NEW SPANISH AMERICAN HISTORICAL NOVEL

Abstract

Considering the meaning and consistency of the historical novel in Latin America, this article focuses on the long tradition of cultivating this genre and highlights the rise of the historical novel both during the boom and (especially) at the end of the 20th century. An attempt is made to find an adequate definition of the historical novel as a genre par excellence and to emphasize the difference between the traditional historical novel and the new historical novel, that is, between the reconstruction and deconstruction of the past, or between intertextuality and dialogue. Dozens of Latin American authors showed interest in the past, investigating it from the point of view of their identity, intellectuality and culturality: Alejo Carpentier, Eduardo Galeano, Gabriel García Márquez, Miguel Otero Silva, Augusto Roa Bastos, Juan José Saer, among many others. However, our research is focused on three novels that illustrate a rich range of approaches. The first is Los perros del paraíso (1983) by Abel Posse, a search for another version of history, beyond the official version; and Noticias del Imperio (1987) by Fernando del Paso, an ambitious and successful mixture of genres and techniques (multiple narrators, several narrative spaces) designed to verify true facts. The researchshows that interest in the historical novel does not cease but is reflected in the circular time of Latin American literature.