Spanish Literature: The Generation of '98 and 1902 Novels

The Novels of 1902 and the Generation of '98

The year 1902 saw the publication of four novels that marked the beginning of the 20th-century revival of the Spanish novel. These authors belong to the Generation of '98.

Key Characteristics of the 1902 Novels

• Improvement of realism: The expression of subjectivity and the inner world of characters facing external reality.
• Pessimism and the meaninglessness of existence: Protagonists are characterized by a lack of will to live, often ending with a concern for suicide.
• Spanish reality: Criticism of the excessive power of the Church and the army, proposing regenerationist measures.

Notable Works of 1902

• Love and Pedagogy by Miguel de Unamuno.
• The Will by Azorín.
• The Way to Perfection by Pío Baroja.
• Autumn Sonata by Valle-Inclán.

Pío Baroja: The Master of Observation

Pío Baroja was born in San Sebastian in 1872. He studied medicine but devoted himself to literature. After his exile in France and Switzerland during the Civil War, he returned to Madrid, where he died in 1956. He wrote over 50 novels intended for the observation of realities.

Life is conceived as a continuing struggle without purpose. His protagonists deal with anxiety, dynamism, and continuous adventure. Some titles include The Search and Zalacaín the Adventurer.

Baroja's most accomplished novel is The Tree of Knowledge, which tells the story of Andrés Hurtado, a doctor who fails to find answers to his concerns in science. He suffers from ataraxia, which is only relieved by his eventual suicide. Baroja's style is characterized by short sentences and the absence of rhetorical devices.

Miguel de Unamuno: Immortality and Fiction

Born in 1864 in Bilbao, Miguel de Unamuno lived mostly in Salamanca, where he worked as a professor until his death in 1936. Two main themes arise in his novels:

• The longing for immortality: The belief in God and eternal life. This is the main theme of San Manuel Bueno, Martyr, starring a priest who believes religion is vital for the people.
• Life and fiction: In Niebla (Mist), the character Augusto Pérez confronts Unamuno and tries to control a life that is merely a story in the imagination. This draws a parallel between the character and the author, and man and God.

Unamuno's novels are notably characterized by the extensive use of dialogue.