Starting in the second half of the 19th century, a reaction took place in Spain against the excessive subjectivism of the literary movement known as romanticism. This gave rise to a type of writing focused much more on describing reality in an objective way, through the most impersonal and objective exposition of the facts. A characteristic feature of this prose is the use of an austere style of language, with an almost total absence of epithets and rhetorical figures. The writer generally narrates in the third person, with an almost journalistic style, observing reality with the spirit of an impartial observer, bordering on the scientific exposition of the facts.

In Spain, Pérez Galdós and Alas Clarín are the most prominent authors of this movement. The first writes an extensive series of books called Episodios Nacionales, in which with an almost encyclopedic spirit he dedicates himself to portraying in great detail the most relevant events in the history of the country. In other works of his, such as Doña Perfecta or Fortunata y Jacinta, the writer shows great virtuosity to analyze in a detailed and deep way the psychological profile of the characters he contemplates us. Alas Clarín distances himself from Galdós's style with more critical and combative prose. His writings are not limited to exposing clear scenes of the time, but he injects into his descriptions a sharp denunciation of political corruption, 'caciquismo', and superstition in which life in the small provincial cities is immersed. A masterpiece in this sense is his novel La Regenta, whose atmosphere is largely inspired by the northern city of Oviedo.

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The realistic novel in Spanish literature.

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