements into plausible arguments. Representatives include Miguel Ángel Asturias, Alejo Carpentier, Julio Cortázar, and Juan Rulfo.

3. Fiction Since the 1960s: The Latin American Boom

This decade marked the Latin American Boom, producing many valuable novels that garnered significant attention in Spain. Authors such as Gabriel García Márquez, Mario Vargas Llosa, Carlos Fuentes, Julio Cortázar, and Lezama Lima pushed the technical and thematic innovations of their predecessors to their ultimate consequences. Formally, they engaged in experimentation influenced by Kafka, Joyce, and Proust.

Notable Contributors:

• Gabriel García Márquez: His work One Hundred Years of Solitude achieved a great synthesis of Latin American narrative, drawing global critical attention to the continent's literature.
• Carlos Fuentes: Key works include The Air Is Clear, The Death of Artemio Cruz, A Change of Skin, and Terra Nostra.
• Mario Vargas Llosa: Notable titles are The Green House, The Time of the Hero (or The City and the Dogs), Captain Pantoja and the Special Service, and The War of the End of the World.
• Others: Including Mujica Láinez, Roa Bastos, Cabrera Infante, and José Donoso.