Adrián del Valle, in addition to being a prolific narrator, left behind an essayistic body of work that has been systematically overlooked in the history of Cuba and its literary creation, despite its relevance as a foundation for the ideas that would germinate in the nation beginning in 1959. His wanderings around the world before settling permanently in Cuba allowed him to consolidate a humanist vocation with a socialist impetus that would bear fruit in various ways in his literary essays and journalism.

At the age of 15, he became known for the publication of his “Letters to a Friend on Socialism” in Spain’s “El Productor” (later reproduced in the Cuban newspaper of the same name). He expressed a political affiliation that he would maintain throughout his life, combined with a revolutionary and pacifist attitude, also evident in his narrative.

Once in Cuba, he continued to develop his ideas on socialism, but without dogmatism, with a vision open to other currents of thought, even beyond the purely philosophical. In 1924, he published an essay entitled “The World as Plurality” in the magazine Bimestre Cubana, which reveals the influence of theories from the field of psychology regarding the influence of the environment on personality.

His vision of socialism, however, had been consistent with the revolutionary attitude; some of his ideas on this subject were expressed in “The New Ideal,” which he began publishing on the island after it was abandoned by Spanish troops. His belief in this doctrine and his deep conviction about the moral debacle associated with capitalism always lend a distinctive tone to his works, whether narrative or essayistic.

Carlos Loveira would say about Adrián del Valle: “He considers man as a rational being capable of enjoying maximum freedom, and society as an organism in formation that is perfecting itself in step with the experiences of its individual components, an organism that will reach its fullness when antagonisms and violence are replaced by solidarity and mutual support.”

His journalistic work was quite extensive, particularly notable in this regard: his 15-year editorial work on “Cuba y América” ​​(Cuba and America). He also headed the “Momentáneas” section for El Mundo for a time. In Pro-Vida, he published several articles in which he outlined his concept of health associated with naturism and the harmful effect that civilization—read: alienation—can have on genuine human well-being.