Classic literature in Spanish

By Marta Díaz on Thursday, June 19, 2025

Spanish culture is one of the most renowned in the world, and it's no surprise, because for centuries Spain has been home to thousands of writers famous for their literary works. Many great classics have become benchmarks of world literature and have contributed to making Spanish one of the most widely spoken languages in the world.

The use of language, the country's traditions, and the writing style of some authors have ensured their place in posterity. Some works have even been translated into other languages. That is why Spanish is such a rich language, and if you want to learn Spanish in Spain, what better way to start than with the classics of Spanish literature that have become world references.

Understand the tradition behind certain works and how language has evolved over time. That's why Enforex brings you Spanish literary classics from the dawn of time. Have you read any of them? Tell us about it!

El Cantar de mio Cid (Anonymous, 12th century)

The first classic of Spanish literature that we would like to highlight is El Cantar del mio Cid, an anonymous work that was passed down orally for years before being written down. Over the years, this story has been adapted into films, series, and animated feature films.

It is the first great epic work in the Spanish language, narrating the story of Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar, known as El Cid Campeador. After being unjustly exiled by King Alfonso VI, El Cid fights to regain his honor and his lands. The work combines historical facts with legends and reflects medieval values of honor, loyalty, and heroism.

La Celestina – Fernando de Rojas (1499)

Let’s continue with La Celestina, another classic of Spanish literature. This time, the work is a tragicomedy. It tells the story of Calisto, a young nobleman who falls in love with Melibea and turns to Celestina, an old matchmaker, to help him win her over.

The story explores themes such as passion, manipulation, and fatality, with a style that blends elements of theater and the novel. Its tone is dark and pessimistic.

Don Quijote de la Mancha – Miguel de Cervantes (1605 and 1615)

The most famous and widely translated Spanish novel after the Bible: Don Quijote de la Mancha. This work by the legendary author Miguel de Cervantes recounts the adventures of Alonso Quijano, a nobleman who goes mad from reading novels about chivalry and decides to become a knight-errant under the name Don Quixote. Accompanied by his faithful squire Sancho Panza, Don Quixote experiences thousands of adventures and crazy exploits.

A work that satirizes Spanish society and reflects on reality, madness, and ideals. A story that has traveled around the world and been read by millions of people in Spanish and other languages.

La vida del Buscón llamado Don Pablos – Francisco de Quevedo (1626)

The picaresque novel is a subgenre that stands out in Spanish literature, and although the first was El lazarillo de Tormes (Anonymous), Francisco de Quevedo wrote one that has gone down in history. La vida del Buscón llamado Don Pablos tells the story of Pablos, a poor young man who tries to climb the social ladder through deception and trickery, facing the hypocrisy, corruption, and poverty of Spanish society in the Golden Age.

The work is a scathing and pessimistic critique of society, written in a language rich in wordplay and irony. In addition, Quevedo used this work to criticize the vices of society and the false nobility of his time.

Rimas y Leyendas – Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer (1871, posthumous)

If you like romantic poetry and fantasy stories, Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer's work is for you. This Spanish author's work Rimas y Leyendas (Rhymes and Legends) is full of symbolism of Spanish romanticism. Although the work was published after Bécquer's death, when his friends compiled all his writings and published them as a single book.

Thus, Rimas is a collection of lyrical poems that explore themes such as love, death, disappointment, and poetic inspiration. Leyendas, on the other hand, are short stories that blend mystery, fantasy, and supernatural elements, set mainly in the Middle Ages or in legendary places.

Fortunata y Jacinta – Benito Pérez Galdós (1887)

A realistic and naturalistic novel, Fortunata y Jacinta is a classic of Spanish literature that is not to be missed. It tells the story of two very different women, Fortunata, from a humble background, and Jacinta, a woman of high society. Both are linked by the same man, Juanito Santa Cruz.

The story offers a detailed portrait of 19th-century Madrid society, exploring themes such as love, social inequality, and morality.

Campos de Castilla – Antonio Machado (1912)

Another work of poetry is Campos de Castilla, by Antonio Machado. This collection of poems reflects the author's nostalgia and concern for the social and cultural reality of Spain, especially the region of Castile, which symbolizes the essence of the country. The poems alternate between descriptions of the landscape and profound reflections on identity, time, and death.

La casa de Bernarda Alba – Federico García Lorca (1936)

La casa de Bernarda Alba is a theatrical drama par excellence. It tells the story of Bernarda Alba and her five daughters, who live under strict and oppressive surveillance after the death of their father. Repression, desire, and the struggle for freedom lead to a tragic ending.

The play is a critique of traditional society and the oppression of women, which has been performed in theaters thousands of times over the years and continues to attract large audiences.

Tiempo de silencio – Luis Martín-Santos (1962)

Tiempo de silencio (Time of Silence) is a classic Spanish novel that follows a young doctor working in a Madrid hospital who is confronted with the oppressive and unequal reality of Franco's Spain. The work uses modern narrative techniques such as interior monologue to explore alienation and existentialism.

It is considered one of the most innovative works of 20th-century Spanish fiction, as it broke with the traditional style.

El cuarto de atrás – Carmen Martín Gaite (1978)

El cuarto de atrás (The Back Room) by Carmen Martín Gaite won the National Literature Prize and is a benchmark in contemporary Spanish women's fiction.

It combines autobiography, memory, and fiction in the story of a writer who converses with a strange visitor in a room where she relives memories of her childhood and the postwar period. The novel reflects on the past, memory, and literary creation.

El lector de Julio Verne – Almudena Grandes (2012)

Another great Spanish author is Almudena Grandes. In her work El lector de Julio Verne (The Reader of Jules Verne), set in post-war Spain, she tells the story of a boy who discovers the anti-Franco resistance through reading and the influence of his family and social environment. It is part of a series that explores the consequences of the Civil War.

Patria – Fernando Aramburu (2016)

A publishing success in recent years that has been adapted into a Spanish television series. In Patria, Fernando Aramburu tells the story of two Basque families torn apart by the impact of ETA terrorism. The novel deals with suffering, guilt, forgiveness, and the social and personal consequences of political conflict.

In addition to all these works, there is a long list of Spanish authors who have also had a major impact on Spanish literature and whose works have become benchmarks in many fields. Among them we can highlight: Lope de Vega, Tirso de Molina, Calderón de la Barca, Luis de Góngora, Fray Luis de León, Santa Teresa de Jesús, Rosalía de Castro, Emilia Pardo Bazán, Ramón del Valle-Inclán, Miguel de Unamuno, Miguel Delibes, Ana María Matute, Rafael Alberti, Luis Cernuda, Carlos Ruiz Zafón, Arturo Pérez-Reverte, Rosa Montero...

Theater, poetry, fiction, self-criticism, and autobiographical works—the number of Spanish classics that exist cannot be summarized in a single article. That's why we invite you to discover these and many more Spanish authors to read, transport yourself to other eras, and improve your command of the language.