Evolution of Valencian Narrative Post-Civil War

The 1930s: From Growth to Clandestinity

During the decade of the 1930s, publishing novels in Valencia began a path toward normalization, with a significant increase in the number of works being written. However, after the Spanish Civil War, the Franco government imposed strict limits on books published in Valencian. Censorship was watched more closely than ever. Thirty years had passed since the publishing market reached a volume sufficient to enable the professionalization of many writers, allowing that indigenous literature to finally be considered normal.

The Path Toward Literary Normalization

Some novelists who had published works before the conflict continued writing. During the 1940s, several novels were published in exile; most of these focused on the harsh experience of living abroad. Very few novels spoke directly of the armed conflict itself. Aside from such exile literature, the novelistic scene in our language began to normalize during the decade of the 1950s.

Valencian Narrative During the Post-War Era

During the post-war years, there was an increase in the volume of novels published by authors from Valencia. Notable works include I as Peace (1953) by Miquel Adlert, and Between Heaven and Earth (1956) and Another Like a Woman, both by Beatrice Civera. The most notable development was the eruption of women into the literary world—who were virtually silent during the Renaissance—offering new approaches to Valencian narrative. Most of these narratives followed the model of the "novel booklet." In the cited works by Civera, an omniscient third-person narrator appears within a framework of temporal continuity and archetypal characters. Occasionally, a timid approach to social problems appears, such as in The Last Servant.

Main Currents of the Post-War Novel

Most writers who had begun to publish novels before the war followed the psychological novel trend. While each author had their own style, the objective remained the same: to present an internal and external frieze of life in our land. The most prominent novelists of this trend include:

• Joan Sales
• Xavier Benguerel
• Maria Aurèlia Capmany
• Mercè Rodoreda (who evolved into a poetic and symbolic type of novel)

Realism and Renewal in the 60s and 70s

In the sixties, the novel favored objectivist realism, influenced by European neo-realism and the American novelists of the interwar period. This work is characterized by the description of childhood experiences lived during the war, without the need for deep psychological analysis. A highlight of this period is the author Josep M. Espinàs. During the 1970s, the narrative in our language was renewed, influenced by American and European movements, social responses, and Latin American writers, featuring authors like Montserrat Roig and Terenci Moix.

Narrative Trends in the Late 20th Century

The novelists starting their work in the last two decades of the 20th century did not focus on the hardships of the post-war era. Instead, they typically focused on childhood themes or the analysis of a family cycle. We also find a preoccupation with new techniques, often reflecting the influence of new media and the language of comics.