Pío Baroja y Nessi (28 December 1872 – 30 October 1956) was a Spanish writer, one of the key novelists of the Generation of '98. He was a member of an illustrious family. His brother Ricardo was a painter, writer and engraver, and his nephew Julio Caro Baroja, son of his younger sister

Carmen ''Carmen'' () is an opera in four acts by the French composer Georges Bizet. The libretto was written by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy, based on the novella of the same title by Prosper Mérimée. The opera was first performed by the O ...

, was a well-known anthropologist.

Biography

Pío was born in

San Sebastián San Sebastián, officially known by the bilingual name Donostia / San Sebastián (, ), is a city and municipality located in the Basque Autonomous Community, Spain. It lies on the coast of the Bay of Biscay, from the France–Spain border ...

, Guipuzcoa, the son of Serafin Baroja, also a noted writer and opera librettist. The young Baroja studied medicine at

University of Valencia The University of Valencia ( ), shortened to UV, is a public research university in Valencia, Spain. It is one of the oldest universities in Spain, and the oldest in the Valencian Community. It is regarded as one of Spain's leading academic i ...

and received a doctorate at the Complutense University in Madrid at 21. Although educated as a physician, Baroja practiced only briefly in the Basque town of Cestona. His memories of student life became the raw material for his novel ''The Tree of Knowledge''. He also managed the family bakery for a short time, running unsuccessfully on two occasions for a seat at the

Cortes Generales The (; ) are the Bicameralism, bicameral legislative chambers of Spain, consisting of the Congress of Deputies (the lower house) and the Senate of Spain, Senate (the upper house). The Congress of Deputies meets in the Palacio de las Cortes, ...

(the Spanish parliament) as a Radical Republican. Baroja's true calling, however, was always writing, which he began seriously at the age of 13. Baroja's first novel, ''La casa de Aizgorri'' (''The House of Aizgorri'', 1900), is part of a trilogy called ''Tierra vasca'' (''Basque Land'', 1900–1909). This trilogy also includes ''El mayorazgo de Labraz'' (''The Lord of Labraz'', 1903), which became one of his most popular novels in Spain. During this period, he also published ''Camino de perfección'' (''Road to Perfection'', 1902), which is part of the so-called Novels of 1902. This group of texts is considered a milestone in the renewal of Spanish novels, particularly, a turning point in the transition between realism and modernism. Baroja is best known internationally for another trilogy, ''La lucha por la vida'' (''The Struggle for Life'', 1922–1924), which offers a vivid depiction of life in Madrid's slums.

John Dos Passos John Roderigo Dos Passos (; January 14, 1896 – September 28, 1970) was an American novelist, most notable for his U.S.A. (trilogy), ''U.S.A.'' trilogy. Born in Chicago, Dos Passos graduated from Harvard College in 1916. He traveled widely as a ...

greatly admired these works and wrote about them. Another major work, ''Memorias de un hombre de acción'' (''Memories of a Man of Action'', 1913–1931), offers a depiction of one of his ancestors who lived in the Basque region during the

Carlist Carlism (; ; ; ) is a Traditionalism (Spain), Traditionalist and Legitimist political movement in Spain aimed at establishing an alternative branch of the Bourbon dynasty, one descended from Infante Carlos María Isidro of Spain, Don Carlos, ...

uprising in the 19th century. One of Baroja's tetralogies is called ''La mar'' (''The Sea'') and comprises ''Las inquietudes de Shanti Andía'' (1911), ''El laberinto de las sirenas'' (1923), ''Los pilotos de altura'' (1929) and ''La estrella del capitán Chimista'' (1930). Baroja also wrote the biography of Juan Van Halen, a Spanish military adventurer. Baroja's masterpiece is considered to be ''El árbol de la ciencia'' (1911) (translated as '' The Tree of Knowledge''), a pessimistic

Bildungsroman In literary criticism, a bildungsroman () is a literary genre that focuses on the psychological and moral growth and change of the protagonist from childhood to adulthood (coming of age). The term comes from the German words ('formation' or 'edu ...

that depicts the futility of the pursuit of knowledge and of life in general. The title is symbolic: the more the chief protagonist, Andres Hurtado, learns about and experiences life, the more pessimistic he feels and the more futile his life seems. In keeping with Spanish literary tradition, Baroja often wrote in a pessimistic, picaresque style. His deft portrayal of the characters and settings brought the

Basque Basque may refer to: * Basques, an ethnic group of Spain and France * Basque language, their language Places * Basque Country (greater region), the homeland of the Basque people with parts in both Spain and France * Basque Country (autonomous co ...

region to life much as

Benito Pérez Galdós Benito María de los Dolores Pérez Galdós (; 10 May 1843 – 4 January 1920) was a Spanish Spanish Realist literature, realist novelist. He was a leading literary figure in 19th-century Spain, and some scholars consider him second only to Mi ...

's works offered an insight into Madrid. Baroja's works were often lively but could be lacking in plot. They are written in an abrupt, vivid, yet impersonal style. He was accused of grammatical errors, which he never denied. While young, Baroja believed loosely in

anarchism Anarchism is a political philosophy and Political movement, movement that seeks to abolish all institutions that perpetuate authority, coercion, or Social hierarchy, hierarchy, primarily targeting the state (polity), state and capitalism. A ...

, like others in the '98 Generation. He later admired men of action, similar to

Nietzsche Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (15 October 1844 – 25 August 1900) was a German philosopher. He began his career as a classical philologist, turning to philosophy early in his academic career. In 1869, aged 24, Nietzsche became the youngest pro ...

's superman. Catholics and traditionalists denounced him, and his life was at risk during the

Spanish Civil War The Spanish Civil War () was a military conflict fought from 1936 to 1939 between the Republican faction (Spanish Civil War), Republicans and the Nationalist faction (Spanish Civil War), Nationalists. Republicans were loyal to the Left-wing p ...

(1936–1939). In ''Youth And Egolatry'' (1917), Baroja described his beliefs as follows:

I have always been a liberal radical, an individualist and an anarchist. In the first place, I am an enemy of the Church; in the second place, I am an enemy of the State. When these great powers are in conflict I am a partisan of the State as against the Church, but on the day of the State's triumph, I shall become an enemy of the State. If I had lived during the French Revolution, I should have been an internationalist of the school of Anacharsis Cloots; during the struggle for liberty, I should have been one of the Carbonieri.

Ernest Hemingway Ernest Miller Hemingway ( ; July 21, 1899 – July 2, 1961) was an American novelist, short-story writer and journalist. Known for an economical, understated style that influenced later 20th-century writers, he has been romanticized fo ...

was greatly influenced by Baroja and told him when he visited him in October 1956, "Allow me to pay this small tribute to you who taught so much to those of us who wanted to be writers when we were young. I deplore the fact that you have not yet received a Nobel Prize, especially when it was given to so many who deserved it less, like me, who am only an adventurer." Baroja died shortly after this visit on 30 October and was buried in the Old Civil Cemetery of Madrid. An

Iberia The Iberian Peninsula ( ), also known as Iberia, is a peninsula in south-western Europe. Mostly separated from the rest of the European landmass by the Pyrenees, it includes the territories of peninsular Spain and Continental Portugal, compri ...

Airbus A340-642, EC-JPU (in service between 2006 and 2020) was named after him.

Baroja and Catalonia

Pío Baroja had a markedly opposed attitude both to Catalanism and to the existence of the

Catalan language Catalan () is a Western Romance languages, Western Romance language and is the official language of Andorra, and the official language of three autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous communities in eastern Spain: Catalonia, the Balearic I ...

. As example, a fragment of an article in La Conquista del Estado can be mentioned:Ferrer i Gironés, Francesc. ''Catalanofòbia: El pensament anticatalà a través de la història''. Edicions 62, 2000.

...the question of the predominance of the language – Catalan — must be resolved over time... But the State has not exerted pressure here, and if it has, it has not been as energetic as it has in France, Germany and England, with their regional languages...

There are other examples of

anti-Catalanism Anti-Catalan sentiment is the collective name given to various trends in Spain, France and Italy that expresses disdain, discrimination, or hatred for Catalonia, to Catalans, Catalan traditions, Catalan culture, Catalan nationalism, Catalan lang ...

, in which it even goes so far as to describe

Catalans Catalans ( Catalan, French and Occitan: ''catalans''; ; ; or ) are a Romance ethnic group native to Catalonia, who speak Catalan. The current official category of "Catalans" is that of the citizens of Catalonia, a nationality and autono ...

Jews Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

,Pio Baroja. "El problema catalán: la influencia judía". El Mundo. 15.11.1907 at a historical moment when this was considered a serious racial insult.

Works available in English

* ''The City of the Discreet'' (1917). A.A. Knopf * ''The Quest'' (1922) A.A. Knopf * ''Weeds'' (1923). A.A. Knopf * ''Red Dawn'' (1924). A.A. Knopf * ''The Lord of Labraz'' (1926). A.A. Knopf * ''The Restlessness of Shanti Andía, and other writings'' (1959). University of Michigan Press * '' The Tree of Knowledge'' (1974). Howard Fertig: * ''Caesar or Nothing'' (1976). Howard Fertig: * ''Zalacain the Adventurer'' (1998). Lost Coast Press: * ''Youth And Egolatry'' (2004). Kessinger Publishing: * ''Road to Perfection'' (2008). Oxbow Books: (pbk.)

References

Sources

''BookRags''

External links

Pio Baroja Collection
at the

Harry Ransom Center The Harry Ransom Center, known as the Humanities Research Center until 1983, is an archive, library, and museum at the University of Texas at Austin, specializing in the collection of literary and cultural artifacts from the Americas and Europe ...

at the

University of Texas at Austin The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public university, public research university in Austin, Texas, United States. Founded in 1883, it is the flagship institution of the University of Texas System. With 53,082 stud ...