French Literature Reviews - 2026

Y. Llored, Exils. Max Aub, Juan Goytisolo
Comparative and World Literature

Yannick Llored, Exils. Max Aub, Juan Goytisolo, Saarbrücken, Éditions universitaires européennes, 2017, 90 p. ISBN: 978-3-639-65239-0 / 32 euros

This critical essay explores the theme of Republican Spanish exile through an analysis of selected works by two prominent Spanish writers of different generations: Max Aub (1903–1972) and Juan Goytisolo (1931–2017). The study establishes a form of remote dialogue between the two authors, juxtaposing their perspectives on the situation and condition of the exiled intellectual, as well as their conflicted relationship with their homeland—a relationship inextricably bound to a memory shaped by loss, alongside artistic and moral commitments. The differing nature of their exiles is highlighted to examine how it impacted their literary creations in the face of contemporary political and literary challenges.

Contents

General Introduction

I. The Republican Spanish Exile in Mexico through the Short Stories of Max Aub

The Dilemmas of Exile: Resistance, Betrayal, Oblivion

Confronting the Conflicting Trials of Justice and Truth

Conclusion

II. Latin America in the Trajectory of Juan Goytisolo (1960–1970)

Self-Exile and the Quest for Alternative Writing

Writing Modernity and the Politics of Fiction

Conclusion

Epilogue

Appendix (fragments of an interview with Juan Goytisolo)

Bibliographical References

The experience of exile has long been a central motif in twentieth-century Spanish literature, particularly following the Spanish Civil War. Writers forced into displacement often navigated the tension between the loss of their homeland and the search for new modes of creative expression. This study positions Max Aub and Juan Goytisolo within this tradition, examining their perspectives on the condition of the exiled intellectual and their conflicted relationship with their homeland, a relationship bound to memory, loss, and artistic and moral commitments.

The study establishes a remote dialogue between Max Aub and Juan Goytisolo, highlighting the differing nature of their exiles and how these impacted their literary creations. Aub’s work reflects on the dilemmas of the Republican diaspora in Mexico, while Goytisolo’s trajectory involves self-exile and a quest for alternative writing. Readers interested in the intersection of political history and narrative form may find this analysis of their relationships with Spain and their literary projects relevant.