Spanish Social and Experimental Novels 1950-1975

The Social Novel of the 1950s

The novel of the fifties is concerned with recording the socio-political and economic problems of the country. Therefore, when referring to the narrative of these years, the novel speaks of Spanish society. Its boundaries span from 1951 to 1962; the mid-decade unveils a number of writers with critical intent, leading to novels where the fundamental themes are injustices and social inequalities.

As a narrative technique, objectivism is used: the narrator disappears, and there is no introspection or thought provided for the characters. The language used is often close to colloquial language.

Key Trends in 1950s Spanish Fiction

• Neo-realism: It focuses on the problems of man as an individual. Rafael Sánchez Ferlosio (El Jarama, 1955) and Carmen Martín Gaite (Entre visillos / Between Curtains, 1957) are some of its representatives. El Jarama is the chronicle of a Sunday day off with a group of young people at the Jarama River. The basis of the work constitutes the inconsequential dialogues of the characters, played almost as a transcription of a tape recording. The tedium of life in general is the novel's theme, ending with the death of a young person in the river.
• Social Realism: It focuses on the problems of groups. The authors express their ideological commitment to the matter told, presenting a partial view of reality. To achieve this, they escape any formal complication, using linear narration, simple descriptions, and lexical poverty, with occasional syntactical lapses.

The Rise of the Short Story

In these years, there was also a great short story boom, which allowed authors to portray an environment or situation in just a few pages. Notably, the tales of Ignacio Aldecoa stand out.

Experimental Narrative from 1962 to 1975

In addition to the depletion of the realistic formula and new socio-political circumstances in the country, the experimental narrative includes two factors:

• The discovery of the Latin American novel that was being written at the time.
• The influence of the great innovators of the contemporary universal novel, whose works had been read and assimilated by the Spanish narrator.

Thus, after the publication in 1962 of Tiempo de silencio (Time of Silence), novelists gradually abandoned the hope that their work might have a direct social impact and focused their efforts primarily on formal renewal and technical and linguistic experimentation.

Characteristics of Experimental Fiction

• The narrative, plot, and action lose importance and become limited.
• Reflective inquiry on the problems in the making of the story.
• Perspectivism.
• Space and time often break through capriciously via flashbacks.
• Flexible use of narrative voices and a mix of direct and indirect styles.
• The language is complicated by the breakdown of syntax and the textual paragraph as a unit, leading to endless speeches without periods or very brief one-sentence sequences.
• Free use of punctuation and complex, lengthy sentences, but also the use of vulgar language and short sentences.