Argentine Literature

[Heteronym]

Perhaps no other literature has offered me so much joy. Its writers have marvelled me for years with their amazing novels and short-stories where the everyday and the fantastic merge.

It all starts with an epic poem, José Hernández' 1872 Martín Fierro, the zenith of Gauchesque poetry, a style that emphasized the language, the folklore and the culture of the pampas, which hoped to separate it from the dominating Euro-centric Spanish culture.

The 20th century gave us Leopoldo Lugones, poet and a major influence on the poetry circles young Borges was part of. Lugones was also a short-story writer, whose Strange Forces is an awkward piece which reimagines biblical catastrophes, explains why monkeys refuse to talk even though they can, invents a new type of flower, devoted to death, narrates a rebellion of horses against their masters, and discusses new lifeforms at the dawn of time.

There's also Roberto Artl, whose The Seven Madmen is one of the greatest novels I've ever read: it's about a man who tries to acquire money to finance a secret society that will take over the world. And how will they finance it? By building brothels all over Argentina, of course! You know O'Brien's diatribe against Mankind in 1984? In Arlt's novel there's the Astrologist, who's ten times more cynical.

Adolfo Bioy Casares and Julio Cortázar were masters of the absurd and the surreal; their finely-crafted short-stories and novels have fascinated me in recent times. And finally there's Jorge Luis Borges, my candidate for the 20th century's greatest writer: poet, short-story writer, essayist, literary critic, literature teacher, Borges' love for books have made me discover countless new writers.

What is being written in Argentina today? That's what I'd love to know.




Related Threads:

• Jorge Luis Borges
• Adolfo Bioy Casares
• Adolfo Bioy Casares: A Plan for Escape
• Adolfo Bioy Casares: The Invention of Morel

[Eric]

What is being written in Argentina today? That's what I'd love to know.

What about:

Literatura Argentina Contempornea

If you can't read Spanish, there is, of course, a bit of a problem.

I can't read Spanish, but I am fascinated by the proportion of the literature from any country that actually ends up in English. Is it representative, or just what a few publishers choose on whim? But there are a lot of names here:

Literatura Argentina Contemporánea : los escritores

Can't some of those that read Spanish give us an overview?

[nnyhav]

To add to your list (me, I'm just as wild about Borges, and mustn't neglect his collaboration with Bioy Casares, and Cortázar's Rayuela/Hopscotch is , but I'm milder on Arlt myself):

Ernesto Sábato:
On Heroes and Tombs: The definitive Buenos Aires novel he takes up half the posts in Forgotten & Obscure Gems
The Tunnel (? - highly regarded, but I cannot get Englished)
good in the short story department too

César Aira:
My Life as a Nun [appended as last item at link] +
An Incident in the Life of a Landscape Painter
unmatched novellas

Juan José Saer:
The Witness
still looking for more SerpentsTail releases by him

Manuel Puig:
haven't read anything by him yet, but An Eternal Curse on the Reader of these Pages awaits on the shelf. I hear he went Hollywood

[obooki]

I've started reading Lugones' Strange Forces - it certainly is pretty weird and baroque and thoroughly recommended.

Also, much impressed by Juan Jose Saer, after only one novel - The Investigation; have another two lying about the flat somewhere, for when I get around to them.

From that list Eric posted, the others I've read have all been pretty so-so: Abel Posse, Luisa Valenzuela, Roberto Piglia, Cesar Aira, Manuel Puig. *shrugs shoulders*

I think I'll have a go at Eduardo Berti right now, since it's quite short.

[Stewart]

Originally Posted by obooki

I think I'll have a go at Eduardo Berti right now, since it's quite short.

If it's Agua, please do. I have had that for a year or so, never relly getting round to it.

[fausto]

Sololiteratura is an excellent website for latin american literature -- only available in Spanish, unfortunately. They have pages for Argentina.

Pginas de Literatura de Argentina

Contemporary authors are less known than their illustrious predecessors but I find them very interesting. Literature seems in good shape over there.

Heteronym's introductory was great and I won't comment on the authors in there as I guess everyone will have heard of them and our Portugues friend made of good job of it. I've got nothing to add. Thanks!

Sabato is obviously mandatory. Two writers not mentioned but also very important in the history of Argentinian lit are Macedonio Fernández and Osvaldo Lamborghini. Macedonio was a huge influence on Borges who dedicated one of his poems to him. For more info, I would direct you an excellent essay published in the latest Quarterly conversation: Macedonio Fernandez: The Man Who Invented Borges | The Quarterly Conversation
Osvaldo Lamborghini is emblematic of the Argentinian avant-garde of the 70's (influenced by Lacan, Céline, Artaud, Grombowicz or Arlt amongst other things). Quite a prolific writer, especially in his last years. He died aged 45 in 1985, leaving a seven tome work called Teatro proletario de cámara unfinished: a mixture of prose, verse, graphic design, etc. César Aira's master.

Since we're talking Aira, a couple of words on him. I first read him with a lot of doubts in my head, and if the first one didn't entirely convince I found out afterwards it grew on me. I think I've now read four books of his, and he won me over. Funhouse described him some place else as hallucinatory, and he is right. Very powerful writing.

Ricardo Piglia was also mentioned. One of the big names still writing today. He used to head a series of crime novels for a publisher and is a specialist of the detective story, which shows in his own work especially in his most successful book Money to burn which received a big prize awarded by a jury made of Roa Bastos, Benedetti and Tomás Eloy Martínez -- not the worst jury you could have come up with. He teaches at Princeton and his a reference for most younger Argentinian writers, it would seem.

Fogwill -- He is a weird one. Very funny books, most of them short. Some see in him an heir to Artl.

Juan Gelman -- Received the Cervantes, one if not the main literary prize of the Spanish-speaking world, a few months ago. A poet.

Tomas Eloy Martínez -- I guess you have heard of him, one of the most famous Argentinian writer.

Alberto Manguel -- Now I'm sure 99% of the reader of this forum will know the old Borges reader...

Let's move on to the younger generation:

Rodrigo Fresán -- started out as a journalist. Friend of Bolaño and Vila-Matas. Wrote a couple of novels (Kensigton's gardens is available in English) and a few short-stories collections. I think he is actually better known for his work as a critic -- he is like the number one critic for english-language literature in Spain, especially post-modern one. Again, I would direct you to the Quarterly conversation:
My Own Private Mexico | The Quarterly Conversation

Alan Pauls -- the most talented? A couple of years ago, I read The Past, quite a striking love story, but wasn't quite in love with the writing. Since then, I read him in Spanish and... wow... Proustian might be too much, but I guess you see what I mean. Very smart and very well done.

Martin Kohan -- sold in Spain as one of the rising stars. Read one book, wasn't impressed at all. I think he has something available in English through Sepernt's tail.

Damían Tabarovsky -- I have my doubts about him, but he is very interesting. Literary critic and literary director of of Interzon, one of Argentina's most dynamic independent publishing houses. I've read four of his novels, all had some excellent ideas, writing, starting points but I felt they were always being let down by an insistence on politics devoid of subtlelty. Too bad, because it's was very good stuff at times. A master of digression, it would seem.

Sergio Chejfec -- I know very little about him, but I've read a few articles and he is meant to be a future major writer. Unfortunately, I don't think any of his books are available in Spain making it near impossible to find over here. However, I heard the great and small publisher Candaya was planning to publish some titles here at last. Very often being compared to Saer. Now lives in Venezuela.

In another place, I've been recommended Luis Gusman, Gustavo Nielsen and Federico Jeanmaire. I know zilch about the latter two, but I've heard a little about Gusman and I've been meaning to check him out.

So as you can see, a lot of things seem to be happening over there at the moment...

One last note: Juan Rodolfo Wilcock wrote both in Italian and Spanish, died in Italy, which was the nationality on his papers, but was born and bred in Argentine. Friend of Bioy and Borges. Some of his work written in Italian, some in Spanish. I read El estereoscopio de los solitarios last year, damn fine read. Great absurd short stories, very witty.

[Stewart]

Originally Posted by fausto

Fogwill -- He is a weird one. Very funny books, most of them short. Some see in him an heir to Artl.

I've heard mention of him, particularly for Malvinas Requiem, reviewed here.

Tomas Eloy Martínez -- I guess you have heard of him, one of the most famous Argentinian writer.

I've heard of him, but only because I spotted a single book by him today.l

Alberto Manguel -- Now I'm sure 99% of the reader of this forum will know the old Borges reader...

A Canadian citizen now, I believe. We have a thread for his With Borges memoir.

Alan Pauls -- the most talented? A couple of years ago, I read The Past, quite a striking love story, but wasn't quite in love with the writing. Since then, I read him in Spanish and... wow... Proustian might be too much, but I guess you see what I mean. Very smart and very well done.

Interesting. In the UK his The Past was on the longlist for the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize. I don't tend to like thick books, so I was leaving this one until later. On the same list was Vila-Matas, who you also mentioned.

[Settembrini]

Borges was the best Argentinian writer of the XIX century. The best Argentinian writer of the XX century was Gombrowicz... or perhaps Bianciotti after 1982... or perhaps Wilcock after 1957.

About the guys cited by Fausto: Lamborghini (I would include Benito Lynch, Borges and Mujica Lainez among his influences), Fogwill, Gusman, I mean all the group around Literal magazine (Zelarayan, Libertella, etc. but not German Garcia) and perhaps Chejfec -who is from Venezuela as Fogwill always says- are the worthly canon. Aira, Nielsen and Pauls belong to this group (but just for the influence upon them, they were too young for write in Literal).
Then, Piglia is like Bolaño but more "politicized", Martínez is a mediocre journalist and an oportunist novelist (a best-sellerist wannabe), Kohan is all about techniques and rewritrings, Fresán was a promise in the early nineties, and Tabarovsky was the owner of Interzona (kekeke).
Jeanmaire was an interesting writer until 2003.
Manguel is Canadian.
Saer is a true major (sometimes he reminds me Haroldo Conti before the [s]garciamarquezca[/s] lousy Mascaró). Also Tizón.
Puig was an inspiration for Cabrera Infante, Vargas Llosa, Fuguet and maybe Bolaño.
Sabato is (fairly) almost forgotten. The same with Cortazar (except for the kids in high-schools, who still read them a lot). The same with Mallea (a major writer in his time).
Revol (who perhaps -but is surely a myth- wrote some letters to Pynchon) was almost a major. The same about Laiseca. The same with Andrés Rivera.
The critical texts about Macedonio are greater than Macedonio's own work. The same with Arlt. The same with Pizarnik.

[Heteronym]

Roberto Arlt's The Seven Madmen is one of the best novels I've ever read, though.

[fausto]

Too bad I only see Settembrini's reply now that he seems to be gone. Something in it sounds familiar, as if coming from another forum I know. Something in the tone and the inaccuracies. Manguel is Canadian but Wilcock is Argentinian. Chejfec is Venezuelan. That sort of things. Thanks anyway for some of the info, although quite a bit is heavy handed and stereotypical. The opposition of sorts between Chejfec and Fresan reminds me of a very famous polemics in the early 90's between two schools. Seems people over there still buy into that although involved writers now say there was nothing in it. It's also typical, I would say, of some argentinians to disregard the work of Fresan published after he left the country. I don't know why, because his latter work is better I feel.
This being said, maybe I'm wrong and Settembrini is not from Argentine.

[Daniel del Real]

In recent news Argentinan writer Andres Neuman was awarded yesterday with the Alfaguara novel prize, one of the most important prizes given to a novel in spanish. The novel for which he was awareded is El Viajero del Siglo (The Traveler of the Century).

I haven´t read Neuman but this prize is synonim of good literature. He must be a good new talent for Hispanoamerican literature.

[fausto]

I've heard good things about him but I have my doubts on previous winners of that price. I don't think it's synonymous with good literature. Problem in Spain, I feel, is that most prizes are actually given by publishers themselves (see Planeta, Bruguera, Herralde).

[Daniel del Real]

I've read the last 5 or 6 novels awarded with the Alfaguara Prize and in my opinion all of them were really good, nothing really outstanding but well written and pretty entretaining.

Fausto, could you tell me examples of the novels you didn´t like?

[fausto]

Not a fan of Restrepo, Velasco and Vicent, to name three.

[miercuri]

Originally Posted by nnyhav

Ernesto Sábato:
On Heroes and Tombs: The definitive Buenos Aires novel he takes up half the posts in Forgotten & Obscure Gems
The Tunnel (? - highly regarded, but I cannot get Englished)
good in the short story department too

I was surprised to find out that this author is mostly overlooked in the English-speaking world. In Romania he is something of a household name. He's been widely translated and retranslated in the last few decades. On Heroes and Tombs even has some sort of cult following among undergraduates.

[Daniel del Real]

Originally Posted by fausto

Not a fan of Restrepo, Velasco and Vicent, to name three.

Of those three I really liked Velasco. Along Velasco, Roncangliolo, Eloy Martínez, Orlando Rodríguez and Leante novels are pretty good to me

[Eric]

Daniel, Fausto, Meircuri: Argentinian literature looks very interesting. But could you add a few words of explanation why specific writers are interesting for you, or point us to texts, in Spanish but preferably also in English, which tell us outsiders a bit more about their works?

It is always possible to Google for the names mentioned, and look at Wikipedia entries. But when you mention specific names, presumably on account of your personal taste, it would be interesting to know why you chose those names.

Velasco, Roncangliolo, Eloy Martínez, Orlando Rodríguez, Leante, Restrepo, Puig, Neuman, Vicent, Gelman, Piglia, etc., etc. They are, unfortunately, just names to us Europeans, especially those of us that have either no knowledge of Spanish, or a very limited knowledge. So it's no wonder that threads like this one die (last posting 25th March 2009). We have no encouragement to find out more, merely a list of names.

[Eric]

I hope Settembrini returns to this thread with more explanations. His remarks (along with those of Fausto) seem very informed. While others make lists on hearsay, you get the feeling that Settembrini knows what he's (she's?) talking about.

Gradually, from the various posts here, I'm beginning to get an idea of the names that count in Argentinian literature. All that remains is to locate them in some form of chronology and then start finding the translations into languages I can read.

I can put up with a few minor inaccuracies, but I like people who have opinions about writers, opinions supported by reasoning.. Also the names of literary groupings and movements are interesting to know. Authors of a feather flock together.

I am puzzled at some of Fausto's response to Settembrini. Far from dubbing him Naphta, I do think he read Settembrini's posting a little too hastily, e.g. "Chejfez is from Venezuala".

[Heteronym]

I recently had the pleasure of reading Ernesto Sabato's The Tunnel, strenghtening my belief that Argentine literature was one of 20th century's greatest treasures.

Sabato's novel is a killer's examination of himself and of the motives that lead him to kill the only woman that understood his art, because the protagonist is a painter. It's full of post-WWII existentialist angst and nihilism. It's also not unsimilar to Mário de Sá-Carneiro's Lúcio's Confession.

[Settembrini]

Originally Posted by Heteronym

I recently had the pleasure of reading Ernesto Sabato's The Tunnel, strenghtening my belief that Argentine literature was one of 20th century's greatest treasures.

Really?
Bioy Casares wrote in his diary an anecdote about The Tunnel. He says that Sabato gave him the novel, and ask him to "correct" it. Bioy did it: he took a red pencil and made a lot of annotations. Then, he send back the book to Sabato. The fact was that Sabato was waiting laudatory remarks about his work, so he gets very angry when Bioy treats him like a rookie and from that moment the two writers (I mean, the writer and the guy with glasses) went on a silently fight.