Azorín's Literary Legacy: Narrative Style and Key Works

Azorín's Literary Innovations and Evolution

His texts, rather than traditional novels, marked a significant break with the 19th-century conception of the genre.

Azorín's Conception of the Novel

Azorín challenged traditional notions of movement and time. His narrative is divided into snapshots that form materialized tables in disjointed sections, often scattering the reader's attention.

In his narrative, Azorín conducted a deep analysis of perception. He was influenced by a diverse range of fields, including:

• Philosophy
• Literature
• Impressionist painting
• Photography
• Film
• Journalism
• Modern telegraphic writing

These influences helped him freeze the moment and capture the immediate impression.

In his early works, Azorín displayed a violent rebellion against established values, a social consciousness linked to anarchism, and a critique of all subjective spiritual concerns. After abandoning his revolutionary ideas, the writer's focus shifted from social issues to subjective introspection.

Key Novels by Azorín

Will

Will is an impressionistic novel that includes fragments of his life and detached feelings. It contains autobiographical events and details of real places, resembling a large collage of documents.

The protagonist, Antonio Azorín, is portrayed as passive, contemplative, pessimistic, and lacking in will. After traveling to Madrid, he retires to the countryside in pursuit of ataraxia (tranquility). In the Epilogue, we learn that he married and lived a routine life.

Antonio Azorín (Novel)

This novel does not continue the previous story. The protagonist is once again single, has learned to live with reality, and has found his source of energy in the literary ideal.

Doña Inés

With Don Juan and Doña Inés, Azorín initiated a significant change in his narrative. These works incorporate detailed descriptions of the environment and the sensitivity of the characters, with the conflict centering on the personalities of the characters themselves.

Doña Inés falls within the genre of romantic fiction. It tells the story of a woman deeply in love with a young poet. Their relationship is shocking to society and ultimately requires Doña Inés to renounce her love and yield it to a maid.

In parallel, the novel develops the story of Doña Beatriz, an ancestor of Doña Inés, whose jealous husband murders his favorite page in the novel being written by Paul, Doña Inés's uncle.

Thus, key themes emerge:

• Time
• Fate
• Restrained passion
• Creative writing
• Art and life
• Reality and illusion