Generation of '98: Authors and Characteristics

Generation of '98: A New Novel

The authors of the Generation of '98 rejected nineteenth-century realism, coupled with aesthetic concerns. The works of Azorín, Unamuno, Baroja, and Valle-Inclán represent a break with the realist novel. They were no longer interested in the pure reflection of reality, but rather how this is reflected and permeates personal sensitivity. There is a clear artistic concern, more or less intense as the case may be. This affects not only the style but also the narrative structures.

Azorín

His novels are characterized by a mixing between narrative and essay. Argument loses importance and they become, rather, a gallery of characters and typical environments. His works show existential uneasiness and his vision for Spain. Notable works include Will and Antonio Azorín. He was interested in the clarity and precision of his style, the right word, short phrases, highly detailed descriptions, and rich vocabulary.

Miguel de Unamuno

One of the greatest innovators of the novel at the beginning of the century, he is the creator of the novel of ideas. With a challenging attitude, he called his works nivolas. Mist is his masterpiece of the genre. His characters struggle against death and loss of personality. Another characteristic is the importance of dialogue.

Pío Baroja

He has a conception of the novel as open, encompassing everything: the philosophical, the psychological, adventure. He is against novelists starting with a closed argument. He conceived his novels in trilogies and was a prolific writer, publishing over 60 novels. Notable works include Zalacaín the Adventurer and The Tree of Science. He uses dialogue very well and his descriptions are fast paintings, made with short phrases and paragraphs. His writing is very enjoyable.

Valle-Inclán

Presents a unique evolution parallel to ideological change: from a nostalgic modernist literature to a fierce criticism based on the distortion of reality. Several stages can be distinguished in his work:

• Modernist stage: Sonatas (Autumn, Summer, Spring, and Winter).
• The cycle of savage comedy.
• Novels of the Carlist War.

His latest novels are of a typical character.