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The Rest Is Jungle and Other Stories
Fiction. Latino/Latina Studies. Translated from the Spanish by Harry Morales. In this exquisite new short story collection, celebrated Latin American writer Mario Benedetti affords us a beguiling glimpse of a world in flux. Addressing subjects ranging from love and middle-class frustration in the city to the pain of exile, the stories in THE REST IS JUNGLE transport the reader from the cafes of Montevideo to the fault lines that divide nations and people. Whether poking fun at the pretentions of the contemporary literary scene, or offering a moving portrait of multigenerational family life, Benedetti discerns the irony, humor and heartbreak in every situation. From the hilarious depiction of an office worker battling with bureaucracy, to a domestic tragedy recounted from the perspective of an eavesdropping family pet, the stories in this playful and provocative collection throw light on that curious realm where our public and private lives intersect. THE REST IS JUNGLE is a remarkable showcase for the work of a writer who sought to speak of love, power and commitment as directly and passionately as possible.
296 pages, Hardcover
First published July 1, 2010
2 people are currently reading
57 people want to read
About the author
Mario Benedetti
286 books2,595 followersMario Benedetti (full name: Mario Orlando Hamlet Hardy Brenno Benedetti Farugia) was a Uruguayan journalist, novelist, and poet. Despite publishing more than 80 books and being published in twenty languages he was not well known in the English-speaking world. He is considered one of Latin America's most important 20th-century writers.
Benedetti was a member of the 'Generation of 45', a Uruguayan intellectual and literary movement and also wrote in the famous weekly Uruguayan newspaper Marcha from 1945 until it was forcibly closed by the military government in 1973, and was its literary director from 1954. From 1973 to 1985 he lived in exile, and returned to Uruguay in March 1983 following the restoration of democracy.
Benedetti was a member of the 'Generation of 45', a Uruguayan intellectual and literary movement and also wrote in the famous weekly Uruguayan newspaper Marcha from 1945 until it was forcibly closed by the military government in 1973, and was its literary director from 1954. From 1973 to 1985 he lived in exile, and returned to Uruguay in March 1983 following the restoration of democracy.
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December 12, 2010
when the great mario benedetti passed away at the age of 88 in may 2009, thousands of people throughout his native uruguay and the rest of latin america mourned the loss deeply. in the united states and other english-speaking countries, however, the death of this renowned literary master garnered little but a passing mention. as the author of more than 80 books (poems, short stories, novels, plays, and essays), benedetti was as beloved and respected a man of letters as the southern cone has ever produced.
in addition to his creative works, benedetti was also a journalist and outspoken political activist. he helped coordinate the broad front (frente amplio), a coalition of leftwing political groups organized to combat uruguay's ruling parties. as political tensions grew during the tumultuous years of the early 1970s (as they did throughout latin america), repressive actions by the military also grew in frequency and severity. following the 1973 coup, frente amplio was outlawed, as was the magazine for which benedetti wrote, forcing him into exile. he moved first to buenos aires whereupon a rightwing paramilitary group threatened him with death. from argentina he traveled to lima, peru, but was soon detained and later deported, finally reaching havana and eventually madrid. benedetti continued to write from abroad, heavily critical of the political oppression occurring in his homeland. it would be over a decade before his return to uruguay, settling in montevideo in 1985, where he lived for the remainder of his life. the political repression, censorship, and exile he endured largely influenced his writing.
with so little of benedetti's work to be found in english, the posthumous publication of a recently translated collection of his short stories is a welcome and well-deserved addition to what remains. composed of nearly four dozen short stories, the rest is jungle and other stories spans 50 years of benedetti's literary career. with nary a weak piece to be found, this collection offers the full breadth of his remarkable short-story-writing prowess.
adeptly translated from the spanish by harry morales, the rest is jungle and other stories is, as described by him, "my flower of multi-colored petals to benedetti, which i place at his feet, followed by a deep bow and bent knee." as one who began translating benedetti's works over 20 years ago, morales is well accomplished in rendering the rhythm and nuance of the author's writing from its original spanish. after studying literary translation under the famed gregory rabassa (cortázar, garcía márquez, amado), morales translated two of benedetti's poetry collections (solo mientras tanto and poemas de la oficina) into english (the single-volume only in the meantime and office poems), as well as stories that have appeared in an impressive array of publications. though it has yet to be published, morales also retranslated benedetti's most famous work, la tregua (the truce), as its english predecessor has long been out of print. that morales has faithfully endeavored to promote benedetti's work to english-speaking audiences is testament to the care and devotion he brings to his translations.
from the seemingly mundane, often overlooked moments of everyday life to the impossible ontological questions that have tempted minds for millennia, the scope of subjects that mario benedetti incorporated into his fiction is simply breathtaking. perhaps the most singular quality defining benedetti's work, however, is the mindful humanity that courses through his writing. sympathetic, tender, and rhythmic, benedetti never divorces his characters from their roles in the larger melodrama of life. a man may indeed inflict the cruelest torture upon a political dissident, yet he must later that very evening face the innocent inquiries of his young child. where it would be all too easy to veer into the realm of offering moral pronouncements or ideological posturings, benedetti's focus upon each character as a real, complex individual never strays nor wavers.
as was the focus of his haunting 1979 stage drama, pedro and the captain, a few of the stories in the rest is jungle deal directly with the grave implications of state-imposed torture. he wrote of that play in its prologue:
it is with these sentiments in mind that benedetti seems to have crafted all of his fiction. his interest in the rich, personal experience of his characters (be they perceived as heroes, traitors, or common folk) appears invaluable, and to the reader this translates to a seldom seen warmth and compassion that emanates freely from the page.
despite benedetti's trenchant observations about the nature and effects of abhorrent political tactics (for torturer and tortured alike), his insights into the fancies and follies of romantic love are perhaps even more incisive. it may well be that benedetti's familiarity with the more calamitous and forlorn aspects of existence equipped him with an equal, perhaps greater, capacity for sharing the transcendent joys of love and freedom. it most certainly was a subject he knew well; his marriage to his childhood sweetheart prevailed for six decades before her passing in 2006.
given the vastness of experiences benedetti chronicled throughout his work, it's easy to see the zest he applied to life and literary creation. while many of his stories lead to an unanticipated conclusion, often even a dark one, they are balanced by a revelatory and paced quality that comes eerily close to the personal tales one might hear from a friend. reading benedetti is just that, like learning of a well-lived life with its ample share of frustration, worry, regret, solitude, beauty, unexpected humor, grace, loyalty, and romance. his work feels so vibrant and animate because it's so eminently realistic. whether reading the easily relatable tale of abiding bureaucracy or a metaphorical story about an ant nearing its destination, it often seems as if benedetti simply recast the happenings of his (or our) neighbors under the guise of gorgeous prose, the cloak that is the storyteller's gift.
benedetti's characters, like the stories that contain them, are never static, but instead wend a fluid course which often leads to places unexpected. little is certain save for whatever reality he has us inhabiting for the moment. the men and women that populate his tales are subject to similar precepts. in "lunch and doubts," a character offers,
benedetti's work is suffused with the promise of possibility, adding handsomely to an already abundant wealth of charm and likeability.
the stories compiled for the rest is jungle are deeply rewarding and satisfying. for those unacquainted with the late, beloved uruguayan's work, a trove of riches awaits. that more of mario benedetti's writing shall find its way into translation, one can only hope. what little there is available in english demonstrates an immense talent regarded highly for decades elsewhere in the world. the rest is jungle and other stories is more than just an outstanding collection, it's a fitting tribute to a man whose commitment to life and literature was rivaled, perhaps, only by his steadfast devotion to compassion and justice.
in addition to his creative works, benedetti was also a journalist and outspoken political activist. he helped coordinate the broad front (frente amplio), a coalition of leftwing political groups organized to combat uruguay's ruling parties. as political tensions grew during the tumultuous years of the early 1970s (as they did throughout latin america), repressive actions by the military also grew in frequency and severity. following the 1973 coup, frente amplio was outlawed, as was the magazine for which benedetti wrote, forcing him into exile. he moved first to buenos aires whereupon a rightwing paramilitary group threatened him with death. from argentina he traveled to lima, peru, but was soon detained and later deported, finally reaching havana and eventually madrid. benedetti continued to write from abroad, heavily critical of the political oppression occurring in his homeland. it would be over a decade before his return to uruguay, settling in montevideo in 1985, where he lived for the remainder of his life. the political repression, censorship, and exile he endured largely influenced his writing.
with so little of benedetti's work to be found in english, the posthumous publication of a recently translated collection of his short stories is a welcome and well-deserved addition to what remains. composed of nearly four dozen short stories, the rest is jungle and other stories spans 50 years of benedetti's literary career. with nary a weak piece to be found, this collection offers the full breadth of his remarkable short-story-writing prowess.
adeptly translated from the spanish by harry morales, the rest is jungle and other stories is, as described by him, "my flower of multi-colored petals to benedetti, which i place at his feet, followed by a deep bow and bent knee." as one who began translating benedetti's works over 20 years ago, morales is well accomplished in rendering the rhythm and nuance of the author's writing from its original spanish. after studying literary translation under the famed gregory rabassa (cortázar, garcía márquez, amado), morales translated two of benedetti's poetry collections (solo mientras tanto and poemas de la oficina) into english (the single-volume only in the meantime and office poems), as well as stories that have appeared in an impressive array of publications. though it has yet to be published, morales also retranslated benedetti's most famous work, la tregua (the truce), as its english predecessor has long been out of print. that morales has faithfully endeavored to promote benedetti's work to english-speaking audiences is testament to the care and devotion he brings to his translations.
from the seemingly mundane, often overlooked moments of everyday life to the impossible ontological questions that have tempted minds for millennia, the scope of subjects that mario benedetti incorporated into his fiction is simply breathtaking. perhaps the most singular quality defining benedetti's work, however, is the mindful humanity that courses through his writing. sympathetic, tender, and rhythmic, benedetti never divorces his characters from their roles in the larger melodrama of life. a man may indeed inflict the cruelest torture upon a political dissident, yet he must later that very evening face the innocent inquiries of his young child. where it would be all too easy to veer into the realm of offering moral pronouncements or ideological posturings, benedetti's focus upon each character as a real, complex individual never strays nor wavers.
as was the focus of his haunting 1979 stage drama, pedro and the captain, a few of the stories in the rest is jungle deal directly with the grave implications of state-imposed torture. he wrote of that play in its prologue:
the work isn't a confrontation between a monster and a saint, but rather one between two men, two flesh and blood beings who both have their points of vulnerability and resistance. for the most part the distance between the two of them is ideological, and this perhaps holds the key to their other differences -- the moral, the spiritual, the sensitivity to human pain, the complex terrain that lies between courage and cowardice, the lesser or greater capacity for sacrifice, the gap between betrayal and loyalty.
it is with these sentiments in mind that benedetti seems to have crafted all of his fiction. his interest in the rich, personal experience of his characters (be they perceived as heroes, traitors, or common folk) appears invaluable, and to the reader this translates to a seldom seen warmth and compassion that emanates freely from the page.
despite benedetti's trenchant observations about the nature and effects of abhorrent political tactics (for torturer and tortured alike), his insights into the fancies and follies of romantic love are perhaps even more incisive. it may well be that benedetti's familiarity with the more calamitous and forlorn aspects of existence equipped him with an equal, perhaps greater, capacity for sharing the transcendent joys of love and freedom. it most certainly was a subject he knew well; his marriage to his childhood sweetheart prevailed for six decades before her passing in 2006.
given the vastness of experiences benedetti chronicled throughout his work, it's easy to see the zest he applied to life and literary creation. while many of his stories lead to an unanticipated conclusion, often even a dark one, they are balanced by a revelatory and paced quality that comes eerily close to the personal tales one might hear from a friend. reading benedetti is just that, like learning of a well-lived life with its ample share of frustration, worry, regret, solitude, beauty, unexpected humor, grace, loyalty, and romance. his work feels so vibrant and animate because it's so eminently realistic. whether reading the easily relatable tale of abiding bureaucracy or a metaphorical story about an ant nearing its destination, it often seems as if benedetti simply recast the happenings of his (or our) neighbors under the guise of gorgeous prose, the cloak that is the storyteller's gift.
benedetti's characters, like the stories that contain them, are never static, but instead wend a fluid course which often leads to places unexpected. little is certain save for whatever reality he has us inhabiting for the moment. the men and women that populate his tales are subject to similar precepts. in "lunch and doubts," a character offers,
my conscience turns up on the day i least expect it to. when one is going to open the front door or while shaving, when one looks at oneself absentmindedly in the mirror. i don't know if you understand what i'm saying. in the beginning, one has an idea of what happiness is going to be like, but then afterwards, one starts to accept corrections to that idea, and only when all the possible corrections have been made, does one realize that one has been fooling oneself.
benedetti's work is suffused with the promise of possibility, adding handsomely to an already abundant wealth of charm and likeability.
the stories compiled for the rest is jungle are deeply rewarding and satisfying. for those unacquainted with the late, beloved uruguayan's work, a trove of riches awaits. that more of mario benedetti's writing shall find its way into translation, one can only hope. what little there is available in english demonstrates an immense talent regarded highly for decades elsewhere in the world. the rest is jungle and other stories is more than just an outstanding collection, it's a fitting tribute to a man whose commitment to life and literature was rivaled, perhaps, only by his steadfast devotion to compassion and justice.
March 22, 2011
Let's not resort to the vulgarity of attributing everything that is shameful to a muddled childhood. It remained over there, behind the fog. My remembrances allow themselves to be seen through a sparkling glass called memory. I see you naked in the field, beneath a rainfall that doesn't discriminate, your naked arms up high, enjoying that initial happiness which would certainly not occur again, at least with that intensity.
Mario Benedetti was one of Uruguay's preeminent writers and a stalwart in Latin American literature. This collection of short stories The Rest is Jungle and Other Stories, contains fifty plus years of his work. Besides being a prodigious novelist, essayist, critic and poet, he was a political activist. His distinct imagery and political themes are present in these short stories which experiment with form, style and point-of-view. Having lived to be almost ninety, Benedetti's stories serve as a witness to the changing political tides, oppression, alienation, and human understanding during a tumultuous period in Latin American history.
Many of his stories center around the isolation one feels living in an urban environment. He conveys the loneliness and disconnectedness of the individual who simultaneously wants the metropolitan life of the city but feels confined by its impersonal limits: revenge fuels office betrayal in "Such Friends," a daughter in a wheelchair shows her aversion to her father's political views by telling the robbers where his art collection is hidden in "The Collection," and a tale of embarrassment in an apartment building when a man dances naked among other things and then realizes his blinds were open in "Venetian Blinds."
Benedetti also explores the concept of evil and how evil makes victims of the powerless regardless of their behavior as demonstrated with chilling precision in "Listening to Mozart," "The Rage Has Ended," and "No Surrender." The realism that is heightened is these stories is met with stories that are ensconced in a surreal and dreamlike quality that address themes such as the passage of time, death and imprisonment found in "A Watch with Roman Numerals," "Nineteen" and "He Dreamed He Was in Prison." And then there are little comic gems like "Translations" which deal with language, perception and derivation:
The same thing always happened to him. when someone translated one of his poems into a foreign language (at least, on of those he knew), their verses sounded better than his original. That's why he wasn't surprised that the French version of his poem, "Time and the Bell," appeared to be wonderful, graceful, substantial.
Two years later, an Italian translator, who didn't know Spanish, translated that French version, and although he had never been a supporter of the oblique versions (not forgetting, nevertheless, that many years ago he had discovered Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, and also Confucius through them), he greatly enjoyed his poem "in an Italic mode."
Three more years elapsed and a British translator, who, like the majority of British translators, didn't know Spanish, translated the Italian version, which in turn had been translated from the French version. Despite such distant origin, it was the version that brought the original Spanish-speaking author the most pleasure. He was just a bit surprised (in reality, he attributed it to many errors) that this new oblique version was titled "Burnt Norton," and that the name of the supposed author was a certain T.S. Eliot. Nevertheless, he like it so much that he decided to take personal charge of translating into Spanish.
What makes Benedetti's short stories so effective is that the reader is pulled in right in the middle of the action, right before the chaos unravels. The stories have a blunt irreversibility about them--the endings don't offer hope, just outcomes from impulse and desire. The pettiness of hatred, fear and greed limn some of his harder truths that give these stories such finality. If you like short stories, this is a collection that shows what the form can do from different angles and genres. And Harry Morales' translation is loyal and superb. A perfect pairing of translator and writer makes this collection lush and varied.
Having read his poetry, Benedetti's love of language never leaves him, no matter what genre he is choosing. Even though there is the harshness of city living present in his poems and poetry, it is tempered by a desire for connection and compassion. It takes a truly skilled writer to tell the story of the human experience that includes love, hate and all that lies in between and Benedetti is just such a writer.
June 5, 2021
I often wish I were more experienced with Latin American literature, because I am confident there are a lot more works as enjoyable as this one (many of which, unfortunately, have not been translated into English). For me, to summarize this collection in one thought: it's a lot of fun.
In recent years I have been reading more short stories, so I have some context for seeing Benedetti as a true virtuoso. I can't think of any other writer in this form whose work is similar. He uses a wide variety of forms. Some stories are a single paragraph which runs for several pages. Many have an O Henry like surprise ending, but many others do not. One story starts its paragraphs with lower case letters. At least one is fantasy. One has a letter torn in half, with each half appearing on a different page of the book. Most are very short, but the last one (which yields the book's title) is more than twenty pages and is very good.
There is something amazingly human about this collection. A huge variety of emotions are explored -- friendship, love, sex, loneliness, small pleasures and most grippingly of all, the despair of living in a cruel dictatorship (both or the victims and the inflictors).
The book contains 45 stories, which is a lot. Unfortunately, the introduction gives no sense of how the stories are organized. Is it random? (that seems unlikely). It would have been helpful if each story included its date, and perhaps if the proceeded in chronological order in terms of their creation.
The paucity of comments in Goodreads makes it clear that outside of Latin America, Bennedetti's work has not yet acquired the wide readership it deserves. I hope others get to share the enjoyment I got from reading this,
In recent years I have been reading more short stories, so I have some context for seeing Benedetti as a true virtuoso. I can't think of any other writer in this form whose work is similar. He uses a wide variety of forms. Some stories are a single paragraph which runs for several pages. Many have an O Henry like surprise ending, but many others do not. One story starts its paragraphs with lower case letters. At least one is fantasy. One has a letter torn in half, with each half appearing on a different page of the book. Most are very short, but the last one (which yields the book's title) is more than twenty pages and is very good.
There is something amazingly human about this collection. A huge variety of emotions are explored -- friendship, love, sex, loneliness, small pleasures and most grippingly of all, the despair of living in a cruel dictatorship (both or the victims and the inflictors).
The book contains 45 stories, which is a lot. Unfortunately, the introduction gives no sense of how the stories are organized. Is it random? (that seems unlikely). It would have been helpful if each story included its date, and perhaps if the proceeded in chronological order in terms of their creation.
The paucity of comments in Goodreads makes it clear that outside of Latin America, Bennedetti's work has not yet acquired the wide readership it deserves. I hope others get to share the enjoyment I got from reading this,
October 1, 2020
First, the book; then me reading the book. This collection of some of Benedetti's short stories is an excellent selection that accurately reflects his talent. He writes with a clear but engaging prose. He explores simple situations that, as he reveals, include a depth of human experience and emotion. His work is creative yet accessible.
Me reading the book. It has been over 20 years since I have read short stories. The experience proved to be much more interesting than I had anticipated. My initial reaction to returning to short stories was one of puzzlement. What is this form of writing? Stories seemed to be either inadequate glimpses of a larger story or brief samples provided to display the author's skill without really telling us anything. I became slowly more comfortable with the format but still disappointed.
Although the stories were excellent as the author reveals his skills (that are more firmly revealed in his novels), the experience left me with no desire to read more short stories, no matter the talent of the author. But, that's on me, not the authors.
Me reading the book. It has been over 20 years since I have read short stories. The experience proved to be much more interesting than I had anticipated. My initial reaction to returning to short stories was one of puzzlement. What is this form of writing? Stories seemed to be either inadequate glimpses of a larger story or brief samples provided to display the author's skill without really telling us anything. I became slowly more comfortable with the format but still disappointed.
Although the stories were excellent as the author reveals his skills (that are more firmly revealed in his novels), the experience left me with no desire to read more short stories, no matter the talent of the author. But, that's on me, not the authors.
November 4, 2010
Mario Benedetti is from Uruguay and the short stories within this collection are mostly set in the cities and villages of the South American nation. It would be incredibly cliche to say that these short stories feel tall, but they do. Some are only a few pages long, but the lingering effect is one of sighing acknowledgement that yes, this is how it is.
For, while diverse in characters and settings, Benedetti captures all the nuances of families and friendships, and the mind games that play on even after one participant is dead. Not all are depressing, some actually made me laugh outright. But it's an incredibly complicated study of human nature (a psychologist would probably love to evaluate this book and name all the symptoms) that never gets dull and is never predictable. Pay attention to the clues, just when you think someone may laugh they instead deliver a fatal blow. Benedetti doesn't do much foreshadowing (there's hardly time in a short story) so surprises occur. His writing is so subtle too, that after a particularly traumatic event takes place, he simply continues with the story and lets you reel from the implications instead of spelling them all out. He credits the reader with the intelligence and savvy to foresee what may happen, and doesn't prescribe it. This lingering sense of wonder will have you returning to the plot later, in your head, as you continue to grasp what went unsaid.
"The Sweethearts" is one of the most perplexing of the stories. A young girl is orphaned when her embezzling father commits suicide. An outcast in the city, one family opens its doors to her, and she becomes friends with the family's son. Almost thirty years pass in their friendship, and what you may expect to happen never occurs. Instead, you see how a common bond of dysfunction creates a strange world that neither escape from, nor appear to want to. Benedetti is especially observant when he notes how the community treats the innocent child: "that duality was that the good families were always ready to smile..." at her, but at the end of the day "this fulfilled their quota of Christian pity, while at the same time allowing them to conserve their energy for that hour when they closed all the doors of all their houses, separating her from all...and making her feel that she was somewhat tainted."
"The Rage Has Ended" was poignant and subtle, told from the voice of a loyal dog who is the only witness to its owners adultery. What the dog senses, and what it does, makes a tangible character in the play of secrets and lies. And while the dog knows loyalty, he doesn't understand revenge.
"Completely Absent-Minded" is one of the more amusing stories, of a man who flees his country for political reasons. He travels the world, not caring much about where he is going, completely lost in the thrill of the journey. "He liked people, but he didn't bond...." and "He got along well with children and dogs". Benedetti takes pains to describe the details that matter to the traveller, and more importantly, the ones that don't. The man mixes up nations and rivers and continents, shiftlessly journeying on. Along with him the reader also becomes disoriented as to his place in the world, and the strangely appropriate ending is still somewhat devastating.
Especially nuanced are the stories told of fathers and sons. Both wishing to appear to be more than they are, to impress the other. The dynamics are the same no matter how wealthy or poor, good or wicked, or even how tragically bored some of them may be.
The collection contains about 35 stories and some of them are expressed in an enjambment that is nearly poetic. On one page a quote from Benedetti sums up the book beautifully: "We are a small nook of America which has neither oil, nor Indians, nor minerals, nor volcanoes, nor even an army dedicated to coups. We are a small country of short stories."
For, while diverse in characters and settings, Benedetti captures all the nuances of families and friendships, and the mind games that play on even after one participant is dead. Not all are depressing, some actually made me laugh outright. But it's an incredibly complicated study of human nature (a psychologist would probably love to evaluate this book and name all the symptoms) that never gets dull and is never predictable. Pay attention to the clues, just when you think someone may laugh they instead deliver a fatal blow. Benedetti doesn't do much foreshadowing (there's hardly time in a short story) so surprises occur. His writing is so subtle too, that after a particularly traumatic event takes place, he simply continues with the story and lets you reel from the implications instead of spelling them all out. He credits the reader with the intelligence and savvy to foresee what may happen, and doesn't prescribe it. This lingering sense of wonder will have you returning to the plot later, in your head, as you continue to grasp what went unsaid.
"The Sweethearts" is one of the most perplexing of the stories. A young girl is orphaned when her embezzling father commits suicide. An outcast in the city, one family opens its doors to her, and she becomes friends with the family's son. Almost thirty years pass in their friendship, and what you may expect to happen never occurs. Instead, you see how a common bond of dysfunction creates a strange world that neither escape from, nor appear to want to. Benedetti is especially observant when he notes how the community treats the innocent child: "that duality was that the good families were always ready to smile..." at her, but at the end of the day "this fulfilled their quota of Christian pity, while at the same time allowing them to conserve their energy for that hour when they closed all the doors of all their houses, separating her from all...and making her feel that she was somewhat tainted."
"The Rage Has Ended" was poignant and subtle, told from the voice of a loyal dog who is the only witness to its owners adultery. What the dog senses, and what it does, makes a tangible character in the play of secrets and lies. And while the dog knows loyalty, he doesn't understand revenge.
"Completely Absent-Minded" is one of the more amusing stories, of a man who flees his country for political reasons. He travels the world, not caring much about where he is going, completely lost in the thrill of the journey. "He liked people, but he didn't bond...." and "He got along well with children and dogs". Benedetti takes pains to describe the details that matter to the traveller, and more importantly, the ones that don't. The man mixes up nations and rivers and continents, shiftlessly journeying on. Along with him the reader also becomes disoriented as to his place in the world, and the strangely appropriate ending is still somewhat devastating.
Especially nuanced are the stories told of fathers and sons. Both wishing to appear to be more than they are, to impress the other. The dynamics are the same no matter how wealthy or poor, good or wicked, or even how tragically bored some of them may be.
The collection contains about 35 stories and some of them are expressed in an enjambment that is nearly poetic. On one page a quote from Benedetti sums up the book beautifully: "We are a small nook of America which has neither oil, nor Indians, nor minerals, nor volcanoes, nor even an army dedicated to coups. We are a small country of short stories."
November 15, 2016
Mario Benedetti is a writer from Uruguay best known for his short stories.
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