Pompeu Gener, un positivista darwinista contrario al naturalismo zoliano (colaboraciones en la prensa de Barcelona y Madrid)

Abstract

This study presents articles of Pompeu Gener that help to determine the genesis of several books of his–above all Literaturas malsanas (1894)– or complement them. Gener, that had already criticized Zola’s naturalism in French and Hispanic publications, began a campaign in Madrid and Barcelona against it from 1887, which was intensified after the reactions that La terre aroused and with the rise of several end of century’s tendencies (in special, psychologism, which led him to revalue Stendhal and some aspects of Paul Bourget), although he disapproved also of them, more distant from their principles. Since he is one of the most important pioneers of positivism and darwinism and a supporter of the critical inductive and realism (taking as a model, above all, Taine and Flaubert), his case illustrates very graphically that, despite the influence of these movements in Zola, their acceptance does not prevent the rejection of his naturalism. Precisely, Gener believes that this deviates from the science and realism to provide a partial view of nature.