Here in All Fires the Fire, Julio Cortázar displays the talent and imagination that have earned him praise all over the world. Once again th...
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reviews
Apr 05, 2010
Darryl
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This collection of short stories was originally published in 1966 in Spanish, translated into English in 1973, and re-released by Marion Boyers Publishers (UK) in 2005; I picked it up at the London Review Bookshop this summer.
If I had only read the first two short stories, "The Southern Thruway" and "The Health of the Sick", I would have given this book 5 stars. The first story is about a horrific traffic jam on a major road bringing travelers back to Paris, where More...
If I had only read the first two short stories, "The Southern Thruway" and "The Health of the Sick", I would have given this book 5 stars. The first story is about a horrific traffic jam on a major road bringing travelers back to Paris, where More...
Nov 25, 2009
Maureen
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i like cortazar's facility with language, and inevitably, as with any latin literature, it resonates with my own understanding of how families operate and cultural proclivities. and yet, for the most part these stories did not move me. there are a few that i admired very much, most of all, the island at noon, the most simply told of the stories, of a male flight attendant who happens to glance out with the window, and espy a small island which he comes to see as the focus of his life. he calls i
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Oct 01, 2009
Jim
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In general, I am not overly fond of short stories. But there are some writers, such as Julio Cortázar who make the experience of reading their stories a memorable one. He will do strange things, such as shift the point of view within a paragraph -- even within a sentence such as in the title story, "All Fires the Fire" and in "Nurse Cora." His story "Southern Thruway" tells of a massive traffic jam lasting days, during which time couples make love, people die, and d
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Jan 29, 2012
Kevin
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A number of people have commented on the brilliant, existential, post-apocalyptic The Southern Thruway, but I have to mention the dense, surreal Instructions for John Howell as my personal favorite selection from Cortazar's collection. Like every story in All Fires the Fire, the closing line of John Howell is a perfect summation of its rising action, as Rice presses on, running aimlessly into the dark night.
Only Meeting, the slightly contrived Che Guevara war tale seems clunky, stretching More...
Only Meeting, the slightly contrived Che Guevara war tale seems clunky, stretching More...
Oct 13, 2008
Israel
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Ocho cuentos conforman esta compilación de genialidad. Cada uno de estos hijos de Cortázar cuenta una historia distintiva a pesar de estar hechos con la misma pluma y letra.
"Autopista al sur", el primer cuento, es una larga analogía a la soledad, 5/5
"La salud de los enfermos" un surrealismo en silencio, el amor y la salud que se convierten en la verdadera enfermedad. 5/5
"Reunión" un relato de guerra, una de aquellas que condenan a More...
"Autopista al sur", el primer cuento, es una larga analogía a la soledad, 5/5
"La salud de los enfermos" un surrealismo en silencio, el amor y la salud que se convierten en la verdadera enfermedad. 5/5
"Reunión" un relato de guerra, una de aquellas que condenan a More...
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Jul 29, 2008
Jimmy
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This was good. Cortazar is deceptively difficult. His sentences are sometimes filled with comma splices, it makes it really hard to read and to follow his train of thought. But he doesn't do it in all the stories. And sometimes his stories are really boring, but I never feel like they are outright bad. He's always trying to figure something out in these stories.
Southern Thruway: apocolyptic traffic jam, interesting idea, kind of boring to actually read though 2/5
Heal More...
Southern Thruway: apocolyptic traffic jam, interesting idea, kind of boring to actually read though 2/5
Heal More...
Apr 19, 2009
Jen
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I loved this book. Each story is a masterpiece and all have stayed with me since I finished the book about a year ago. The story about the traffic jam in particular has remained with me, as has the one about the man who flies over the island at noon. He has a great style of writing. Lovers of fiction should read this.
Jul 27, 2011
Not bad, but not particularly striking. The first story reminds me of the TV show Lost set in a traffic jam, which is quite imaginative. Unfortunately for Cortazar he suffers from being overshadowed by a certain other Argentine writer of intellectually playful stories with a fantasy or surrealist element.
Dec 23, 2011
Ariane
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This book was really a compilation of several short stories. I liked the one about Nurse Cora and her young patient, a boy of approximately 15. I read it to increase my vocabulary and exposure to Spanish. That was accomplished through this book.
Jul 11, 2009
Wavygrass
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Lo terminé de leer ahora, pero leí hasta la mitad cuando tenía ¿14? años. En ese entonces me fascinó La señorita Cora, por lo novedoso del estilo. Ahora me parece encontrar cada vez más niveles de profundidad; Cortázar era brillante.
Jan 16, 2011
Adriana
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El cuento que le da nombre al libro es sencillamente genial, los demás cuentos no escapan de la genialidad del autor, pero "De todos los fuegos, el fuego" es sencillamente una obra maestra.
Jun 29, 2009
Inagaki
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Uma reunião de contos fantásticos, em todos os sentidos da palavra, dentre eles o meu predileto de toda a obra de Cortázar: "A Auto-Estrada do Sul".
Jun 29, 2009
Fabricio
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Gosto muito de Autopista del Sur e a história da família que esconde a verdade da matrona. É um livro pra ler no ônibus e reler em casa.
Sep 01, 2010
Silvina
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El cuento que más me gusto fue "la casa tomada" pero el estilo del escritor no me atrapo por completo
Jan 02, 2010
Marcelo
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experimental, cru e incorpora realidade e fantasia com uma maestria sem igual. meu novo autor favorito.
Jan 05, 2011
Scotch
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A few wondrous stories intermingled with a few stories that relied too heavily on the strange twist endings, but still a thoroughly beautiful read. My favorite is "Southern Thruway".
Aug 09, 2011
Adrien
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Je place sans hésiter les deux premières nouvelles du recueil dans les plus extraordinaires qu'il m'ait été donné de lire.
Feb 06, 2011
Eitan
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Lo lei hace muchos años, pero aun siento la desdesperacion por la espera interminable de 'autopista del Sur' o el sutil juego de mentiras dentro de la familia en 'la salud de los enfermos'. a medida que uno se va haciendo adulto y vemos envejecer a nuestros padres, mas empatia tenemos por este cuento.
May 07, 2008
Jaimie
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That Julio Cortázar is one hell of a writer. OK, so sometimes I get bored in the middle of the story because of his long, winding sentences, but it always picks back up again. I highly recommend the story "La Señorita Cora" to anyone who wants a good short story to dive into.
May 16, 2008
Ryan
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Reading these stories is safer than taking LSD, cheaper than flying to the moon and more fun than meditation. Spend a few minutes on Cortazar's "The Southern Thruway" and feel your patience wane. Who, exactly is frustrating you so? The other drivers? Cortazar? Yourself?
Aug 13, 2011
Jason
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Cortázar dangles answers, alludes to them, connects characters with them; but don't think for a moment you'll be let in on them, if they really exist in the first place. Cortázar is talented, thought-provoking, and frustrating.
Dec 16, 2009
Cleyton
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O livro em seu conjunto tem altos e baixos, mas a alucinação de La autopista del sur é de uma genialidade intocável. Um texto que um velho amigo, Aldo Barreto, definiria, acertadamente, como descabaçante.
Nov 03, 2011
Juan Carlos Santillán
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Difícilmente una historia tan surrealista como "Autopista del sur" puede lograr -irónicamente- tal nivel de coherencia.
Mar 02, 2011
Julia
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Cortázar é completamente desconcertante. Os seus livros dão uma sensação de estranhamento. Esse livro de contos é impressionante.
Feb 08, 2010
Poorfish
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Another great collection of Cortazar short stories and again some of my favorite ones of all time.
Aug 26, 2009
Dael
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like many cortázar knows how to twist stuff. like a few he makes some juice of it. lemon juice.
