The Reception of the Writings of Marcel Proust in Spain: Translations, Literary Criticism, and Narrative Influence

“This book has unquestionable value by combating the dogmatism of those who continue to believe in the purity of national traditions.”

-Prof. Epicteto Diaz Navarro,
Madrid University

“Ultimately the book is important because it convincingly argues that Proust has left an indelible mark on the field of Spanish literary production.”
-Prof. Lynn C. Purkey,
University of Tennessee-Chattanooga

Commendatory Forward vi

A Foretaste of Proust in Spain and an Introduction to the Subject xi
Anticipating Proust xii
Introduction to the Subject xxi
I. Proust and an Attempt at Literary Renewal (1919-1939) 1
1. The First Critical Reception of Marcel Proust 2
The First Spanish Articles on Proust 3
Ortega’s Lecture and Essays on Proust 10
A Culmination and a Polemic 19
The Appearance of Le temps retrouvé 28
Reviews of Translations 33
The Pre-War Years 39

2. The Recherche as a Model for Narrative Innovation 45
Gabriel Miró: An Affinity with Proust 47
Two Novels by Azorín and Proust 52
Proustian Inspiration in Víspera del gozo 69
The Influence of Proust upon Puerto de sombra and
Other Works 81
Marcel Proust and Rosa Chacel 89
The Poets of 1927 and Proust 95
The Reaction to Proust by the Generation of 1898 108
Post 1930 and Llorenç Villalonga 119
Alicia al pie de los laureles as a Proustian Novel 124
II. Proust Lost and Regained during the Time of Franco
(1940-1969) 130
3. From a Slow Recovery to a Wide Acceptance 131
The Early Franco Years 132
A First Book on Proust and other Studies of the 1950s 136
An Expanding Interest during the 1960s 146
A First Homage and a Second Book 153

4. Bringing Proustian Narratives out of the Closet 159
Proustian Elements in Nada 160
Proustian Gardens in Isabel y María by Rodoreda 165
Resistance to Proust in the 1950s 169
A Half Closeted Proustian: Paulina Crusat 176
An Openly Proustian Writer: Llorenç Villalonga 180
Primera memoria by Ana María Matute 197
Proustian Elements in Tiempo de silencio 200
Proust in Three Works by Juan Benet 207
Coming Out with Proust in Señas de identidad 232
III. Proust as an Element of the Transition (1970-1989) 239
5. From the Proust Centennial to New French Editions 240
The Proust Commemorations in Spain 240
Proust in Spain and Other Subjects in the 1970s 250
The Early to Mid 1980s 255
A Controversy and New Homages 261

6. Proust in the Narrative of the Transition 271
Proustian Elements in El largo viaje 273
García Hortelano and Proust 281
The Recherche and Recuento 283
Proust in Two Novels by Carmen Martín Gaite 291
Francisco Umbral’s Most Proustian Book 304
Proust as a Character of Luis Antonio de Villena 310
Monsieur Proust in El sueño de Sarajevo 316
Proust in Fortuny 321
El lugar del aire as a Proustian Novel 327
Proustian Reprises by Three Authors 331
The Suggestion of Proust in the Work of Merino 338

IV. Proust in Spain’s Recent Past (1990-2009) 352
7. Books on Proust and Complete New Translations 353
The Early 1990s 353
The Late 1990s 358
Two New Translations 361
Other Texts during the First Decade of the 21st
Century 366
Proust in Political Articles and on Websites 372

8. Proust as a Narrative Model at the Turn of the
Century and Millennium 375
Proustian Elements in Three Books by Antonio
Muñoz Molina 375
Proust as a Character in La épica de un poeta 384
Proust Visits “Clarín” as Imagined by Quiñones 385
Proust as a Subject in Contemporary Spanish Poetry 390
Odette in El amor, la inocencia y otros excesos 398
La toronja de Proust, Proust Fiction and other
Last Examples 400
Final Conclusions: Proust in the Hispanic World 406
Works Cited 415
Literary Works and Memoirs 415
Critical Studies and Other Texts 422
Appendix: A Bibliography of Marcel Proust in Spain 447
Texts by Marcel Proust in Translation 447
Literary Criticism of Proust’s Work by Spaniards or
Published in Spain 459
Studies on Literary or Personal Relations between
Proust and Spaniards 540
Poems, Pastiches and Other Texts Involving Proust 583
Testimonials and Other Texts which Demonstrate a
Personal Interest in Proust 587
Index of Persons and Themes 622

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