Count Julian

Reivindicación del Conde don Julián (1970) is considered the masterwork of Spanish novelist Juan Goytisolo. The novel experiments with transforming the Spanish language, viewing it as a tool of political power, and excoriates Spain for its hypocrisy and cruelty. Goytisolo, born in Barcelona in 1931, was a novelist, short-story writer, and essayist whose early work evolved into avant-garde fiction. His experiences during the Spanish Civil War, where his mother was killed, fueled a hatred for the fascist dictatorship and conservative religious values in Spain. After living in self-imposed exile in Paris and Morocco, Goytisolo continued to explore themes of Spanish identity and cultural roots in his later works.1