author
Narcís Oller
1846–1930
A key figure in the rise of the modern Catalan novel, this writer brought realism and naturalism into Catalan literature while keeping a sharp eye on social change. His best-known books include La papallona, L'Escanyapobres, and La febre d'or.
2 Audiobooks
L'escanya-pobres
by Narcís Oller
Vilaniu : Novela de costums del nostre temps
by Narcís Oller
About the author
Born in Valls in 1846 and later based in Barcelona, Narcís Oller was trained in law and worked in public administration and the courts while building his literary career. He is widely regarded as one of the central authors of the Catalan Renaixença and a major force in shaping the modern Catalan novel.
His fiction first drew on realism and naturalism, then gradually opened toward the sensibility of Modernisme. Among his most noted works are La papallona, which gained extra attention through a French edition introduced by Émile Zola, L'Escanyapobres, and La febre d'or, a vivid novel of ambition, money, and social life in Barcelona.
Oller also wrote short fiction, theater, memoir, and translations, helping widen the reach of Catalan prose at a crucial moment in its development. He died in Barcelona in 1930, leaving behind a body of work that still stands as a cornerstone of Catalan literature.