- Pseudonym:
- Julio Denis
- Born:
- August 26, 1914, Brussels, Belgium
- Died:
- February 12, 1984, Paris, France (aged 69)
Julio Cortázar
-
Who was Julio Cortázar?
Julio Cortázar (1914-1984) was an Argentine novelist and short-story writer known for combining existential questioning with experimental writing techniques. In 1951, he moved to Paris because he was not happy with the government of Juan Perón and what he saw as the stagnation of the Argentine middle class. Cortázar became a French citizen in 1981, but he also remained an Argentine citizen and was involved in political causes in Argentina and Nicaragua.
His works include Bestiario (1951), Final del juego (1956), and Las armas secretas (1958). His masterpiece, Rayuela (1963; Hopscotch), is an open-ended novel that invites the reader to rearrange the different parts of the novel. Cortázar also wrote poetry and plays and published numerous volumes of essays.
1 Britannica SourceCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
Where was Julio Cortázar from?
Julio Cortázar was an Argentine novelist and short-story writer known for combining existential questioning with experimental writing techniques.
Cortázar was born in Brussels, Belgium, on August 26, 1914, to Argentine parents. He was educated in Argentina, where he taught secondary school and worked as a translator. In 1951, he moved to Paris because he was dissatisfied with the government of Juan Perón and what he saw as the stagnation of the Argentine middle class. Cortázar remained in Paris, where he received French citizenship in 1981, though he also kept his Argentine citizenship and remained engaged with political causes in Argentina and Nicaragua.
1 Britannica SourceCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
What kinds of stories and books did Julio Cortázar write?
Julio Cortázar, an Argentine author, is known for combining existential questioning with experimental writing techniques. He wrote novels, short stories, poetry, plays, and essays.
Cortázar's notable works include his short story collections Bestiario, Final del juego, and Las armas secretas. His masterpiece, Rayuela (Hopscotch), is an open-ended novel that invites the reader to rearrange its parts. Other novels include Los premios, 62: modelo para armar, and Libro de Manuel. Cortázar's Historias de cronopios y de famas is a collection of playful and humorous stories.
2 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
What is one of Julio Cortázar's most famous books?
One of Julio Cortázar's most famous works is Rayuela (1963), translated to English as Hopscotch. This open-ended novel invites the reader to rearrange its parts according to the author's plan. Rayuela was the first of the Latin American novels of the 1960s to gain international attention. Cortázar was an Argentine novelist and short-story writer who combined existential questioning with experimental writing techniques in his works.
2 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
How did Julio Cortázar's writing style make him unique?
Julio Cortázar, an Argentine novelist and short-story writer, stands out due to his fusion of existential questioning with experimental writing techniques. His masterpiece, Rayuela (Hopscotch), is an open-ended novel that invites the reader to rearrange its parts, gaining international attention as the first of the "boom" of Latin American novels of the 1960s. Cortázar's writing includes humor and incorporates modern techniques, setting him apart from regionalist novelists. His stories often feature metaphysical anguish, a search for artistic perfection, and a rejection of 20th-century values.
3 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
Why is Julio Cortázar considered an important figure in world literature?
Julio Cortázar is an important figure in world literature due to his existential questioning and experimental writing techniques. His masterpiece, Rayuela (Hopscotch), was the first of the Latin American novels of the 1960s boom to gain international attention. Cortázar's work often incorporates fantastic or mythical elements into realistic fiction, a strategy known as magic realism. His stories explore metaphysical anguish, the search for artistic perfection, and a rejection of 20th-century values, making him a significant voice in Latin American literature.
2 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Julio Cortázar (born August 26, 1914, Brussels, Belgium—died February 12, 1984, Paris, France) was an Argentine novelist and short-story writer who combined existential questioning with experimental writing techniques in his works.
Cortázar was the son of Argentine parents and was educated in Argentina, where he taught secondary school and worked as a translator. Bestiario (1951; “Bestiary”), his first short-story collection, was published the year he moved to Paris, an act motivated by dissatisfaction with the government of Juan Perón and what he saw as the general stagnation of the Argentine middle class. He remained in Paris, where he received French citizenship in 1981, though he also kept his Argentine citizenship and remained engaged with political causes in Argentina and Nicaragua. He also traveled widely.
Another collection of short stories, Final del juego (1956; “End of the Game”), was followed by Las armas secretas (1958; “The Secret Weapons”). Some of those stories were translated into English as End of the Game, and Other Stories (1967). The main character of “El perseguidor” (“The Pursuer”), one of the stories in Las armas secretas, embodies many of the traits of Cortázar’s later characters. The metaphysical anguish that he feels in his search for artistic perfection and in his failure to come to grips with the passage of time, coupled with his rejection of 20th-century values, was among Cortázar’s central preoccupations. Another story, “Las babas del diablo” (1958; “The Devil’s Drivel”), served as the basis for Michelangelo Antonioni’s motion picture Blow-Up (1966).
Cortázar’s masterpiece, Rayuela (1963; Hopscotch), is an open-ended novel, or antinovel; the reader is invited to rearrange the different parts of the novel according to a plan prescribed by the author. It was the first of the “boom” of Latin American novels of the 1960s to gain international attention. Cortázar’s other novels were Los premios (1960; Eng. trans. The Winners), 62: modelo para armar (1968; 62: A Model Kit), and Libro de Manuel (1973; A Manual for Manuel). A series of playful and humorous stories that Cortázar wrote between 1952 and 1959 were published in Historias de cronopios y de famas (1962; Cronopios and Famas). His later collections of short stories included Todos los fuegos el fuego (1966; All Fires the Fire, and Other Stories), Un tal Lucas (1979; A Certain Lucas), and Queremos tanto a Glenda, y otros relatos (1981; We Love Glenda So Much, and Other Tales). Cortázar also wrote poetry and plays and published numerous volumes of essays.