Evolution of the Spanish Novel Since the 1960s

Spanish Narrative Evolution in the 1960s

The 1960s combined various factors that determined a change of direction in the novel. On one side, Spanish society experienced a major transformation due to industrialization, tourism, and the easing of censorship. A depletion of the social novel occurred, leading to the emergence of new narrative patterns inspired by great foreign novelists. The social realism of the 1950s evolved into the structural novel. With the arrival of democracy, the novel abandoned earlier experimentalism to return to traditional storytelling, evolving in the 80s and 90s into a large variety of themes and neo-realism.

New Narrative Modes

The novel in the 60s did not abandon critical reflection on Spanish society, including broad topics rooted in the Spanish mind. However, the formal presentation was radically innovative. Narrative techniques in the 1960s novel included:

• Changing the narrator: Frequent changes of narrative perspectives.
• Interior monologue: Increased importance of the character's inner thoughts.
• Breaking chronological sequence: Playing with the division of the story.
• Unimportant arguments: The plot becomes secondary to form.
• Characters in conflict: Focus on internal struggles.
• Collages: Inserting external materials into the narrative.

Social Witness and Experimentation

The novel that changed the course of Castilian literature in these years was Time of Silence (Tiempo de silencio) by Luis Martín-Santos. Irony and humor were used to show the problems of Spanish society. The existential tone and symbolism marked the contents of a novel reflecting a vacant society. The work is known for its lexical richness, aiming for a baroque style and the use of religious and scientific vocabulary. This continuity involved two generations of writers:

• Post-war authors: Camilo José Cela, Miguel Delibes, and Gonzalo Torrente Ballester.
• Mid-century novelists: Juan Goytisolo, Juan Benet, and Juan Marsé.

The Novel Since the Arrival of Democracy

Reaching the late 60s, a new group emerged known as the Generation of '68. Their characteristics included an evolution toward traditional narrative forms where the story became important again, despite starting in experimental narrative. They organized plots around minor genres and delinked from social and political compromise. In 1975, Eduardo Mendoza published The Truth About the Savolta Case. Other representative authors include José María Guelbenzu and Manuel Vázquez Montalbán. These narrative trends remain influential in the contemporary novel, characterized by traditional forms and the importance of the story.