The Novel of the Spanish Civil War (1936–1975)

This is a major English study of the novels of the Spanish Civil War. The book is based on an analysis of some eighty Spanish novels, written in Spain and abroad (in exile) during the Franco period (1936–1975), in which the Civil War is the major theme. The works are related to earlier examples of war literature, such as the French novels of World War I. Dr Thomas examines the effects of propaganda from both Left and Right in the early Civil War novels, as well as the disillusionment of later works when the sincerity of Republican and Nationalist ideals is seriously questioned. The effects of propaganda and censorship on literary style are also discussed. Major writers like Max Aub, Francisco Ayala, Ramon Sender and Camilo Jose Cela are covered in depth; and there is a comprehensive bibliography covering primary and secondary sources, together with a glossary of Civil War terms. The Novel of the Spanish Civil War offers a highly illuminating view of the perception by creative writers of the political, religious and moral issues of war throughout a troubled period.

Illustrations; Preface; Acknowledgement; Introduction; 1. Literature, history and war; 2. Literature, commitment and propaganda; 3. Literary genre, narrative technique and language in the first-wave Civil War novel; 4. Myth creation and reinforcement in the Nationalist novel; 5. Commitment and propaganda in the Republican novel; 6. The gods that failed: disillusionment in the novel of the Civil War; 7. The novel as chronicle: Gironella’s trilogy; 8. The novel as symbol: La cabeza del cordero; 9. Irrationalism and anti-historicism in the later novel of the Civil War (1967–1975); Conclusion; Appendix; Glossary of Civil War terms; Bibliography; Index.