Premio Planeta de Novela (Planeta Novel Prize)
1 appearances
-
Edition 29 (1980) Nominee
Juan Benet
フアン・ベネット
Juan Benet
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1927-10-07 （Madrid）
- Died
- 1993-01-05 （Madrid） age 65
- Nationality
- Spain
- Languages
- Spanish
- Residence History
- San Sebastián (refuge) → Ponferrada → Oviedo → Madrid
Career
- Occupations
- Novelist, Playwright, Essayist, Civil engineer
- Active Years
- 1953-1993
- Influenced By
- William Faulkner, Marcel Proust, James Joyce
- Influenced
- Pere Gimferrer (contemporary supporter)
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| School of Civil Engineering, Madrid | — | Civil Engineering Department | 工学士 | 1948–1954 | Spain |
School of Civil Engineering, Madrid
Civil Engineering Department
Degree:
工学士
Period:
1948–1954
Year of Graduation:
1954
Country:
Spain
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1969 | Premio Biblioteca Breve | Una meditación | — | Seix Barral | winner |
| 1980 | Planeta Prize | El aire de un crimen | — | Editorial Planeta | finalist |
Premio Biblioteca Breve
1969
Work:
Una meditación
Organization:
Seix Barral
Result:
winner
Planeta Prize
1980
Work:
El aire de un crimen
Organization:
Editorial Planeta
Result:
finalist
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Volverás a Región
1967 Novel (modernist experimental)A novel set in the fictional region 'Región', notable for its experimental narration exploring memory, landscape and language.
memoryregional identitytimelimits of language
Translations
- English translation: Return to Región (trans. Gregory Rabassa)
Una meditación
1970 Novel/Short fiction (experimental)A central work from Benet's 1960s period; known for formal experiments and condensed prose in short fiction/novel form.
isolationmemorylanguage
Saúl ante Samuel
1980 NovelPublished in 1980, a novel with complex structure and layered narration; considered one of his major critically acclaimed works.
historicitypowerfragmentation of memory
Herrumbrosas lanzas (series)
1983 Series of novelsA multi-volume major series expanding Benet's late narrative world; ambitious and left incomplete at his death.
historymemorygeopolitical landscape
En la penumbra
1989 NovelA late novel published while Benet ran his engineering firm; characterized by shadowed, introspective narration.
penumbraexploration of being
Bibliography
- Nunca llegarás a nada (1961)
- Volverás a Región (1967)
- Una meditación (1970)
- Un viaje de invierno (1972)
- La otra casa de Mazón (1973)
- Saúl ante Samuel (1980)
- Herrumbrosas lanzas (1983–1986)
- En la penumbra (1989)
- El caballero de Sajonia (1991)
- La construcción de la torre de Babel (1990)
Translations of Works
- Return to Región (trans. Gregory Rabassa)
- A Meditation (trans. Gregory Rabassa)
- The Construction of the Tower of Babel (trans. Adrian Nathan West, 2017)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- experimental, dense prosemodernist techniqueslayered narration
- Recurring Motifs
- the fictional region of Regiónmemory and fragmentationwar and its aftermathlandscape, water, and constructions
Legacy
Regarded as one of the major Spanish writers of the 20th century. His experimental style and distinctive regional narrative have led to comparisons with Proust, Joyce and Faulkner.
Trivia
- His father was executed during the Spanish Civil War; his family sought refuge in San Sebastián.
- He trained and worked as a civil engineer and was involved in projects such as reservoir design.
- His work provoked intense debate during and after his life; The Times compared him to Proust, Joyce and Faulkner in 1993.