The Scripted Self: Textual Identities to Contemporary Spanish Narrative

The period since 1975 in Spain, following years of dictatorship, has seen a remarkable surge of creative cultural activity. Particularly significant has been the proliferation of novels by both new and established writers, often termed "nueva narrative espanola" in which, for example, "novela negra", "novela erotica", "novela documental" and "novela 'light'" co-exist. From within this diversity, the recurrent themes of self and identity emerge as a constant preoccupation and constitute the central concern of this study. Christie, Drinkwater and Macklin read their chosen texts in terms of the possibilities and limits of writing the self. The novels discussed range from Juan Goytisolo's "Makbara" (1980) to Belen Gopegui's first novel, "La escala de los mapas" (1993) and include works by Julio Llamazares, Javier Marias, Jose Maria Merino, Juan Jose Millas and Rose Montero. New narrative writing in Spain addresses the absence at the heart of concepts of identity and self, exploring and dissecting societal norms, cultural codes and inherited discourses in a period of rapid economic and political change.