Contemporary Spanish Narrative: Three Essential Authors

Key Features of Contemporary Spanish Fiction

Three Essential Modern Novelists

Among the novelists of this period, three authors stand out for the consistency of their careers and critical recognition:

• EDUARDO MENDOZA (Barcelona, 1943) published The Truth About the Savolta Case in 1975, a title that, to a large extent, can be considered the starting point of the current narrative. Without renouncing the use of experimental techniques, the author offers an argument in this detective novel that captures the reader's attention. In later works, Mendoza has shown an exceptional ability for parody: No News from Gurb (1992), The Labyrinth of Olives (1998), and The Mystery of the Haunted Crypt (1995) update and subvert the clichés of three enshrined genres in a hilarious way: the mystery novel, the thriller or detective novel, and science fiction. The City of Marvels (1986) is the most ambitious of his works; it recreates the historical and social evolution of the city of Barcelona in the period between the Universal Exhibitions of 1888 and 1929, following the progression of the protagonist on the social scale.
• The work of JAVIER MARÍAS (Madrid, 1951) is one of the most unique bets in recent decades. The novels and stories by this author are distinguished by the presence of a number of obsessive themes, such as the mystery of personal identity and reflection on time. His elaborate style has a rare, enveloping ability that fades and transforms reality. His works include All Souls (1989), A Heart So White (1992), and Tomorrow in the Battle Think on Me (1994).
• In the narrative of ANTONIO MUÑOZ MOLINA (Úbeda, 1956), the rigor in the construction of the story and the concern to develop an appealing argument for the reader combine harmoniously. He also emphasizes the quality of the prose—intense and developed in long periods with a very careful pace. Prominent among his works are Winter in Lisbon (1987), a beautiful thriller; The Polish Rider (1991), an autobiographical recollection playing skillfully with the timeline of the story; and Full Moon (1997), a successful attempt to rejuvenate the detective genre. Sefarad (2001) departs from the traditional plot and develops literature through key characters and historical situations.