Fable and Life

The first edition of Fábula y vida was published by the Universidad de Oriente in 1955. Juan Chabás Martí (Denia, Alicante, 1900 – Havana, 1954), a Spanish writer, was received by this young Higher Education institution as a member of its faculty. as a professor of Spanish Literature, at the Faculty of Philosophy and Education from 1949 to 1954. The text was part of the collection published by the Directorate of Extension and Cultural Relations. He was under the care of Dr. José Antonio Portuondo, a leading figure of literary criticism in the country. The referents of Chabás can be located in the Generation of 98 and are connected with the modernity of the Generation of 27.
The guerrilla fight, the Spanish resistance during the years of the Civil War, the flow of consciousness of a dead character who at times remembers his life; the class struggle, the proletariat, rural life, love and jealousy... are some of the themes of Fable and Life. It expresses the vital attitude of Juan Chabás and his conception of the world. The chosen narrative structure is simple, direct and linear. Time is continuous chronological with few flashbacks. The stories reveal “his strong personality […] his deep tenderness that caresses men and things and shapes the landscape with the plastic delight of a painter or mosaicist. It handles the bright and dark tones of the palette equally. He paints the atmosphere with the skill of a good impressionist ”.