Chronology
Currently, the most accepted chronology of Costa Rican literature is that proposed by professor Álvaro Quesada Soto. According to Soto, from the first literary publications in Costa Rica at the end of the 19th century, until now, there are five literary periods, which are traditionally called "generations". However, these periods are not "generations" in the traditional literary sense. Thus, the periods of Costa Rican literature are as follows.
1. The Olympus generation (1890–1920): These are the writers within the model of the liberal oligarchic state. The literature of this era is characterized by its being written during a process of formation and consolidation of a national consciousness.
- Manuel Argüello Mora
- Manuel de Jesús Jiménez
- Pío Víquez
- Roberto Brenes Mesén
- Aquileo Echeverría
- Ricardo Fernández Guardia
- Carlos Gagini
- Manuel González Zeledón
2. The repertory generation (1920–1940): So called because of its link to the magazine Repertorio Americano de Joaquín García Monge. During this period there was a crisis of the liberal oligarchic regime, and so the literature of the era is characterized by new forms of language, such as the grotesque style, fierce and corrosive humor, parody, and satire.
- Joaquín García Monge
- Omar Dengo
- Carmen Lyra
- Mario Sancho
- Max Jiménez
3. The 40s generation (1940–1960): During this era, social democracy was implanted in Costa Rica. It was a time of questioning and renewal, with major social reforms and a new concept of the state. Major literary themes included social problems, land distribution, and transnational corporations.
- José Basileo Acuña
- Isaac Felipe Azofeifa
- Fabián Dobles
- Carlos Luis Fallas
- Joaquín Gutiérrez
- Julián Marchena
- Yolanda Oreamuno
- José Marín Cañas
- Carlos Luis Sáenz
- Carlos Salazar Herrera
- Moisés Vincenzi
4. The urban generation (1960–1980): At this time, modernization and industrialization took shape in Costa Rica. In the literature of this era the city is the predominant theme.
- Alberto Cañas
- Jorge Charpentier
- Daniel Gallegos
- Virginia Grütter
- Carmen Naranjo
- Eunice Odio
- Samuel Rovinski
- José León Sánchez
- Laureano Albán
- Julieta Dobles
- Jorge Debravo
- Alfonso Chase
5. The generation of disenchantment (1980–present): A new period of Costa Rican literature began in the 1980s. During this time, there has been a departure from the tendencies that have characterized Costa Rican literature from its beginnings. In particular, realism has been abandoned, and new forms of writing have appeared in its wake. This has led to a plurality of styles, times, and spaces within Costa Rican literature. Nevertheless, the works tend to fit within the same thematic context: disenchantment with the model of the state provided by Costa Rican politicians.
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