Spanish Novel Evolution: From Social Realism to Postmodernism (1950s-1970s)

The Evolution of the Spanish Novel: 1950s to 1970s

The 1950s and 1960s: A Turning Point in the Novel

The 1970s marked a significant turning point for the Spanish novel. The social realism prevalent in the 1950s evolved into a novelistic structure focused on exploring the individual's personality. The novel of this era offers a critical reflection on Spanish society, addressing broad aspects such as myths deeply rooted in the Spanish psyche. Its formal presentation is innovative; the novel presents events in a fresh way, often including a glossary and demonstrating great expressiveness.

Key Narrative Techniques of the Era

• Dynamic Narrator: The narrator is a changing element, often employed with knowing irony.
• Shifting Perspectives: Changes in narrative perspectives are common; within the novel, the viewpoint can shift from third to first person.
• Interior Monologue: Great importance is given to the interior monologue, which allows insight into characters' inner worlds.
• Non-Linear Chronology: Breaks in chronological sequence, with frequent time jumps, are characteristic.
• Structural Innovation: The narrative structure plays with divisions, often abandoning traditional chapters.
• Focus on Approach: The plot becomes less important; what matters is the approach to events and their interpretation.
• Conflicted Characters: Characters are often in conflict with their environment and their own personalities.
• Collage Insertion: The insertion of collages (e.g., joining pictures or disparate texts) is a notable technique.

Prominent Authors and Works

Authors of the First Post-War Generation

• Camilo José Cela: Participated with long monologues written in the second person, notably in San Camilo, 1936.
• Miguel Delibes: Surprised readers with Five Hours with Mario, which introduced narrative innovations such as interior monologue and colloquial language.
• Gonzalo Torrente Ballester: In La Saga/Fuga de J.B., characters move from moments of joy and shadow to a profound confusion between reality and fantasy.

Novelists of the Mid-Century Generation

• Juan Goytisolo: A theoretical social novelist, he explored the search for meaning in life in works like Signs of Identity. Innovations introduced include ruptures in space and time and second-person narration.
• Juan Benet
• Juan Marsé

The 1970s: A New Literary Landscape

The 1970s saw the emergence of a new group of writers, often associated with the "Novísimos" or "Generation of '70," characterized by:

• Departure from Tradition: They move away from traditional forms of storytelling.
• Genre Organization: Stories are often organized according to popular genres (e.g., thriller, adventure).
• Individual Focus: The novel becomes disconnected from overt social engagement, and human problems are explored from an individual, rather than political, perspective.
• Thematic Disillusionment: The thematic treatment often conveys a sense of disillusionment.

In 1975, Eduardo Mendoza published The Truth About the Savolta Case, a seminal work that introduced new technical resources and presented the novel as a mixture of diverse narrative materials.