Vicente Blasco Ibáñez (1867-1928) was a Spanish novelist, politician and journalist who lived between the second half of the 19th century and the first decades of the 20th. His literary work took place between his native Valencia, Paris and Argentina, where he founded two colonies: Cervantes and Nueva Valencia..
He was a member of the republican party and obtained the position of deputy of the courts in several legislative periods. As a journalist, he wrote texts in both Spanish and Catalan. During his youth he founded the newspaper The village, in Valencia.
He published more than 40 novels and short stories, and was framed mainly within the naturalistic trend of the French novelists of the late nineteenth century. Among his most prominent titles are The barrack, Between orange trees, Canes and mud, Cathedral Y The four horsemen of the apocalypse, the latter set in France during World War I.
Several of his literary works have been adapted for film, both by the Hollywood industry and by Spanish cinema..
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Vicente Blasco Ibáñez was born in Valencia, Spain, on January 29, 1867. His parents were Ramona Ibáñez and Gaspar Blasco, both merchants from Aragon, who had moved to Valencia in search of better economic opportunities..
Its birth occurred in a politically turbulent time for Spain. When he was barely one year old, the Revolution of 68 took place, which ended with the dethronement of Isabel II and subsequent attempts to establish a republican system of government..
At an early age he lived through the events of the so-called cantonal Revolution, led by followers of the Federal Republican Party in several Spanish cities. Among the populations was Valencia, and the immediate intention was to establish as soon as possible a federal republic in Spain.
All these events influenced the political activities to which Blasco Ibáñez dedicated a good part of his life in later years, as well as the theme of his novels..
Since he was a child he was interested in reading the works of Victor Hugo, as well as writers of the so-called Renaixensa of Catalan and Valencian culture, such as Constantí Llombart. This cultural movement sought to exalt the Catalan and Valencian language and culture against the hegemony of Spanish..
The Renaixensa developed in a way analogous to similar currents in other Spanish provinces, as was the case of the Rexurdiment Galician. This movement addressed historical issues by extolling regional heroes and traditions.
During his adolescence, in 1882, he enrolled in a law degree at the University of Valencia. In his university stage he belonged to the student.
He obtained his title in the year 1888; however, from then on he practically did not practice as a lawyer.
Parallel to his academic life and at just 16 years of age, in 1883 Blasco Ibáñez founded a literary magazine that at first was called The Miguelete, and then it was called The Turia.
Although the magazine lasted only a short time in circulation, it set the precedents for the later constitution of the newspaper. The village. In this newspaper the author published some of his most important writings.
This interest in journalism and literature was acquired during a brief trip to Madrid that he made in the same year 1883. In the Spanish capital, he met the writer and newscaster Manuel Fernández y González, for whom he transcribed novels and articles.
While attending college and making his first forays into journalism, he also joined the Federal Republican Party..
He participated in the meetings of this political organization, in which he immediately stood out for his charismatic personality and his gifts for oratory.
In 1890 Enrique de Aguilera y Gamboa, Marquis of Cerralbo, arrived in Valencia as a representative of the followers of Archduke Carlos, who wanted to re-establish the traditional monarchy in Spain. The federalists boycotted their arrival, for which several of them were persecuted.
Blasco Ibáñez took an active part in the sabotage; fled to Algiers and then moved to Paris, where he remained until 1891.
From Paris he wrote chronicles that were published in the Spanish newspaper The Valencia Post Office. He also wrote one of his first books: History of the Spanish Revolution.
In 1891 he returned to Valencia using a general amnesty and married Mrs. María Blasco del Cacho.
From the union of these two characters four children were born, named Mario, Julio César, Siegfried and Libertad.
That same year he ran for the first time as a candidate for deputy. Although he did not obtain the seat on that occasion, he was a deputy of the courts in Valencia and Madrid for the Republican Union party in the legislative periods of 1898, 1899, 1901, 1903, 1905 and 1907.
As a politician, he was characterized by his eloquence and his power of conviction, which he displayed both in street rallies and in internal meetings. He quickly gained fame in Valencia for these qualities.
Around his figure arose the blasquismo, a Valencian political movement that was characterized by the appeal to popular sovereignty, anticlericalism and the vindication of the industrial proletariat.
This current of social thought spread through the city of Valencia, and its many followers gathered in the casinos of the popular sectors. The blasquism led to the formation of the Autonomist Republican Union Party in 1909, whose main leader was Sigfrido Blasco-Ibáñez Blasco, son of the writer.
In 1894 Blasco founded the newspaper The village, whose editorial line was developed in accordance with the political ideas of its founder: through this newspaper the political meetings of the blasquism were convened.
On the pages of The village, Blasco Ibáñez published more than a thousand articles, chronicles and satires. In addition, that same year he published his novel Rice and tartana.
During the 1890s, Blasco Ibáñez was imprisoned and exiled on several occasions due to the riots he caused..
In 1896 he was persecuted for inciting a protest against the sending of Spanish troops to the Cuban War and took refuge for some time in a barrack in the town of Almácera, where he wrote the outline of his famous novel La Barraca, published in 1898.
Later he fled to Italy, where he wrote In the country of art, tourist guide that appeared in the form of chronicles in his newspaper The village. At the end of 1896 he returned to Spain and was imprisoned in the San Gregorio penitentiary, where he wrote his story Budha's awakening.
At the beginning of the 20th century he founded the publishing house Prometheus together with the Valencian editor Francisco Sempere. There he published many of his novels, those of other writers of the time and some classics of literature..
During these years he continued to publish novels and stories, such as Between orange trees, Reeds and mud, Cathedral, The naked maja Y Blood and Sand.
Already with a good reputation as a writer, in 1905 he moved to Madrid to get away from the political tension in Valencia..
In that city he served as a deputy until 1908, when he retired from political life to dedicate himself entirely to writing and the dissemination of his books internationally..
In Madrid he met Elena Ortúzar, wife of the cultural attaché of the Chilean embassy. With her he established a long love relationship and finally married in 1925, after the death of his first wife. Both the writer and his lover were portrayed in 1906 by the painter Joaquín Sorolla.
In 1909 he moved to Argentina to give a series of lectures on literature, art, philosophy, music, history, and other subjects. During the following years he traveled through the different regions of the South American country, obtaining fame and great economic benefits. In this context, he founded the colonies of Nueva Valencia and Cervantes.
In 1914 he settled in Paris with Elena Ortúzar. His arrival coincided with the outbreak of the First World War, which gave him the opportunity to publish chronicles and reports in the press regarding this conflict..
Regarding the war, he also wrote what was his most popular novel internationally: The four horsemen of the apocalypse, published in 1916.
Although this novel did not have a great impact on the European continent, in the United States it was a best seller. In fact, it was adapted into Hollywood cinema in 1921 with the participation of the famous actor Rodolfo Valentino as the main character..
The same thing happened with Blood and Sand. The success of the novel prompted him to make a major tour of the United States, where he was awarded a doctorate honoris causa from the University of Washington. He also traveled to Mexico at the invitation of President Venustiano Carranza.
In 1921 he acquired a beautiful farm called Pink fontana in the French town of Menton, where he spent his last years writing more novels and short stories. In the following years he also wrote numerous articles and pamphlets against the Spanish dictator Primo de Rivera..
He died on January 28, 1928 at his residence in Menton due to complications from pneumonia. In 1933, once the Second Republic was established in Spain, his remains were transferred to Valencia and buried in the civil cemetery..
The novels and stories of Blasco Ibáñez can be cataloged into different styles and genres.
Some of his works are situated between regionalist manners, with long descriptions and exaltation of his native Valencia; and the naturalism of Émile Zola and other French novelists of the second half of the 19th century. Such is the case of Rice and tartana, The barrack, Between orange trees, Reeds and mud Y Valencian stories, among others.
It also developed in the genre of historical novels, such as The Pope of the sea, At the feet of Venus Y In search of the Great Khan, among other. These works had some characteristics of romanticism, such as patriotism. Many of his critics consider that this patriotism was influenced by his early readings of the works of Victor Hugo..
His fast yet careful writing and his ability to accurately describe environments and situations made him stand out as an excellent writer of travel and adventure books. A clear example is that of In the country of art, Argentina and its greatness Y Around the world of a novelist.
He also wrote war novels: The four horsemen of the apocalypse, Mare nostrum Y The enemies of women, in addition to many more psychological and adventure.
Most of Blasco Ibáñez's works are novels and short stories, although he also published history books, travel books, and compilations of newspaper articles. Their titles, arranged chronologically, are the following:
- Fantasies. Legends and traditions (1887).
- For my country! Romeu the Guerrilla (1888).
- History of the Spanish Revolution: From the War of Independence to the Restoration of Sagunto. 1804-1874 (1890-1892).
- The black spider (1892).
- The Catechism of the Good Federal Republican (1892).
- Long live the Republic! (1893).
- Paris, impressions of an émigré (1893).
- Wedding night (1893).
- Rice and tartana (1894).
- May Flower (1895).
- In the country of art (1896).
- Valencian stories (1896).
- The barrack (1898).
- Between orange trees (1900).
- The damned (1900).
- Sonnica the courtesan (1901).
- Reeds and mud (1902).
- Cathedral (1903).
- The intruder (1904).
- The winery (1905).
- The horde (1905).
- The naked maja (1906).
- East (1907).
- The will to live (1907).
- Blood and Sand (1908).
- The dead rule (1909).
- Luna Benamor (1909).
- Argentina and its greatness (1910).
- The argonauts (1914).
- History of the European war (1914-1921).
- The four horsemen of the apocalypse (1916).
- Mare nostrum (1918).
- The enemies of women (1919).
- Mexican militarism (1920).
- The loan of the deceased (1921).
- Women's paradise (1922).
- Everyone's land (1922).
- Queen Calafia (1923).
- Novels of the blue coast (1924).
- Around the world of a novelist (1924-1925).
- A kidnapped nation (1924).
- What will be the Spanish republic (1925).
- For Spain and against the king. Alfonso XIII unmasked (1925).
- The pope of the sea (1925).
- At the feet of Venus: the Borgias (1926).
- Novels of love and death (1927).
- The Knight of the Virgin (1929).
- In search of the Great Khan (1929).
- The ghost with the golden wings (1930).
- The condemned and other stories (1979).
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